View source for Rock climbing

{{distinguish|Rock crawling}}
{{short description|Sport}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2024}}
[[File:Crack climbing in Indian Creek, Utah.jpg  |thumb|A [[Traditional climbing|traditional climber]] [[lead climbing|lead-climbing]] a [[crack climbing|crack-climb]] in [[Indian Creek (climbing area)|Indian Creek]], [[Utah]].|alt=A traditional climber leading a crack climb in Indian Creek, Utah]]
{{Climbing sidebar}}
'''Rock climbing''' is a [[climbing]] sports discipline that involves ascending [[climbing routes|routes]] consisting of natural rock in an outdoor environment, or on artificial resin [[climbing wall]]s in a mostly indoor environment.<ref>{{cite web | website=[[Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary|Cambridge Dictionary]] | url=https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/rock-climbing | title=Rock climbing | date=2024 | quote=the sport of climbing on rocks or in mountains, or on specially designed walls inside or outdoors | accessdate=3 October 2024 | archive-date=4 October 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241004130744/https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/rock-climbing | url-status=live }}</ref>  Routes are documented in [[climbing guidebook|guidebooks]], and on online databases, detailing how to climb the route (called the [[beta (climbing)|beta]]), and who made the [[first ascent]] (or FA) and the coveted [[First ascent#In rock climbing|first free ascent]] (or FFA).  Climbers will try to ascend a route [[onsight]], however, a climber can spend years [[projecting (climbing)|projecting]] a route before they make a [[redpoint (climbing)|redpoint]] ascent.

Routes range from a few metres to over a {{Convert|1000|m|ft|adj=off}} in height, and [[traverse (climbing)|traverses]] can reach {{Convert|4500|m|ft|adj=off}} in length.  They include [[slab climbing|slabs]], [[face climbing|faces]], [[crack climbing|cracks]] and [[overhang (climbing)|overhangs/roofs]]. Popular rock types are granite (e.g. [[El Capitan]]), limestone (e.g.  [[Verdon Gorge]]), and sandstone (e.g. [[Saxon Switzerland climbing region|Saxon Switzerland]]) but 43 types of climbable rock types have been identified.  Artificial indoor climbing walls are popular and [[competition climbing]] — which takes place on artificial walls — became an [[Sport climbing at the Summer Olympics|Olympic sport in 2020]].

Contemporary rock climbing is focused on [[free climbing]] where — unlike with [[aid climbing]] —  no mechanical aids can be used to assist with upward momentum.  Free-climbing includes the discipline of [[bouldering]] on short {{Convert|5|m|ft|adj=on}} routes, of [[single-pitch climbing]] on up to {{Convert|60-70|m|ft|adj=on}} routes, and of [[multi-pitch climbing]] — and [[big wall climbing]] — on routes of up to {{Convert|1000|m|ft|adj=off}}. Free-climbing can be done as [[free solo climbing]] with no [[climbing protection|protection]] whatsoever, or as [[lead climbing]] with removable temporary protection (called [[traditional climbing]]), or permanently fixed bolted protection (called [[sport climbing]]).

The evolution in [[List of grade milestones in rock climbing|technical milestones]] in rock climbing is tied to the development in [[rock-climbing equipment]] (e.g. [[climbing shoe|rubber shoes]], [[spring-loaded camming device]]s, and [[campus board]]s) and [[rock-climbing technique]] (e.g. jamming, crimping, and smearing).  The most dominant [[Grade (climbing)|grading systems]] worldwide are the 'French numerical' and 'American YDS' systems for lead climbing, and the V-grade and the Font-grade for bouldering. As of August 2025, the hardest technical lead climbing grade is {{climbing grade|9c}} for men and {{climbing grade|9b+}} for women, and the hardest technical bouldering grade is {{boulder grade|v17}} for men and {{boulder grade|v16}} for women.

The main types of rock climbing can trace their origins to late 19th-century Europe, with bouldering in [[Fontainebleau rock climbing|Fontainebleau]], big wall climbing in the [[Dolomites]], and single-pitch climbing in both the [[Lake District]] and in [[Saxon Switzerland climbing region|Saxony]].  Climbing ethics initially focused on "fair means" and the transition from aid climbing to free climbing and latterly to [[clean climbing]]; the use of bolted protection on outdoor routes is a source of ongoing debate in climbing. The sport's profile was increased when lead climbing, bouldering, and [[speed climbing]] became medal events in the Summer Olympics, and with the popularity of films such as ''[[Free Solo]]'' and ''[[The Dawn Wall]]''.

==Description==
[[File:Traditional rock climbing red river gorge.jpg|thumb|left|A 'lead climbing pair' with the 'leader' carrying a 'rack' of removable traditional climbing protection gear, and their 'belayer' standing on the ground below]]
A key concept in many types of rock climbing is that of the '[[lead climbing|lead climbing pair]]'.  One member — the 'lead climber' — will try to climb the route and overcome its challenges with a rope attached to their harness.  The other member — the 'belayer' (or 'second') — will remain standing at the base of the route but controlling the other end of the rope, which is called [[belaying]].<ref name=HTRC8>{{cite book | title=How to Rock Climb | isbn=978-1493056262 | edition=6th | first1=John | last1=Long | first2=Bob | last2=Gaines | author-link=John Long (climber) | publisher=[[Globe Pequot Press|Falcon Guides]] | date=August 2022|pages=199–235 | chapter=Chapter 8: Belaying}}</ref><ref name=LC2/> The 'belayer' uses a mechanical [[belay device]] to attach the rope to their harness from which they can 'pay-out' the rope as the 'lead climber' ascends but with which they can lock the rope if the 'lead climber' falls. Once the 'lead climber' reaches the top, they create an [[anchor (climbing)|anchor]] from which they can act as the 'belayer' (but from above), controlling the rope while the 'second' ascends.<ref name=HTRC8/><ref name=LC2/>

