Climbing
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Types of rock climbing |
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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. the
The sport of climbing has evolved by climbers making first ascents of new types of climbing routes, using new climbing techniques, at ever-increasing grades of difficulty, with ever-improving pieces of climbing equipment. Mountain guides were an important element in developing the popularity of the sport in the natural environment. Early pioneers included Walter Bonatti, Riccardo Cassin, Hermann Buhl, and Gaston Rébuffat, who were followed by and Reinhold Messner and Doug Scott, and laterly by Mick Fowler and Marko Prezelj, and Ueli Steck. Since the 1980s, the development of the safer format of bolted sport climbing, the wider availability of artificial climbing walls and climbing gyms, and the development of competition climbing, increased the popularity of rock climbing as a sport, and led to the emergence of professional rock climbers, such as Wolfgang Güllich, Alexander Huber, Chris Sharma, Adam Ondra, Lynn Hill, Catherine Destivelle, and Janja Garnbret.
Climbing became an
Rock-based
Rock climbing can trace its origins to the late 19th-century, and has since developed into several main 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 of bouldering (or boulder climbing) is by definition performed in a free solo format.[2][3]
- Single pitch climbing means ascending climbs that are a single rope-length (up to 50-metres) while multi-pitch climbing (and big wall climbing) means ascending routes 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:[2][3]
- aiders, 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 the Salathé Wall).[4]
- Traditional climbing is a form of rock climbing that uses no artificial aids (and is thus also free climbing) but unlike sport climbing, the climbers place removable protection such as SCLDs and nuts while ascending that are removed by the second climber; has many famous routes (e.g. Indian Face, Cobra Crack).[7]
- 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 on climbing walls).[9]
- 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 as highball bouldering. Many milestones in bouldering (e.g. Midnight Lightning, Dreamtime and Burden of Dreams) were created by practitioners of bouldering and free climbing.
Competition-based
- Competition lead climbing is a form of competitive lead climbing performed on an artificial bolted sport climbingroute.
- Competition bouldering is a form of competitive boulderingperformed on a selection of artificial bouldering routes.
- top rope.
Mountain-based
- Alpine climbing: Ascending large routes that require rock, ice, and mixed climbing skills but with minimal equipment and no outside support.[13]
- competition ice climbing.[14]
- Mixed climbing: Ascending routes using ice climbing equipment where there is both rock and ice (called dry-tooling if there is no ice).[14]
- support and fixed ropes.
- Via ferrata: Ascending mountain routes using previously installed fixed steel cables, metal rungs, and ladders for protection and aid.
- hillwalking.
- roped solo climbing) and artificial aid; where no protection or aid is used, it is free soloing.
Other recreational-based
- Buildering: Ascending the exterior skeletons of buildings, typically without protective equipment (e.g. as free solo climbing by Alain Robert).
- canyonsfor sport or recreation.
- Crane climbing: An illicit act of climbing up mechanical cranes, which is a form of buildering.
- Grass climbing: An older form of climbing when climbing steep but grassy mountainsides, often requiring ropes, was undertaken.
- Mallakhamba: A traditional Indian sport that combines climbing a pole or rope with the performance of aerial yoga and gymnastics.
- Parkour: A sport based around smooth movement, including climbing, around urban landscapes.
- Pole climbing: Climbing poles and masts without equipment.
- Rope climbing: Climbing a short, thick rope for speed; not to be confused with roped climbing, as used in rock or ice climbing.
- Stair climbing: ascending elevation via stairs.
- Tree climbing: Recreationally ascending trees using ropes and other protective equipment.
Commercial-based
- Rope access: Industrial climbing, usually abseiling, as an alternative to scaffolding for short works on exposed structures.
- A telecommunication towersor masts for maintenance or repair.
International organizations and governing bodies
- The International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) serves as the official governing body for competition climbing worldwide. It is recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Global Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF) and oversees and regulates competitive climbing events in the disciplines of lead climbing, bouldering, and speed climbing.
- The competition ice climbing, where it sets standards and guidelines for ice climbing events and promotes the sport's development.
In film
Climbing has been the subject of both narrative and documentary films. Notable climbing films include Touching the Void (2003), Everest (2015), Meru (2015), The Dawn Wall (2015), Free Solo (2018), 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible (2021), and The Alpinist (2021). The Reel Rock Film Tour is a traveling film festival that exclusively screens climbing and adventure films, and includes the Reel Rock climbing film series.[15]
Gallery
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Free solo climbing in the Verdon Gorge
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Yosemite
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Sport climbing on a bolted route in Spain
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Big wall climbing on Zodiac on El Capitan
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Ice climbing on Crack Baby in Switzerland
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Buildering on the Doran Memorial Bridge
See also
References
- ^ "From Doha to Tokyo: onward and upward for sport climbing - Olympic News". International Olympic Committee. 2019-10-30. Retrieved 2019-11-06.
- ^ ISBN 978-1594851384.
- ^ ISBN 978-1493056262.
- ISBN 978-1846892622.
- ISBN 978-1594852701. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
- ISBN 978-1493056262.
- ISBN 978-1493056262.
- ^ Osius, Alison (4 June 2022). "Free Solo Rock Climbing and the Climbers Who Have Defined the Sport". Climbing. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
- ISBN 978-1493056262.
- ^ "A History of Climbing Competitions Since 1985". Gripped Magazine. 15 July 2019. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
- ISBN 978-1408186626.
- ^ Dunne, Toby (17 August 2021). "A brief history of competition climbing". British Mountaineering Council. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
- ^ Holsten, Jens (16 August 2016). "State of the Heart: The Evolution of Alpinism". Climbing. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
- ^ ISBN 978-1680511260.
- ^ Bisharat, Andrew (6 September 2022). "The 20 Best Climbing Films of All Time". Outside. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
Further reading
- Climbing Guiding Manual. Association of Canadian Mountain Guides. 2023. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
- ISBN 978-1493056262.
- ISBN 978-1846892622.