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Traditional climbing (ortrad climbing) is a type offree climbing in the sport ofrock climbing where thelead climber places temporary and removableprotection while simultaneously ascending theroute; when the lead climber has completed the route, the second climber (also called thebelayer) then removes this protection as they ascend the route.[1] Traditional climbing differs fromsport climbing where the protection equipment is already pre-drilled into the rockface in the form of permanentbolts. Traditional climbing is still the dominant format on longermulti-pitch climbing routes, includingalpine andbig wall routes.[2]
Traditional climbing carries a much higher level of risk than with bolted sport-climbing as the climber may not have placed the temporary protection equipment correctly while trying to ascend the route, or there may be few opportunities such as cracks and fissures to insert satisfactory protection (e.g. on very difficult routes). Traditional climbing was once the dominant form of free climbing but since the mid-1980s, sport climbing — and its related form ofcompetition climbing — became more popular forsingle pitch routes, and alltechnical grade milestones from8a+ (5.13c) onwards were set on single-pitch sport-climbing routes.
From the early 2000s, there was a resurgence in interest in single-pitch traditional climbing as climbers begangreenpointing sport-climbing routes (e.g. such asGreenspit andThe Path), and setting new grade milestones for traditional routes (e.g. such asCobra Crack at8c (5.14b) bySonnie Trotter, andRhapsody at8c+ (5.14c) byDave MacLeod). In 2008, female climberBeth Rodden created a new traditional climbing route at the same hardest grade ever climbed by a man with her ascent ofMeltdown at8c+ (5.14c). In 2019, Jacopo Larcher created what is considered the first9a (5.14d) graded traditional route withTribe.
Traditional climbing is a form offree climbing (i.e. no artificial or mechanical device can be used to aid progression, unlike withaid climbing), which is performed in pairs where thelead climber places removableclimbing protection into theroute while ascending.[3][4] After the lead climber has reached the top, the second climber (orbelayer) removes this temporary climbing protection while climbing the route. Some consider the hammering in ofpitons while climbing the route, as long as they are only for climbing protection and not to aid progression, to also be traditional climbing.[3][4][5]
Traditional climbing differs fromsport climbing that has in-situ climbing protection alreadypre-bolted into the route, and the lead climber just clips their rope, viaquickdraws, into the bolts as they ascend. As a result, sport climbing is therefore a much safer, and less stressful, form of free climbing.[2] Traditional climbing differs fromfree solo climbing where no climbing protection is used whatsoever.[3][4][5]
With the greater popularity of sport climbing, traditional climbing evolved to embrace some of itsredpointing techniques in qualifying a climb as afirst free ascent (FFA). The previously controversial practices ofhangdogging (i.e. practicing on an abseil rope), andheadpointing (i.e. practicing on atop rope) are now accepted by the leading traditional climbers.[6][7]
From the early 21st century, traditional climbers began to introduce the derived term 'greenpointing' (or theGrünpunkt movement, as a play on the sport climbingRotpunkt movement), to describe completing an ascent of an existing pre-bolted sport-climb but only using "traditional protection" (in some cases, the bolts would be physically removed or 'chopped', but not always).[8][9]
As 20th-century rock climbers began to free climb (i.e. avoiding any form of aid), they often used traditional climbing techniques for protection.[10] Early traditional climbers relied on crude, and often unreliable, forms of homemade "passive" climbing protection such as pieces of metal orchockstones attached toslings.[11]
With the development of "active" traditional climbing protection in the 1970s—calledspring-loaded camming devices (SLCDs, or "friends")—thegrades of technical difficulty that traditional climbers could safely undertake oncrack climbing routes increased dramatically,[11][12] and newgrade milestones were set on new traditional climbing routes.[4] However, by the mid-1980s, the leading traditional climbers were again facing technical challenges with minimal possibilities for traditional climbing protection (i.e.face climbing routes with tiny or no cracks whatsoever in which to insert SLCDs), that required them to accept significant personal risks –Johnny Dawes's 1986 ascent ofIndian Face being a notable example.[13]