{{multiple image
|align=right
|direction= horizontal
|total_width=370
|header=Types of climbing protection devices
|image1=DMM offset nut 11 broadside.jpg
|caption1=Removable [[nut (climbing)|nut]]|alt1=A removable nut
|image2=Camalot C4 number 5 placed in a crack.jpg
|caption2=Removable [[SLCD]]|alt2=A removable SLCD
|image3=Setaki.JPG
|caption3=Fixed [[bolt (climbing)|bolt]]|alt3=A removable bolt
}}

Another key concept is that of [[climbing protection]] (or 'gear' or 'rack').  Early 20th-century rock climbers relied on the 'lead climber' looping the rope around natural spikes of rock as they ascended. If they fell, and the 'belayer' held the rope fast — which they would have to do manually by looping the rope around their waist — the 'lead climber' would hang from the rope if it had stayed looped around a spike of rock — if it didn't, they fell to the ground.  Modern rock climbers use mechanical protection devices placed along the route, into which the 'lead climber' clips the rope as they ascend; if they fall, the  'belayer' will lock the rope, and the 'lead climber' will fall until they hang from the last 'protection device' that they had clipped the rope into. This protection can be removable (which is known as [[traditional climbing]]), or permanently fixed into the rock (which is known as [[sport climbing]]).<ref name=HTRC8/><ref name=LC2/>

If the 'lead climber' falls, the 'belayer' will immediately lock the rope using their belay device, and the 'lead climber' will fall twice the distance that they are above their last piece of climbing protection.  If this piece of climbing protection fails — a major risk of traditional climbing — and rips away from the rock, they will keep falling until their next piece of protection holds the rope (a [[Glossary of climbing terms#zipper fall|zipper fall]] is where several pieces fail).  On some routes, the opportunities for placing protection are poor so that the 'lead climber' is forced to leave large gaps between protection points — called a [[Glossary of climbing terms#runout|runout]] — so that any fall will be large (called a [[Glossary of climbing terms#whipper|whipper]]). The wide variety of types of rock climbing offers safe ways for beginners to access the sport before learning to lead climb, including [[top roping]] and [[bouldering]], and many will try leading on sport-routes first before attempting traditional-routes.<ref name=HTRC8/><ref name=LC2/>

Finally, while rock climbing mostly involves ascending a route, climbers sometimes need to be able to descend a route — either in retreat (e.g. [[Self rescue (climbing)|self-rescue climbing]]) or because they have completed it and there is no other way down.  This requires the technique of [[abseiling]] (or rappelling in North America), where climbers use [[abseil device]]s to move down a [[fixed rope]] that has been [[anchor (climbing)|anchored]] to a point at the top of the route.<ref name=HTRC10a>{{cite book | title=How to Rock Climb | isbn=978-1493056262 | edition=6th | first1=John | last1=Long | first2=Bob | last2=Gaines | author-link=John Long (climber) | publisher=[[Globe Pequot Press|Falcon Guides]] | date=August 2022|pages=259–291 | chapter=Chapter 10: Rappelling and Rope Ascending}}</ref>

==Types of routes==

===Natural outdoor===
{{Main|Climbing route}}
{{multiple image
| perrow            = 2
| align             = right
| total_width       = 370
| header            = Examples of rock climbing routes
| image1            = Johnny Dawes on Poetry Pink.jpg
| caption1          = Slate smooth [[slab climbing|slabs]] with no hand-holds, [[Johnny Dawes]] on ''Poetry Pink'' ([[Grade (climbing)#British E-grade|E5 6b]])|alt1=British climber Johnny Dawes on a slab climb in Wales
| image2            = Muriel Rock Climbing.jpg
| caption2          = Limestone [[overhang (climbing)|overhangs]] with one-finger pockets, [[Muriel Sarkany]] on ''Era Vella'' ([[Grade (climbing)#French numerical grade|9a]])|alt2=Belgian climber Muriel Sarkany on an overhanging limestone climb in Spain
| image3            = Heinz Zak, Separate Reality 5,11d, Free Solo, Yosemite-Nationalpark, Kalifornien, USA.jpg|alt3=German climber Hans Zak on a granite roof climb in Yosemite 
| caption3          = Granite [[overhang (climbing)|roofs]] with large cracks, {{ill|Heinz Zak|de}} on ''[[Separate Reality (climb)|Separate Reality]]'' ([[Grade (climbing)#American YDS grade|5.12a]]).
| image4            = Große zinne.jpg|alt4=German climber Lisi Steurer on the big-wal face of the Cima Grande in the Dolomites
| caption4          = Sedimentary rock 'big-wall' [[face climbing|faces]], {{ill|Lisi Steurer|de}} on [[Tre Cime di Lavaredo|Cima Grande]] north face ([[Grade (climbing)#French numerical grade|8a]])
}}
[[Climbing route]]s can range from just a few metres in height to over {{Convert|1000|m|ft|adj=off}}.  The higher the route, the greater the danger and the greater range of techniques and equipment needed, however, the technical difficulty of a route is not correlated to its height.<ref name=HTRCIntroduction/>  Climbers have spent as many years trying to ascend {{Convert|4|m|ft|adj=on}} routes such as ''[[Burden of Dreams (climb)|Burden of Dreams]]'',<ref>{{cite web | newspaper=[[The Times]] | url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/rock-hard-climb-is-conquered-using-a-3d-printer-ml759vsxb | title=William Bosi: Rock-hard climb is conquered using a 3D printer | first=Poppy | last=Koronka | date=5 June 2023 | access-date=28 September 2024 | archive-date=20 October 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231020160232/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/rock-hard-climb-is-conquered-using-a-3d-printer-ml759vsxb | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | magazine=[[Outside (magazine)|Outside]] | url=https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/climbing/first-look-crazy-hard-boulder-problem-took-four-years-send/ | title=Burden of Dreams: The Crazy Hard Boulder Problem That Took Four Years to Send | first=Brendan | last=Borrell | date=22 February 2017 | accessdate=30 September 2024 | archive-date=9 December 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221209020719/https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/climbing/first-look-crazy-hard-boulder-problem-took-four-years-send/ | url-status=live }}</ref> as they have on {{Convert|1000|m|ft|adj=on}} routes like ''[[The Nose (El Capitan)|The Nose]]''.<ref name=OutsideUSA/>  Rock climbing routes at high-altitude, such as on big wall routes like ''Eternal Flame'' on the [[Trango Towers]], present additional physical challenges.<ref>{{cite web | magazine=[[Alpinist (magazine)|Alpinist]] | first=Erik | last=Lambert | date=1 October 2009 | url=https://alpinist.com/newswire/hubers-redpoint-eternal-flame/ | title=Hubers Redpoint Eternal Flame | accessdate=30 September 2024 | archive-date=16 June 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240616095537/https://alpinist.com/newswire/hubers-redpoint-eternal-flame/ | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | magazine=[[Climbing (magazine)|Climbing]] | url=https://www.climbing.com/news/babsi-zangerl-jacopo-larcher-climb-eternal-flame/ | title=Jacopo Larcher and Babsi Zangerl on Keeping the "Eternal Flame" Burning | date=27 October 2022 | accessdate=30 September 2024 | first=Owen | last=Clarke | archive-date=19 December 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221219150103/https://www.climbing.com/news/babsi-zangerl-jacopo-larcher-climb-eternal-flame/ | url-status=live }}</ref> [[Traverse (climbing)|Traversing]] routes, by their horizontal nature, can extend to great distances,<ref>{{cite web | website=[[Climbing (magazine)|Climbing]] | url=https://www.climbing.com/places/four-worlds-longest-climbing-girdle-traverses/ | title=Why Go Up When You Could Go Sideways? Here Are 4 Massive Girdle Traverses | first=Michael | last=Leavy | date=1 July 2022 | accessdate=30 September 2024}}</ref> and the world's longest rock climb is the {{Convert|4500|m|ft|adj=on}} ''El Capitan Girdle Traverse'' on [[El Capitan]].<ref>{{cite web | website=[[Guinness World Records]] | url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/691902-longest-climbing-route | title=Longest climbing route | date=2024 | accessdate=15 May 2024 | archive-date=15 May 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240515085607/https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/691902-longest-climbing-route | url-status=live }}</ref>

