Improving Boulder Problem Definitions

Hi TheTopo team,

all the suggestions below apply to bouldering problems, not sport climbing routes. I believe they would improve the accuracy of topos, especially in smaller local bouldering areas.

1. Add the option to mark prohibited holds (X markers)

ability to mark holds that are not allowed to be used with an "X" directly on the boulder photo. These markers should only be visible when viewing the details of an individual route (boulder problem), not in the spot overview showing all routes on a boulder. Some spots can have even 20 or more problems packed closely together, making the spot overview difficult to read already. Displaying all the prohibited holds there would create unnecessary visual clutter.

I understand that in areas like Fontainebleau, where there are countless spots and almost unlimited possibilities for creating lines, prohibited holds are often unnecessary. However, many smaller local climbing areas have a limited number of spots. In these places, defining problems through specific holds and restrictions is often essential. Without these restrictions, it can be nearly impossible to create a variety of challenging problems.

2. Enable zooming in individual route details (app)

Currently, zooming works in the overall spot view, but not in the detail view of an individual route (boulder problem). When many routes overlap on the same spot, the overview becomes too cluttered to clearly identify specific holds. Being able to zoom in on a single problem would make it much easier to follow the exact line and distinguish allowed holds from prohibited ones. This is especially important in bouldering, where using just one wrong hold can turn a difficult problem into an easy one.

3. Add two markers to define the starting handholds

two dots indicating the exact starting handholds of a boulder problem. This would make it immediately clear where each hand is supposed to start. Again, these dots should only appear in the individual route detail view, not in the spot overview of all routes (problems) on a boulder. This would keep the overview clean while providing all the necessary information when someone selects a specific problem.

Thanks for considering these suggestions