Rockhoppers's Climbing Page

What kind of climbing are you talking about?
I'm glad you asked that, because there does seem to be confusion on the topic. The kind of climbing I'm talking about is called rock climbing or free climbing. But there are other kinds.

• Mountain Climbing is a bit of a vague term. I've heard tour guides refer to rock climbing this way (when pointing out the guys clinging to belay stations on a cliff face), but climbers never do. Technically, if what you're climbing is a mountain, you're mountain climbing. But that doesn't tell you much.
• Hiking is like strenuous walking. Some people call hiking to the top of a mountain "mountain climbing." Nothing wrong with that, but that isn't much a part of what I'm going to talk about. Some people find hiking entertaining, but I don't, and I'll only do it to get to the crag so I can start climbing.
• Mountaineering is the activity of getting to the top of very high mountains. Everest and K2 are the most striking example, but there is plenty of others. I associate the term "alpinism" with this activity, but that may be ignorant. It features strenuous activities at oxygen-starved altitudes and messing about on dangerous ice fields and glaciers. I have a great deal of admiration for mountaineers, but no desire to emulate them.
• Rock-Climbing is different from hiking in that you are on a vertical or near vertical pitch. You have to use both hands and feet. Mountaineering often includes some rock-climbing, but it includes many other things as well.
  Within rock climbing, there are many sub-classes.
  • Free Climbing is opposed to aided climbing. In free climbing, you get up the wall stricting under your own power. Many people observe climbing, seeing the ropes and other equipment, and assume that the climber is using the ropes to get up the cliff. Not so. She is using them so that if she falls, she won't die. Most climbers try to avoid dying (though not all; see Solo Climbing below). Also the rope is used to lower the climber when she's finished with the climb.
  • Aided climbing uses mechanical aids to help the climber up the face. There are various mechanical aids used. In general, this sort of thing is reserved only for those climbs you wouldn't be able to do any other way. There's nothing wrong with aided climbing, but the general preference is for free climbing.
  • Top-Roped Climbing is a type of free climbing. It's what you usually do if climbing in the gym. The rope runs through an anchor at the top of the climb. As the climber goes up, the belayer takes up the slack. If the climber falls, she only falls the stretch of the rope. It's very safe, and very easy. The only real drawback is that it is time consuming to set up the anchors at the top of the climb, and some faces aren't very amenable to it.
  • Lead-Climbing is a step up from top-roping. You are still free climbing, but there is no anchor at the top the climb. Rather, you clip the rope into bolts or other protection as yo ugo up the wall. It is harder, because you have the drag of the rope and you have to find a place where you can hang on with only one hand while clipping the rope in. It is also more dangerous, because if you fall, you fall double the distance between where you are and the last clip. That is, if the protection holds...
    • Sport climbing is a type of lead climbing where protection has been bolted to the wall. You climb up, put a carbiner in the bolt and clip the rope into the carabiner. (It's a little more complicated than that, but that will do for a rough explanation).
    • Trad Climbing or traditional climbing is a wee bit more difficult than sport climbing. Rather than having protection bolted to the wall, you place your own hexes, cams and nuts in likely looking cracks and pockets, and clip the rope into the protection. In addition to strength, stamina, and technique, you have to trust your ability to evaluate a spot for placing protection, your ability to pick the right piece of gear, and your ability to place it properly.
      Trad Climbing is more versatile than sport climbing, because many routes don't have protection bolted to them. In fact, many places don't allow bolting climbs. However, on some crags, there just aren't any good places to put protection.
  • Bouldering is climbing no higher than you can safely land. It can be anywhere from two inches off the ground to twelve feet. On rough ground or when bouldering far off the ground, it's a good idea to have a crash pad or someone spot you. Bouldering is most moving across rather than up, which makes balance all the more tricky. It's a great way to develop technique and those Alley Oop forearms you see on a lot of climbers. Bouldering is also good because it requires a lot less rock, equipment, and set-up time.
  • Solo Climbing is so-called because you don't have a partner belaying you (handling your rope). That's because you don't use a rope. Solo climbing is the most versatile form of climbing, because you can do it anywhere, at any time.
    Q: But what happens when you fall?
    A: You die.
    Solo climbing is greatly discouraged bu most climbers. It's your life, and you can throw it away if you like. But if you die on a crag, the owners may decide climbing is too risky and ban climbing there. If you've been soloing for years, you may be asking yourself who Rockhopper is to tell you you shouldn't. Well, I'm not telling you you shouldn't. You're probably a better and more experienced climber than I am, and it isn't my place to comment.
    However, if you are a beginning climber, don't even think about it. Learn the techniques with the safety features in place before deciding to risk your life on it.

Still interested? Follow the links below for more information.

Where should I Start?	Is Climbing Dangerous?	Is Climbing Good for Team-Building?
Does Climbing Have Cool Gear?	What Magazines Should I Read?	Do I Need to Be Like Really Strong to Climb?

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