Famous routes have been created on almost every climbable rock type, and particularly so on [[granite]], which is noted for its grip and large cracks (e.g. [[El Capitan]], [[Joshua Tree National Park|Joshua Tree]] or [[Stawamus Chief|Squamish]]), on [[limestone]], which is known for its detailed holds and cracks (e.g [[Malham Cove]], [[Céüse]], and the [[Verdon Gorge]]), and on sandstone, which can have sculpted features (e.g. [[Indian Creek (climbing area)|Indian Creek]], [[Saxon Switzerland climbing region|Saxon Switzerland]], [[Rocklands, South Africa|Rocklands]], and [[Fontainebleau rock climbing|Fontainebleau]]).<ref>{{cite web | magazine=[[Climbing (magazine)|Climbing]] | url=https://www.climbing.com/photos/flash-the-many-different-kinds-of-rocks/ | title=The Many Different Types of Rocks | first=Andrew | last=Birr | date=2 May 2016 | accessdate=30 September 2024 | archive-date=4 October 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241004130746/https://www.climbing.com/photos/flash-the-many-different-kinds-of-rocks/ | url-status=live }}</ref> However, climbing areas have been identified on over 43 climbable rock types including on [[gritstone]] (e.g. [[Stanage Edge]]), on [[slate]] (e.g. [[Dinorwic quarry]]), on [[dolorite]] (e.g. [[Fair Head]]), on iron rock (e.g. [[Hueco Tanks]]), on [[gneiss]] (e.g. {{ill|Magic Wood (climbing area)|lt=Magic Wood|fr|Magic Wood}}), on [[Dolomite (rock)|dolomite]] (e.g. [[Tre Cime di Lavaredo|Tri Cime]]), on [[quartz monzonite|monzonite]] (e.g., [[The Buttermilks]]), and on [[quartzite]] (e.g. [[Mount Arapiles]]).<ref>{{cite web | website=theCrag.com | url=https://www.thecrag.com/en/article/rocktypes | date=2024 | accessdate=28 September 2024 | title=Rock Types and Geology for Climbers | archive-date=5 September 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240905225719/https://www.thecrag.com/en/article/rocktypes | url-status=live }}</ref>

