Climbing is the activity of using one's hands, feet, or other parts of the body to ascend a steep topographical object that can range from the world's tallest mountains (e.g. theeight thousanders) to smallboulders.[1] Climbing is done for locomotion, sporting recreation, for competition, and is also done in trades that rely on ascension, such as construction and military operations. Climbing is done indoors and outdoors, on natural surfaces (e.g.rock climbing andice climbing), and on artificial surfaces (e.g.climbing walls andclimbing gyms).
The sport ofrock climbing can trace itsorigins to the late 19th-century, and has since developed into several major sub-disciplines. Single-pitch and multi-pitch (and big-wall) climbing, can be performed in varying styles (including aid, sport, traditional, free solo, and top-roping), while the standalone discipline ofbouldering (or boulder climbing) is, by definition, performed in a free-solo format.[3][4]
Single pitch climbing means ascending climbs that are a single rope-length (up to 50-metres) whilemulti-pitch climbing (andbig wall climbing) means ascendingroutes that are many rope-lengths (even up to 1,000-metres). These two rock climbing sub-disciplines can be conducted in one of several ways:[3][4]
Aid climbing is a form of rock climbing that uses artificial aids such asaiders,pitons, and other mechanical devices to assist in ascending a route. Much of rock climbing began as aid climbing, and even by the 1970s, many big wall routes required aid (e.g.The Nose and theSalathé Wall).[5]
Sport climbing is a form of rock climbing that uses no artificial aids (which is known asfree climbing), but does rely on permanent fixedbolts (orpitons), for use asprotection while climbing (but not as aid); was started in the 1980s in France and now makes up the world'shardest climbs (e.g.Silence).[6][7]
Traditional climbing is a form of rock climbing that uses no artificial aids (and is thus free climbing) but unlike sport climbing, the climbers place removable protection such asSCLDs andnuts while ascending that are removed by the second climber; has many famous routes (e.g.Indian Face,Cobra Crack).[8]
Free soloing is a form of rock climbing that uses no artificial aids (and is thus also free climbing) and where the climber uses no protection (neither sport nor traditional); thus any fall while free soloing could be fatal;deep-water soloing is a form of free soloing where a fall will result in landing into safe water. The 2017 free solo ofFreerider became the Oscar-winning film,Free Solo.[9]
Top rope climbing is a form of rock climbing that uses no artificial aids but as the sole form of protection, uses a pre-fixed rope secured to the top of the route (i.e. is used on single-pitches), and thus should the climber fall, they simply hang off the rope with no risk of any injury; it is not regarded as free climbing but is a popular and safe way to introduce people to free climbing (and common onclimbing walls).[10]
Bouldering: means ascending boulders or small outcrops with no artificial aids (free climbing) and due to the lower height, with no protection (making bouldering a form of free soloing); very tall boulders where a fall could be serious (i.e. up to 10-metres) are known ashighball bouldering. Manymilestones in bouldering (e.g.Midnight Lightning,Dreamtime andBurden of Dreams) were created by practitioners of bouldering and free climbing.
Mountaineering as a form of recreation can trace itsorigins to an even earlier time than rock climbing, and by the mid 18th century mountaineering in alpine environmnets has become as established pastime. It has since developed into several major sub-disciplines, including:[3]
Alpine climbing: Ascending large routes that require rock, ice, and mixed climbing skills but with minimal equipment and no outside support.[11]
Scrambling: Climbing rocky faces and ridges, which can include basic rock climbing, but is considered part ofhillwalking.
Via ferrata: Ascending mountain routes using previously installed fixed steel cables, metal rungs, and ladders for protection and aid.
Ice climbing: Ascending frozen water ice or hard alpine snow using equipment such asice axes andcrampons; usually in mountain settings.[12]
Mixed climbing: Ascending routes using ice climbing equipment where there is both rock and ice (calleddry-tooling if there is no ice).[12]
Solo climbing: Ascending routes alone; can involve ropes (roped solo climbing) and artificial aid; where no protection or aid is used, it is free soloing.
Competition climbing (sometimes confusingly called "sport climbing"), is a regulated sport of 'competitive rock climbing' that originated in the 1980s, and which is done asindoor climbing on artificialclimbing walls. The worldwide governing body for competition rock-climbing isWorld Climbing, which is recognized by theIOC andGAISF, and is a member of the International World Games Association (IWGA). Competition climbing has three parts:[13][14][15]
Competition ice climbing is a regulated sport of 'competitive ice climbing' that originated in the early 2000s, and which is done on outdoor or indoor climbing on artificial ice climbing walls that consist of ice and dry surfaces. TheUIAA is the governing body for competition ice climbing worldwide and their events include a lead ice climbing discipline and a speed ice climbing discipline. Competition ice climbing is not as yet an Olympic Sport.[16][17]
Therapeutic climbing refers to the structured use of climbing for mental and physical health benefits. It integrates psychotherapeutic principles such as goal setting, emotion regulation, and self-efficacy building into climbing sessions.[18]
^"Climbing".Cambridge Dictionary. 2024. Retrieved22 May 2024.the sport of climbing on rocks or in mountains, or on specially designed walls inside or outdoors:
