The Pocket

23/06/2026

Stop swinging off your projects! 🚪❌

Ever felt your body completely spin away from the wall when you reach for a hold? That is called barn-dooring, and it happens when your center of gravity loses its support.

Instead of relying on pure upper body strength to fight the swing, try flagging! By swinging your free leg out as a counterweight, you shift your balance back over your supporting foot, locking you into a steady position so you can make your move with absolute control.

How to practice this:
Identify the direction your body wants to swing.
Extend your free leg in the opposite direction against the wall.
Keep that flagging leg straight and tense to maintain body tension.

Come try it out on our freshly reset routes this week! Grab a session pass, session your project, and treat yourself to a specialty blend coffee or local cake afterward in our café ☕🍰.

Technique

23/06/2026

Get ready for our epic Summer Bouldering Series at The Pocket in Bideford! Whether you are a seasoned crusher or just trying out the walls, it is time to grab a scorecard and join the fun. Check out the full schedule of rounds and get your summer climbing fix!

Summer Series Dates
Round 1: July 3 – 30
Round 2: July 31 – August 31
Final Competition Night: September 4

What You Need To Know
Drop in, pick up your scorecard at the front desk, and push your grade! With a full month for each round, you have plenty of time to set your best scores. Celebrate it all on our Final Comp Night on September 4 for awards, climbing, and the summer send-off.

Plan your visit:
No need to book a fixed slot for the comps, just walk in and climb! We are open 10 AM to 9 PM Monday through Friday, and 10 AM to 6 PM on weekends.

🧗‍♀️

22/06/2026

#7 slab of the week - it’s already had an assault and a few different betas for the send

16/06/2026

Tuesday Tech Tip: Why You Should Downclimb!

Hit the top of your boulder problem at The Pocket? Instead of jumping or dropping to the mats, downclimb it! Here is why:

🔹 Saves Your Joints: Repeatedly jumping down puts heavy, unnatural impact on your hips, knees and ankles. Downclimbing acts as a controlled eccentric workout that safely conditions your tendons.
🔹 Doubles Your Training: Reversing your moves means you are getting double the time on the wall, maximizing your workout without burning out your grip.
🔹 Sharpens Your Footwork: Looking down and placing your feet deliberately while descending makes you a much more confident and precise climber when heading up.
🔹 Better Route Reading: Memorizing and reversing the exact sequence forces you to understand body positioning and balance on a whole new level.

Next time you send a problem, take a deep breath and challenge yourself to climb back down to the start holds! Your body and your climbing technique will thank you.

💪See you on the wall

15/06/2026

#6 slab of the week - semi dynamic start, or work really, it’s up to you!

09/06/2026

Tuesday Tech Tips - quiet feet lead to intentional foot placements, usually putting the climber in the correct place


pocketclimbing

09/06/2026

08/06/2026

What’s on - June

# IFSC