Climbers also differentiate routes by challenges encountered and the [[#Techniques|techniques]] required to overcome them.<ref name=HTRCIntroduction/> Some of the earliest rock climbs were smooth off-vertical '[[slab climbing|slab climbs]]' where balance and shoe grip (or 'smearing') were key;<ref name=HTRCIntroduction/> famous modern examples include ''[[Indian Face]]'' in the UK.<ref>{{cite magazine | magazine=[[Climbing (magazine)|Climbing]] | url=https://www.climbing.com/videos/johnny-dawes-and-the-story-of-indian-face-the-uks-first-e9-climb/ | date=3 June 2020 | accessdate=9 January 2022 | title=Johnny Dawes and the Story of Indian Face: the UK's First E9 Climb | author=Editorial | archive-date=4 October 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241004130846/https://www.climbing.com/videos/johnny-dawes-and-the-story-of-indian-face-the-uks-first-e9-climb/ | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | newspaper=[[The Guardian]] | url=https://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/from-the-archive-blog/2011/dec/22/archive-johnny-dawes-indian-face-1986 | title=25 October 1986: Johnny Dawes climbs the Indian Face | date=22 December 2011 | accessdate=9 January 2022 | first=Richard | last=Nelson | archive-date=4 October 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241004130745/https://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/from-the-archive-blog/2011/dec/22/archive-johnny-dawes-indian-face-1986 | url-status=live }}</ref>  Climbers then acquired the techniques to ascend near-vertical '[[crack climbing|crack climbs]]' by 'laybacking', 'bridging', and 'jamming';<ref name=HTRCIntroduction/> famous examples include ''[[Super Crack (climb)|Super Crack]]'', ''[[The Phoenix (climb)|The Phoenix]]'' and ''[[Grand Illusion (climb)|Grand Illusion]]'' (all in the US).<ref name=GRMile/><ref name=PMMile/>  Climbers then took on blank vertical '[[face climbing|face climbs]]' by 'crimping' and 'edging' on tiny holds, which required bolts drilled into the rock for their climbing protection;<ref name=HTRCIntroduction/> famous face routes include ''{{interlanguage link|The Face (climb)|lt=The Face|de|The Face (Kletterroute)}}'' and ''{{interlanguage link|Wallstreet (climb)|lt=Wallstreet|de|Wallstreet (Kletterroute)}}'' (Germany), ''La Rage de Vivre'' and ''Super Plafond'' (France), and ''To Bolt or Not to Be'' and ''Just Do It'' (the US).<ref name=PMMile/> Eventually, they migrated to routes that were also severely and continually [[overhang (rock formation)|overhanging]] and which required 'dynos' (or jumps) to reach holds;<ref name=HTRCIntroduction/> famous examples include ''[[Action Directe (climb)|Action Directe]]'' (Germany), ''[[Realization (climb)|Realization/Biographie]]'' (France), ''[[La Rambla (climb)|La Rambla]]'' (Spain), ''[[Jumbo Love]]'' (the US), ''[[La Dura Dura]]'' (Spain) and ''[[Silence (climb)|Silence]]'' (Norway).<ref name=GRMile/><ref name=PMMile>{{cite web | website=PlanetMountain.com | url=https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/the-evolution-of-free-climbing.html | title=The evolution of free climbing | date=23 December 2012 | first=Maurizio | last=Oviglia | access-date=30 September 2024 | archive-date=4 January 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220104131608/https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/the-evolution-of-free-climbing.html | url-status=live }}</ref>

===Artificial indoor===
{{main|Climbing wall|Climbing gym}}
{{multiple image
|align=right
| perrow            = 2
|direction= horizontal
|total_width=370
|header=Indoor climbing environments
|image1=Climbing World Championships 2018 Lead Final Garnbret 04.jpg
|caption1=[[2018 IFSC Climbing World Championships|World Championships]]|alt1=Climber on an artificial wall at the World Championships
|image2=Indoor Climbing Wall Bouldering Mats.jpg
|caption2=Bouldering walls|alt2=Artificial indoor bouldering wall
|image3=MoonBoard Climbing Wall.jpg
|caption3=[[MoonBoard]]|alt3=The MoonBoard artificial indoor climbing wall
|image4=2022-08-12 European Championships 2022 – Sport Climbing Women's Boulder by Sandro Halank–003.jpg
|caption4=[[Volume hold]]s|alt4=Volume holds on an artificial climbing wall
}}

In 1964, a new artificial indoor climbing wall built in a corridor of [[University of Leeds|Leeds University]] began to produce climbers who, after exclusively training as students on the wall, could climb some of the hardest routes in Britain when they ventured into the outdoor environment.<ref>{{cite web | website=UKClimbing | first=Mick | last=Ward | title=How the Leeds Wall Changed Climbing History | date=30 January 2018 | access-date=26 November 2022 | url=https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/features/how_the_leeds_wall_changed_climbing_history-10122 | archive-date=29 November 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221129005056/https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/features/how_the_leeds_wall_changed_climbing_history-10122 | url-status=live }}</ref>  This led to an explosion in indoor climbing that was further amplified by the rise of bolted sport climbing and of bouldering, which are also suited to indoor climbing.<ref name=ClimbingGymHistory>{{cite web | magazine=[[Climbing (magazine)|Climbing]] | url=https://www.climbing.com/places/history-of-climbing-gym/ | first=Alison | last=Osius | title=A Short History of the Climbing Gym | accessdate=28 September 2024 | date=18 June 2024 | archive-date=4 October 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241004130807/https://www.climbing.com/places/history-of-climbing-gym/ | url-status=live }}</ref>

Modern indoor climbing walls and gyms include artificial versions of almost every type of obstacle and [[climbing hold]] encountered in the natural environment.<ref name=ClimbingGymHistory/> Artificial walls include novel features such as [[volume hold]]s and [[sloper hold]]s, which indoor [[route setter]]s use to challenge climbers in very specific and unusual ways.<ref name=ClimbingGymHistory/> As most [[competition climbing]] events are held on indoor walls, many contemporary climbers have spent their careers training and competing on artificial indoor walls.<ref name=ClimbingGymHistory/> This revolution in the design of indoor climbing holds has affected how climbers now approach outdoor routes.<ref>{{cite web | magazine=[[Climbing (magazine)|Climbing]] | url=https://www.climbing.com/gear/evolution-of-climbings-holds/ | first=Adrian | last=Cohen | title=How the Evolution of Climbing Holds Changed the Way We Move | accessdate=28 September 2024 | date=12 February 2024 | archive-date=27 February 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240227023613/https://www.climbing.com/gear/evolution-of-climbings-holds/ | url-status=live }}</ref>