At this time, French climbers such asPatrick Edlinger began to pre-drill permanent masonry bolts into the almost "blank" faces ofBuoux andVerdon for protection (but not as artificial aid); this became known as sport climbing.[12][14] It led to a dramatic increase in climbing standards – all future newgrade milestones would be set on sport climbing routes. The increased safety of pre-drilled bolts also led to the development and popularity ofcompetition climbing and the emergence of the "professional" rock climber. Sport climbing then became—and remains today—the most popular form ofsingle-pitch rock climbing, although traditional climbing is still popular inmulti-pitch climbing and inbig wall andalpine climbing in particular.[15]
Traditional returned to single-pitch prominence when in 2003, Swiss climberDidier Berthodgreenpointed the bolted sport climbGreenspit (E9, 5.14, 8b) to create one of the hardest traditionalcrack routes in the world.[16] In 2006, Canadian climberSonnie Trotter greenpointedThe Path (E9, 5.14a R, 8b+) to create one of the world's hardest traditional climbs at the time. Trotter, and other leading 'trad' climbers such asDave MacLeod, led a resurgence in traditional climbing by creating new grade milestones on routes such asCobra Crack (E10, 5.14b, 8c) andRhapsody (E11, 5.14c R/X, 8c+). The increased prominence of traditional climbing attracted the leading sport climbers who began to repeat—and create—major traditional routes (e.g.Ethan Pringle withBlackBeard's Tears andBeth Rodden withMeltdown). In 2023, when British climberJames Pearson created one of the world's first E12 'trad' routes withBon Voyage, the first repeat was by sport climbing legend,Adam Ondra.[17][18]
Traditional climbing requires morerock climbing equipment than sport climbing as the lead climber needs to carry, and insert, protection devices while climbing the route. The choice of equipment carried will depend on the type of route being attempted. Some of the most difficult and dangerous traditional routes (e.g.Indian Face orMaster's Edge) offer very little opportunity to insert protection into the rock, and thus the lead climber carries very little protective equipment.
Classic traditional climbs often involvecrack climbing (e.g.Separate Reality) that offers greater opportunity for inserting protection – into the crack itself – and the lead climber will carry a lot more equipment to secure their safety.[3][4]
Two main classes of protection are used in traditional climbing, namely: "passive" and "active". Passive protection devices includenuts,hexcentrics andtricams, and are metal shapes attached to wires orslings, which can be inserted into cracks and fissures in the rock that will act like temporary sport climbing bolts (to whichquickdraws and the rope can be clipped into). Active protection consists ofspring-loaded camming devices (or "friends"), which arecams that dynamically adjust to the size of the crack or fissure in the rock, but also act like temporary sport climbing bolts.[3][4]
The traditional climber has two key concerns, or areas of risk, when placing the protection equipment while leading the traditional route.
The first concern is related to the quality of the protection placements. Where these placements are considered good and will hold the climber in the event of a major fall, they are called "bomb-proof" (i.e. they behave just like pre-drilled bolts). However, when the placements are poor, and there is uncertainty that they will hold in the event of a major fall – risking a "zipper-fall" – they are described as "thin".[19] For example, whenJohnny Dawes freed the traditional climbIndian Face (E9 6c) in 1986, the protection was so thin, Dawes assumed if he fell, the protection would rip out, and he would fall to the ground.[20]
The other concern is the distance between the protection placements. Where there are many protection placements with small gaps between them (e.g. 2 to 3 metres), then any fall will be short and less onerous; even if one placement fails/rips-out, there are more placements that might still hold. However, large gaps between placements – known as a "run out" – means that any fall will be larger and will place more pressure on the existing placements to hold the fall. Famous extreme traditional climbs such asMaster's Edge (E7 6c) andGaia (E8 6c) have notorious run-outs, where even if the protection holds, the falling climber has a high chance of hitting the ground, as spectacularly shown in the opening sequence of the 1998 British climbing film,Hard Grit.[21][22]
