What is Rock Climbing?

Climbing, the people around you ask you various questions such as Are you going to free climb? Is there any safety measure on the walls? And more.

So, we have made a list of different types of rock climbing to make the concept clearer.

Aid Climbing

Aid climbing involves climbing upwards with the help of a climbing gear like a ladder with webbing loops. This type of climbing has been popular since the 1900s as it is an original style to climb large vertical walls. Aid climbing is still famous in places like California and Yosemite. The cams, nuts, and hooks are some of the tools used in aid climbing.

Free Climbing

In free climbing, a participant uses his own power to progress in an upward direction. They use climbing equipment like ropes for protection during climbing.

Free Soloing

This is the highest consequence style of rock climbing. Free soloing involves climbing a rock solo without the use of ropes or any other climbing equipment. Climbers only have their shoes and chalk. In this type of climbing, falls can lead to serious injuries or death. This is the reason that only a few of elite climbers prefer free soloing.

Bouldering

If you want to practice rock climbing indoors, go for bouldering. Like free soloing, here also no ropes or equipment is used. You just require your climbing shoes and chalk. In climbing gyms, there are padded floors that absorb the fall impacts effectively once you have learnt to fall safely.

Lead Climbing

In lead climbing, the rope directly goes with the climber from the base of the route. As the climber ascends, the rope is clipped into the bolts which are secured to the wall or trad gear.

Traditional Climbing

In Trad climbing, a group of climbers or a solo climber climbs a rock formation with all the climbing gear to ensure protection against falls. Once, the passage is completed, they remove all the gear. You may find bolt-protected-crux or bolted anchors on a trad route.

Often, vertical crack systems are followed on the trad climbs. In such a case, the climbers use hand and foot jams to progress upwards.

Sport Climbing

Sport climbing is somewhat related to roped climbing in a gym. The variable sport climbing routes include overhanging gymnastic-type routes, low-angle slabs, and technical vertical lines. The rocks have permanent anchors secured by the route climbers. This helps climbers to clip a rope for security against falls.

Make sure to check the climbing grades before selecting a type of climbing. For instance, in North America, sport climbing routes are graded 5th class using YDS (Yosemite Decimal System). This means a technical gear is suggested on the route.

If you want to climb an easier route, look for the 5.7 grade. The challenging routes have 5.13a grade.

These are some of the various types of climbing styles that you can choose according to the difficulty level and expertise.