Modern indoor walls can have their routes graded for technical difficulty in the same manner as outdoor natural routes.  The [[MoonBoard]] climbing wall has a 'grid' of 200 climbing holds that can be climbed in over 50,000 sequences, with sequences created and graded by an online community.<ref name=CL1>{{cite web | magazine=[[Climbing (magazine)|Climbing]] | url=https://www.climbing.com/skills/why-to-use-a-moonboard/ | first=Matt | last=Samet | date=13 April 2023 | accessdate=21 September 2024 | title=I was a doubter. Now the MoonBoard is My Go-to Training Tool | archive-date=6 December 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221206210556/https://www.climbing.com/skills/why-to-use-a-moonboard/ | url-status=live }}</ref>  Even the [[Sport climbing at the 2024 Summer Olympics|2024 Olympic]] artificial climbing walls were graded with the women's walls at up to {{climbing grade|5.14c}} for lead and {{boulder grade|v12}} for bouldering, and the men's walls at up to {{climbing grade|5.14d}} for lead and {{boulder grade|v14}} for bouldering.<ref>{{cite web | magazine=[[Climbing (magazine)|Climbing]] | url=https://www.climbing.com/competition/olympics/olympic-sport-climbing-faq/ | first=Stephen | last=Potter | title=Questions About Olympic Climbing? We Have Answers | accessdate=28 September 2024 | date=9 August 2024 | archive-date=4 October 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241004130905/https://www.climbing.com/competition/olympics/olympic-sport-climbing-faq/ | url-status=live }}</ref>  Artificial walls have been created that have been estimated to be at or above the hardest technical grades climbed in the outdoor natural environment.<ref>{{cite web | magazine=[[Climbing (magazine)|Climbing]] | url=https://www.climbing.com/places/is-this-the-worlds-hardest-indoor-route/ | first=Delaney | last=Miller | title=Is This the World's Hardest Indoor Route? | accessdate=28 September 2024 | date=12 November 2021 | archive-date=4 October 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241004130750/https://www.climbing.com/places/is-this-the-worlds-hardest-indoor-route/ | url-status=live }}</ref>

===Recording of routes===
{{Main|Climbing guidebook}}
[[File:Toix Est Topo.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|[[Topo (climbing)|Topo image]] of the ''Toix Est'' in [[Costa Blanca]] in Spain in a Rockfax guidebook|alt=Example of a climbing guidebook and topo diagram]]
The ever-growing volume and range of new rock climbing routes are recorded via specialist diagrams called [[topo (climbing)|topo]]s, which are collated in [[climbing guidebook]]s and more latterly on large online rock climbing databases such as ''theCrag.com'' and ''[[Mountain Project|MountainProject.com]]''.<ref>{{cite book | title=How to write ... a MiniGuide | first1=Mick | last1=Ryan | first2=Alan | last2=James | date=July 2002 | publisher=RockFax | pages=1–15 | url=https://rockfax.com/wp-content/uploads/pdfs/how_to_write.pdf | accessdate=29 September 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | magazine=[[Climbing (magazine)|Climbing]] | url=https://www.climbing.com/news/the-guidebook-odyssey-unearthing-the-epic-task-of-writing-a-guidebook/ | first=Michael | last=Adamson | date=6 February 2009 | accessdate=26 September 2024 | title=The Guidebook Odyssey – Unearthing the epic task of writing a guidebook | archive-date=30 November 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201130200705/https://www.climbing.com/news/the-guidebook-odyssey-unearthing-the-epic-task-of-writing-a-guidebook/ | url-status=live }}</ref>  Guidebooks and databases record the ''local'' consensus view on the level of difficulty of the routes, however, where this is materially lower than the ''actual'' difficulty of the routes, it is termed [[sandbagging (climbing)|sandbagging]].<ref>{{cite web | magazine=Climber (Magazine) | url=https://www.climbernews.com/what-is-a-sandbag-in-climbing/ | title=What Is A Sandbag In Climbing? – Climbing Jargon Explained | date=15 January 2021 | accessdate=6 May 2024 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | magazine=[[Climbing (magazine)|Climbing]] | url=https://www.climbing.com/places/get-sandbagged-7-routes-to-do/ | title=Get Sandbagged! 7 Notoriously Tougher-than-Advertised Routes | date=9 September 2013 | accessdate=6 May 2024 | first=Eddie | last=Schermerhorn}}</ref>

The individual moves needed to complete a given rock climbing route are called the [[beta (climbing)|beta]], and popular rock climbing routes have detailed step-by-step video guides of their beta available online,<ref>{{cite web | magazine=Climber (Magazine) | url=https://www.climbernews.com/what-is-climbing-beta/ | date=29 October 2020 | accessdate=28 October 2023 | title=What Is Climbing Beta? – Climbing Jargon Explained}}</ref> and which has led to legal disputes over the ownership of the beta between online databases.<ref>{{cite web | magazine=[[Climbing (magazine)|Climbing]] | url=https://www.climbing.com/news/mountain-project-openbeta-and-the-fight-over-climbing-data-access/ | title=Mountain Project, OpenBeta, and the Fight Over Climbing Data Access | date=4 May 2021 | accessdate=28 September 2024 | first=Aaron | last=Gerry | archive-date=6 May 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230506121621/https://www.climbing.com/news/mountain-project-openbeta-and-the-fight-over-climbing-data-access/ | url-status=live }}</ref>

