My 8 tips for your first time bouldering outdoors.

The most important thing in outdoor bouldering is a good crash pad under the problem. In the gym nobody gives it a second thought. Outdoors it's your responsibility.

When you're out with me, I bring the crash pads. If you go on your own or with your own group: you can rent crash pads (many climbing shops in larger cities offer this), or you split the weight with friends.

One pad usually isn't enough. Two is ideal. One directly under the boulder, one as an extension for the top-out.

Spotting doesn't mean catching, nobody can do that on a 4-metre boulder. It means keeping the landing zone clear, steering the body as it falls and stopping the head from hitting a rock.

Learn to spot before you boulder outdoors. On my trips it's always the first thing I explain. If you're starting on your own: watch videos, practise with friends on low moves and make it a habit.

In the gym you tell yourself: 'yellow hold, yellow hold, yellow hold.' Outdoors there are no colours. You read the rock: structure, angle, friction, edges.

That's the best part of outdoor bouldering and the hardest for beginners. My tip: start with low, easy-to-read problems. Look at the line from below before you get on. And watch other people.

On friction rock (sandstone like Fontainebleau, gneiss like the Odenwald) precision counts. Your shoe has to sit exactly where you place it. No slack, no wobble.

I recommend a shoe at least half a size smaller than your gym shoe, ideally a full size. It sounds painful, but it's bearable for bouldering, the moves are short.

Chalk helps against sweaty hands. But on Fontainebleau sandstone too much chalk can make the friction worse rather than better. The natural texture of the rock is often drier and grippier than you'd think.

Rule of thumb: try it without first, then with. Don't chalk up automatically before you get on.

Friction climbing works best in cool, dry conditions. Fontainebleau on a clear October morning is a different experience from 2 p.m. in August.

My rule of thumb: start in the morning while the rock is still cool. If it looks like rain, wait a day. Wet sandstone is slippery and it damages the rock structure.

Bouldering areas are under scrutiny. Conservation, climbing bans, access rights: it's political and fragile. We can all help keep the areas open.

In practice: respect the parking spots, leave no litter, brush off chalk marks, don't trample the plants. And buy locally when you're in the area. That builds goodwill.

Sure, that sounds like self-promotion. But it's true: two days with someone who knows outdoor bouldering replace months of figuring it out alone.

Every autumn and spring I take groups to Fontainebleau and to German bouldering areas. These aren't beginner courses, they're bouldering together with coaching for all levels. If you're interested, just get in touch with me directly.