Rock Climbing - Terminology
Free Climbing
Free climbing is rock climbing which does not involve any direct aid. That is,
the climber uses only the features of the rock to climb with. Any gear or bolts
which he uses are only for protection in nthe event of a fall and never hold his
weight. Free Climbing does not mean un-roped climbing. That is called soloing
(or free soloing).
Aid Climbing
Aid climbing uses gear such as nuts, pitons, hooks and bolts to pull up on and
make progress in a climb. Although it is less practiced today than in the past,
it is still widely used on big walls and mountaineering.
Traditional Climbing
Often called trad climbing or referred to as ‘slinging gear’. Basically,
climbing without placing bolts. Only natural protection such as nuts and cams in
cracks, or slings around trees or rock horns are used.
Sport Climbing
Increasingly popular is climbing on routes with only pre-placed bolts for
protection. Usually short, often hard climbs. Only a rope, harness and a few
quickdraws are needed. Many traditionalists feel that sport climbing is a
somewhat lower form of climbing, as it permanently scars the rock, and removes
much the mental game from climbing.
Lead Climbing
Climbing where the first climber takes the rope up with him and clips the rope
into protection (bolts, nuts or cams in cracks, slings around trees etc.) as he
ascends.
Top Roping
Climbing where the rope runs through an anchor at the top of the climb, and then
down to the climber. The climber does not have to worry about placing
protection, or taking big falls.
Bouldering
Un-roped climbing low enough to the ground that a fall is not too serious
(usually a few metres or less). Bouldering allows a climber to work on very
difficult sequences without worrying about gear and equipment.
Equipment
Climbing equipment has evolved steadily over the past 50 years. Originally,
pitons were pounded into cracks with hammers to provide protection. Today, most
climbers use aluminum nuts and spring loaded camming devices instead. Ropes,
carabiners, harnesses, shoes and everything else have been constantly refined
and improved. Almost all climbing equipment is designed to withstand far greater
forces then are ever created in all but the most extreme climbing situations.
For gear to fail when used properly is very rare. The following is a brief
explanation of basic modern climbing equipment:
Rope
One of the most important pieces of equipment a climber uses. Climbing ropes are
dynamic (stretchy) so they absorb some of the impact in a fall. Climbing ropes
are extremely strong and durable.
Harness
A nylon harness (usually just a waist harness) which both the climber and
belayer (person who feeds rope out to the climber and catches falls) wear, and
which the rope is tied into.
Shoes
Traditionally, climbers wore stiff soled boots to climb rock, but over the years
climbing shoes have evolved to today’s tight fitting shoes with soft, high
friction rubber soles. These shoes have been one of the factors in the dramatic
increase in the technical difficulty of climbs now considered possible.
Carabiners
Often just called biners. These are the more or less oval metal links climbers
use to attach ropes and other gear.
Quickdraws
The sport climbers gear of choice. Two biners attached by a short nylon sling.
These are used by a lead climber to attach the rope to a piece of protection or
to a bolt.
Belay Devices
Any one of a number of devices which allow the belayer to stop a climbers fall
by putting a great deal of friction on the rope. Before belay devices were
common, climbers used to use friction of the rope on their body to stop a fall
(waist belay, hip belay etc). Needless to say, modern belay devices are far less
painful.
Nuts (chocks, stoppers)
Small metal (usually aluminum) wedges which are fit into cracks to hold a fall.
Most nuts have a wire loop which is used to clip a carabiner into.
Spring loaded camming devices
Often called cams or Friends. These are complicated devices with three or four
roughly semicircular lobes which may retracted, and then automatically expand to
fit into a crack. These devices make protection much simpler in large cracks.
Helmet
While helmets are rarely found today at sport crags, a helmet is still very
important on a big wall where the danger of falling rocks and dropped gear is
much greater and the consequences of an injury much more serious. Climbing
helmets are similar to industrial hard-hats - they are designed to withstand
impact from above (i.e. - falling rock) more than side impacts.
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