Important new first ascents are also chronicled and discussed in specialist rock climbing media, including climbing magazines and climbing journals with notable examples including ''[[Alpinist (magazine)|Alpinist]]'',<ref>{{cite web | website=[[British Mountaineering Council]] | url=https://services.thebmc.co.uk/ten-of-the-best-walking-and-climbing-magazines | first=Carrie | last=Davis | date=11 August 2017 | accessdate=8 October 2024 | title=Ten of the best walking and climbing magazines}}</ref> and ''[[Climbing (magazine)|Climbing]]'', which are read globally.<ref>{{cite web | magazine=[[Outside (magazine)|Outside]] | url=https://www.outsideonline.com/business-journal/brands/behind-the-merger-of-the-industrys-two-biggest-climbing-magazines/ | title=Behind the Merger of the Industry's Two Biggest Climbing Magazines | first=Eric | last=Smith | date=1 September 2022 | accessdate=29 September 2024}}</ref>  These are supplemented by popular online climbing websites  such as ''UK Climbing'' and ''PlanetMountain'',<ref>{{cite web | magazine=[[Outside (magazine)|Outside]] | url=https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/climbing/top-10-climbing-blogs/ | first=Adam | last=Roy | date=1 December 2011 | accessdate=9 October 2024 | title=The Top 10 Climbing Websites and Blogs}}</ref> as well as country-level specialist rock climbing magazines such as ''[[Desnivel]]'' (in Spanish), ''{{ill|Grimper|fr}}'' (in French) and ''{{ill|Klettern|de|klettern (Zeitschrift)}}'' (in German).<ref>{{cite web | website=[[Irish Mountaineering Club]] (IMC) | url=https://www.irishmountaineeringclub.org/magazines-roundup/ | date=15 August 2012 | accessdate=8 October 2024 | first=Aine | last=O'Reilly | title=Magazines Roundup: An international roundup of some of the world's great climbing and mountaineering magazines and journals, and some closer to home}}</ref>

==Types of rock climbing==

===Rationale for variation===
[[File:Alex Honnold El Capitan Free Solo 1.png|thumb|[[Alex Honnold]]'s famous 2017 free solo of the big wall route, ''Freerider'' (5.13a, 7c+), on [[El Capitan]]|alt=Alex Honnold during his 2017 free solo of El Capitan]]
Rock climbing includes a wide range of types and disciplines that vary with the style being adopted on the specific [[climbing route]], the length and number of [[pitch (climbing)|pitches]] of the route, the level and type of [[climbing protection]] that will be employed on the route, and whether the climb is in a [[competition climbing]] format.<ref name=HTRCIntroduction>{{cite book | title=How to Rock Climb | isbn=978-1493056262 | edition=6th | first1=John | last1=Long | first2=Bob | last2=Gaines | author-link=John Long (climber) | publisher=[[Globe Pequot Press|Falcon Guides]] | date=August 2022|pages=vi-xx | chapter=Introduction: Getting Started (Modes of Ascent)}}</ref>

A climb can involve a combination of several types depending on the skill and risk appetite of the climber(s).<ref name=HTRCIntroduction/> For example, the famous neighbouring [[El Capitan]] routes of ''[[The Nose (El Capitan)|The Nose]]'' and ''[[Freerider (climb)|Freerider]]'' both require [[big wall climbing]] techniques as they are over {{Convert|1000|m|ft|adj=off}} high. They can be ascended using [[aid climbing]] (on either all or just on the hardest pitches of the route) or can be fully [[free climbing|free climbed]] (''The Nose'' is much harder and only rarely free climbed).  As both are not bolted, they require [[traditional climbing]] protection to be inserted, and while it is most commonly done by pairs using [[lead climbing]], they have both been [[rope solo climbing|rope solo climbed]], [[simul climbing|simul climbed]] (particularly for setting [[speed climbing]] records), but only ''Freerider'' has been [[free solo climbing|free solo climbed]] (see photo).<ref name=GRNOSE>{{cite web | magazine=Gripped Magazine (Canada) | url=https://gripped.com/routes/history-of-free-climbing-the-nose-5-14-on-el-capitan/ | title=History of Free Climbing The Nose 5.14 on El Capitan | date=1 July 2022 | accessdate=30 September 2024 | first=Aaron | last=Pardy | archive-date=23 June 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240623213058/https://gripped.com/routes/history-of-free-climbing-the-nose-5-14-on-el-capitan/ | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | website=PlanetMountain | url=https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/alex-honnold-free-solo-climbs-el-capitan-yosemite.html | title=Alex Honnold free solo climbs Freerider on El Capitan, Yosemite | date=4 June 2017 | accessdate=30 September 2024 | archive-date=4 October 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241004131815/https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/alex-honnold-free-solo-climbs-el-capitan-yosemite.html | url-status=live }}</ref>

The broad range of types is also helpful in giving novice climbers alternative paths into the sport.  Once, the main pathway was starting as a 'belayer' to an outdoor lead climber on a natural climbing route.  However, many modern newcomers now begin with the safest form, which is bouldering, and some never progress beyond it.  While outdoor climbing and mountaineering clubs once played a key role in instruction, many climbers today start by taking lessons at indoor climbing gyms, either in bouldering or lead climbing. Some eventually join competition climbing teams and never really engage with the outdoor climbing scene. The wide range of types has helped more people access the sport in the way that best suits them.<ref name=HTRCIntroduction/><ref>{{cite web | website=[[British Mountaineering Council]] | url=https://www.thebmc.co.uk/en/five-steps-to-start-climbing-indoor-outdoor-beginner | title=Five Steps to Start Rock Climbing | date=17 July 2024 | accessdate=30 September 2024 | archive-date=4 October 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241004131807/https://www.thebmc.co.uk/en/five-steps-to-start-climbing-indoor-outdoor-beginner | url-status=live }}</ref>

