When I was researching my book ‘How to Climb Harder‘ I decided to put a advisory section in for training for Young People. In researching that I looked at a BMJ article on climbing and young people in which it hinted towards campus boarding being potentially very damaging for young people. As such I decided to advise against its use, and even went a step further an advised that extremely fingery bouldering might lead to the same thing.
After the coaching symposium the BMC decided to issue guidance to this effect, and the UIAA have followed suit. Anyway the guidance, is here on the BMC Website.
The advise is based on the fact that a young climbers fingers have not fully matured, instense campus boarding or extremely fingery bouldering can lead to permanent and serious hand injuries and even finger deformity. See the diagram from my book below, that looks at the maturation of bones in the fingers.