To reflect the greater risk of traditional climbing routes over sport climbing routes, an additional grade is often added to the route'sgrade of technical difficulty (i.e. how hard are the individual moves) to reflect the risks. In the United Kingdom, this is known as the "adjectival" grade (Diff, VDiff, HS, VS, HVS, E1 to E11). In the United States, it takes the form of a suffix (PG – be careful, R – fall will cause injury, R/X – fall will cause serious injury, X – fall likely to be fatal).[23]
The grading of traditional climbing routes starts with asport climbing grade for the "technical difficulty", and an additional "risk grade" to reflect how hard the lead climber will find protecting the route while ascending. Some sport grading systems, particularly theFrench system (e.g. ... 6b, 6c, 7a, 7b, 7c, ...), offer no additional "risk grade", and are thus less likely to be used as traditional climbing grades (but may be quoted alongside one). The most dominant grading system for traditional climbing is theAmerican system (e.g. ... 5.9, 5.10a, 5.10b, 5.10c, 5.10d, 5.11a, ...), which for traditional routes can add the "suffix" of "R" for risk of serious injury in any fall, or "X" for routes where a fall at a particular place, could be fatal (i.e. a "chop route").[24][25][26] For example, a famous but serious extreme North American traditional climb isSonnie Trotter's 2007 route,The Path inLake Louise, Alberta, which is graded 5.14a R.[27][28]
One of the most detailed, and still widely used, traditional grading systems is theBritish E-grade (e.g. ... VS 4c, HVS 5a, E1 5b, E2 5c, E4 6a, ...).[26] Two grades are quoted; the first being the "adjectival grade", and the second being the "technical grade".[24] The interplay between the two grades reflects the "risk grade" of the route. For each "technical grade", there is anormal equivalent "adjectival grade"; for example, for the technical grade of "6a", thenormal "adjectival grade" is "E4".[24] Where the "adjectival grade" is lower thannormal, for example, E3 6a (or even E2 6a), that means the route is much safer and easier to protect. When the "adjectival grade" is higher thannormal, for example, E5 6a (or even E6 6a), that means the route is more dangerous and harder to protect.[24] For example, one of the most famous and dangerous extreme British traditional climbs isJohnny Dawes' 1986 route,Indian Face, which is graded E9 6c (instead of thenormal E7 6c), or 5.13a X under the American system.[29]
Before the emergence of sport climbing in the early 1980s, almost all newgrade milestones in rock climbing were set by traditional climbers.[12][30] By the end of the 1970s, male traditional climbers were climbing to5.13a (7c+) withToni Yaniro [fr]'sGrand Illusion,[12] while female traditional climbers were climbing to5.12d (7c), withLynn Hill onOphir Broke.[30] During the early 1980s, leading European traditional climbers likeJerry Moffatt andWolfgang Güllich changed to sport climbing, in whichall future new grade milestones would be established.[30] Moffatt's last major traditional FFA wasMaster's Wall (E7 6b) in 1984, where he said afterward: "At that time to be respected, you really had to be putting up really scary new [traditional] routes. That was where it was at, in Britain at least. Master's Wall is probably where I risked most".[31]
While the status of traditional climbing waned during the rise of the safer disciplines of sport climbing (and its related sport ofcompetition climbing), and latterlybouldering, contemporary traditional climbers continued to set new "traditional climbing" grade milestones.
By 2024, the strongest male traditional climbers (e.g.Jacopo Larcher and James Pearson) were climbing just one notch above the strongest female traditional climbers (e.g.Beth Rodden,Hazel Findlay andBarbara Zangerl) at9a (5.14d) versus8c+ (5.14c). In contrast, the strongest male sport climbers (e.g.Adam Ondra andSeb Bouin) were climbing two notches above the strongest female sport climbers (e.g.Angela Eiter andLaura Rogora) at9c (5.15d) versus9b (5.15b)
As of 2024, the following traditional routes are considered to be some of the hardest-ever ascended:[32][33]
A number of notable films have been made focused on traditional climbing including:[44]
the style of climbing (= moving on rocks, up mountains, or up special walls as a sport) in which climbers use devices and ropes that they bring with them and remove after the climb, rather than using devices that have already been fixed to the rock
SPORT CLIMBING. Climbing on routes which use bolts. Traditional "TRrad" climbing 1. Climbing where the leader places protection while going up.
Greenpoint? OK redpoint, even pinkpoint is tried and tested (i.e. with gear already pre-placed). But greenpoint? Ay yes, it's the term used to define climbing a sport route without the bolts but using trad gear such as nuts and camming devices! What might at first glance seem somewhat contorted is in fact a movement that is gaining popularity.