===Depending on style{{Anchor|style}}===
[[File:Spectrum514d.jpg| thumb|upright=0.8|[[Jonathan Siegrist]] on the [[first free ascent|FFA]] of ''Spectrum'' {{climbing grade|5.14c}}, [[Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area|Red Rocks, Nevada]].|alt=Johnathan Siegrist on the first free ascent of a climbing route in Red Rocks Nevada]]
In rock climbing, the term "style" principally refers to whether the climber used any artificial aid to help them to ascend the climbing route, which is called [[aid climbing]], or whether they used no aid whatsoever, which is called [[free climbing]].<ref name=CLStyle/> Climbers who ascend a new route but using aid have made a [[first ascent]] (or FA), whereas climbers who ascend a new route and do it without aid have made the more coveted [[first free ascent]] (FFA).<ref name=NatGeo>{{cite web | magazine=[[National Geographic]] | url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/rock-climbing | title=Rock climbing: from ancient practice to Olympic sport | first=Freddie | last=Wilkinson | date=14 March 2019 | access-date=26 September 2024 | archive-date=13 June 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240613003513/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/rock-climbing | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | magazine=Climber (Magazine) | url=https://www.climbernews.com/what-is-free-climbing/ | title=What Is Free Climbing? – Rock Climbing's Most Commonly Mistaken Term | date=11 April 2021 | accessdate=28 September 2024 | archive-date=14 June 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240614064538/https://www.climbernews.com/what-is-free-climbing/ | url-status=live }}</ref>  As a further refinement, some have argued that when free climbing a specific single-pitch route, 'highball bouldering' is a better "style" than 'traditional climbing', which is itself a better "style" than 'sport climbing'.<ref name=CLStyle>{{cite web | website=[[Climbing (magazine)|Climbing]] | url=https://www.climbing.com/people/questions-of-style-the-only-honest-guide-for-burning-off-your-friends/ | title=Questions of Style—The (Only) Honest Guide For Burning Off Your "Friends" | first=Kevin | last=Corrigan | date=26 May 2023 | accessdate=3 October 2024 | archive-date=4 October 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241004131808/https://www.climbing.com/people/questions-of-style-the-only-honest-guide-for-burning-off-your-friends/ | url-status=live }}</ref>

A further refinement of "style" is a free climb by a climber who had never seen the route beforehand, and had never been told about its challenges and how to overcome them (called the [[Beta (climbing)|beta]]). If such a climber completes the route on their first attempt it is called an [[onsight]].  Where the climber had never seen the route beforehand but had been given beta on it, it is called a [[flash (climbing)|flash]].  A free climb where the climber attempts the route many times before finally ascending it is called a [[redpoint (climbing)|redpoint]]; most [[List of grade milestones in rock climbing#Redpointed by men|major new FFAs]] in rock climbing are done as redpoints.<ref name=CLStyle/><ref>{{cite magazine | magazine=Climber (Magazine) | url=https://www.climbernews.com/what-is-a-redpoint-in-climbing/ | title=What Is A Redpoint In Climbing? – Climbing Jargon Explained | date=2 October 2020 | accessdate=1 September 2024 | archive-date=14 June 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240614051552/https://www.climbernews.com/what-is-a-redpoint-in-climbing/ | url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2021, German climber [[Alexander Megos]] expanded that "style" in rock climbing should include a detailed understanding of the conditions in which an ascent was made, saying "It seems like the climbing community is not differentiating at all and rarely mentioning HOW things are climbed".  He felt this is a particular concern in bouldering where using [[knee pad (climbing)|knee pad]]s and whether the climb was commenced as a full [[sit start]] (and from what point), can affect the technical difficulty of the climb, and needed to be recorded alongside the ascent of the route.<ref name=GRKnee/>

