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Calories Burned Bouldering: How Many Calories Do You Burn Per Hour?

· by Cruxbook

Bouldering burns roughly 350 to 700 kcal per hour, depending on your body weight and how hard you climb. The math is simple: kcal = MET × kg × hours. With MET values of 5.8 to 8.8, that gives about 348 to 528 kcal per hour at 60 kg and about 464 to 704 kcal per hour at 80 kg. It's an estimate for an average person. Your real number can differ.

What is a MET value?

MET stands for "metabolic equivalent of task". One MET is roughly your energy use at rest, about 1 kcal per kilogram of body weight per hour. A value of 6 MET means the activity uses about six times as much as resting.

The values come from the Compendium of Physical Activities, a collection researchers use worldwide. We don't make up numbers here.

Which MET values apply to bouldering?

In the Sports chapter of the Compendium (2024 Adult Compendium) three entries fit bouldering:

Code MET Compendium description
15534 8.8 Rock climbing, free boulder
15535 7.3 Rock climbing, ascending rock, high difficulty
15537 5.8 Rock climbing, ascending or traversing rock, low-to-moderate difficulty

Only code 15534 names bouldering explicitly (8.8 MET). Code 15537 (5.8 MET) describes easier climbing and serves as the lower bound here, because a bouldering session has a lot of rest. The entries cover climbing in general, not a gym with mats and queues. Treat them as a frame, not a measurement.

How do you calculate your calorie burn?

The formula:

kcal = MET × body weight in kg × duration in hours

Example for 60 kg and one hour:

  • Lower bound: 5.8 × 60 × 1 = 348 kcal
  • Upper bound: 8.8 × 60 × 1 = 528 kcal

Example for 80 kg and one hour:

  • Lower bound: 5.8 × 80 × 1 = 464 kcal
  • Upper bound: 8.8 × 80 × 1 = 704 kcal

If your session lasts an hour and a half, multiply by 1.5. At 70 kg that's 5.8 × 70 × 1.5 = 609 kcal up to 8.8 × 70 × 1.5 = 924 kcal.

Why does your number differ?

The formula gives an average. Several things shift it:

  • Rest: In bouldering you climb briefly, then rest longer. If you count the whole time in the gym, you land nearer the lower end.
  • Intensity: Working a project at your limit costs more energy than warming up on easy problems.
  • Body: Weight, muscle mass, age and fitness change the actual burn.
  • Estimation error: A MET value is an average from studies, not your personal measurement.

Individual values vary. Treat the number as a rough guide, not a target to hit to the calorie.

What does a Garmin show, and what does Cruxbook do with it?

If your Garmin shows a calorie number, the watch estimated it itself. Garmin decides how it calculates that, not us.

Cruxbook does not calculate calories. The app stores gyms, problems, attempts and sends. If a watch also sends calories or heart rate, we drop it on arrival unless you have given explicit consent. We don't ask for that consent at the moment. So the number you see on the watch is the watch's own estimate, not one from Cruxbook. More on watches in the Garmin guide.

FAQ

How many calories does bouldering burn per hour?

By the Compendium's MET values it's about 5.8 to 8.8 kcal per kilogram per hour. At 60 to 80 kg that means roughly 350 to 700 kcal. Your personal number can be higher or lower.

Is bouldering better than running for weight loss?

These numbers can't tell you. Burn per hour depends on how much you actually climb and how much you rest. We don't compare sports here.

Do I burn more if I climb harder grades?

Usually yes, because you use more force. The Compendium entry doesn't grade by difficulty for this, though. A hard problem often also means longer rests.

How accurate is my watch's calorie reading?

The manufacturer decides that. Treat it as an estimate. Compare the trend across sessions rather than single values.

Does Cruxbook calculate my calorie burn?

No. Cruxbook doesn't store calories and doesn't compute them.

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