===Depending on length===

The length of the climbing route materially influences the type of rock-climbing techniques that can be used and the type of rock-climbing equipment that is needed, and it is length that differentiates the three major disciplines of rock climbing which are:<ref name=HTRCIntroduction/>
{{multiple image
| perrow            = 2
| align             = right
| total_width       = 370
| header            = Types of climbing that vary with length
| image1            = GIOVANNI BOULDERING.jpg
| caption1          = [[Bouldering]]|alt1=Man climbing a boulder
| image2            = Marchanded-crack.jpg
| caption2          = [[Single-pitch climbing|Single-pitch]]|alt2=Lead climbing pair on a single pitch climb
| image3            = Matteo Della Bordella Non è un paese per vecchi.jpg
| caption3          = [[Multi-pitch climbing|Multi-pitch]]|alt3=Lead climber on a multi-pitch clib
| image4            = The Shield Triple Cracks P20 Yosemite.jpg
| caption4          = [[Big wall climbing|Big wall]]|alt4=Looking down the face of a big-wall climb
}}
* [[Bouldering]]. This involves short routes of up to circa {{Convert|5|m|ft|adj=off}} in height that require no climbing protection outside of [[bouldering mat]]s placed on the ground to break any falls.<ref name=BB>{{cite book | title=Better Bouldering | first=John | last=Sherman | author-link=John Sherman (climber) | date=2017 | chapter=Chapter 1. Gear | pages=1–18 | edition=3rd | publisher=Falcon Guides | isbn=978-1493029273}}</ref> Typically these are actual boulders (e.g. ''[[Dreamtime (climb)|Dreamtime]]'' or ''[[Midnight Lightning (climb)|Midnight Lightning]]'') but any short route can be called "bouldering" (e.g. the crux of ''[[Hubble (climb)|Hubble]]'').<ref>{{Cite web | magazine=UKClimbing (Magazine)| url=https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/features/the_evolution_of_bouldering-6068 | first=Mick | last=Ward | title=The Evolution of Bouldering | date=21 January 2014 | accessdate=28 September 2024 }}</ref> [[Highball bouldering]] routes are up to circa {{Convert|10-12|m|ft|adj=off}} in height and therefore any fall can be more serious; the climber is now getting into the realm of free soloing; notable highballs include ''Livin' Large'' and ''The Process''.<ref>{{cite web | magazine=[[National Geographic]] | title=Climber Daniel Woods Trades Comfort for Fear in "Highball" Bouldering | first=Andrew | last=Bisharat | url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/article/boulderer-daniel-woods-trades-comfort-for-fear-in-new-reel-rock-film | date=28 September 2015 | accessdate=28 September 2024 | archive-date=22 September 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230922110045/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/article/boulderer-daniel-woods-trades-comfort-for-fear-in-new-reel-rock-film | url-status=live }}</ref>
* [[Single-pitch climbing]]. These routes are above bouldering height and extend to the length of a climbing rope in height — which is about circa {{Convert|60-70|m|ft|adj=off}} — so that they can be climbed as one '[[pitch (climbing)|pitch]]'.<ref name=MFOH>{{cite book | chapter=Chapter 14. Leading on Rock | page=266| date=2018 | title=[[Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills]] | edition=9th | isbn=978-1846892622 | publisher=Quiller Publishing | author=[[The Mountaineers (club)|The Mountaineers]]|quote=Determining the length of a pitch}}</ref> In practice, the average single-pitch route tends to be {{Convert|25-35|m|ft|adj=off}} in height, and is the most common form of rock climbing in [[lead climbing]].<ref>{{cite book | date=May 2019| title=Climbing: From Single Pitch to Multipitch | edition=Illustrated| isbn= 978-1493027668 | publisher=[[Falcon Guides]] | author= Ron Funderburke|chapter=Chapter 1: Defining Multi-pitch | pages=1–16}}</ref> Important new grade milestones in free climbing are mostly set on single-pitch climbs and have included notable routes such as ''[[Action Directe (climb)|Action Directe]]'', ''[[Realization (climb)|Realization]]'', ''[[Jumbo Love]]'' and ''[[Silence (climb)|Silence]]''.<ref name=GRMile/>
* [[Multi-pitch climbing]]. These routes are many pitches in length and require more complicated techniques to ascend safely, particularly the use of [[belay anchor]]s, [[hanging belay]]s and [[jumaring]].<ref name=HTRC13>{{cite book | title=How to Rock Climb | isbn=978-1493056262 | edition=6th | first1=John | last1=Long | first2=Bob | last2=Gaines | author-link=John Long (climber) | publisher=[[Globe Pequot Press|Falcon Guides]] | date=August 2022|pages=335–369 | chapter=Chapter 13: Multi-pitch climbing}}</ref>  A further distinction is made for very sheer routes over {{Convert|300-500|m|ft|adj=off}} in length where the climber(s) are continually "hanging" from the face, which is called [[big wall climbing]] and includes some of rock climbing's most notable routes such as ''[[The Nose (El Capitan)|The Nose]]''.<ref name=BK4>{{cite book | title=Big Wall Climbing: Elite Technique  | date=2005 | publisher=[[The Mountaineers (club)|Mountaineers Books]] | edition=1st | isbn=978-0898867480 | first=Jared| last=Ogden | chapter=Chapter 1: Fundamentals | pages=11–16}}</ref> The mountaineering discipline of [[alpine climbing]], which is climbing long multi-pitch routes on mountain faces such as the [[Great north faces of the Alps]], can involve multi-pitch rock climbing.<ref name=BK4/><ref>{{cite web | magazine=[[National Geographic]] | first=Andrew | last=Bishart | date=20 December 2017 | title=What Is Big-Wall Climbing? | accessdate=16 September 2024 | url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/article/what-is-big-wall-climbing | archive-date=5 March 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210305095519/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/article/what-is-big-wall-climbing | url-status=live }}</ref>

===Depending on protection===

The type of [[climbing protection]] employed also materially influences the type of rock climbing techniques used on a climbing route, regardless of whether it is single-pitch or multi-pitch (or big wall); protection doesn't apply to bouldering as none is used. The following broad distinctions are made in rock climbing types, which have been split into whether the climber is free climbing.<ref name=HTRCIntroduction/>

====In free climbing====
[[File:Robi-Bosh-Alain-Robert.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|[[Free solo climbing]]|alt=A climber free solo climbing on a rock face]]
* [[Free solo climbing]]. This is climbing with no [[climbing protection]]; thus, any fall will be serious and even fatal.  In theory, all bouldering is free soloing but the term is usually only applied to single-pitch climbing and multi-pitch climbing.<ref name=CFS/>  Free solo climbing came to worldwide attention when in 2017, [[Alex Honnold]] free soloed the famous big wall climbing route, ''Freerider'' on El Capitan, as featured in the 2018 Oscar-winning film, ''[[Free Solo]]''.<ref name=CFS>{{cite web | magazine=[[Climbing (magazine)|Climbing]] | url=https://www.climbing.com/people/free-solo-rock-climbing-alex-honnold-history/ | title=Free Solo Rock Climbing and the Climbers Who Have Defined the Sport | first=Alison | last=Osius | date=4 June 2022 | access-date=26 September 2024 | archive-date=30 October 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221030032222/https://www.climbing.com/people/free-solo-rock-climbing-alex-honnold-history/ | url-status=live }}</ref>

:* [[Deep-water soloing]]. A sub-class of free solo climbing done on single-pitch routes that are above water.  In theory, any fall should be less serious as the climber will land in the water, fatalities have happened.<ref>{{cite web | website=[[Climbing (magazine)|Climbing]] | url=https://www.climbing.com/skills/learn-this-deep-water-soloing-101/ | title=Learn This: Deep-Water Soloing 101 | date=3 August 2023 | accessdate=10 September 2024 | first1=R, Bryan | last1=Simon | first2=Seth C. | last2=Hawkins | archive-date=10 August 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240810012545/https://www.climbing.com/skills/learn-this-deep-water-soloing-101/ | url-status=live }}</ref>  The sport came to international attention [[Chris Sharma]]'s ascent of the dramatic sea-arch of ''[[Es Pontàs (climb)|Es Pontàs]]'' in 2006, whose grade ranked it as one of the world's hardest rock climbs of any type at that time.<ref>{{cite web | website=[[British Mountaineering Council]] | url=https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/features/a_history_of_mallorca_deep_water_soloing-3539 | date=8 March 2011 | accessdate=21 September 2024 | title=A History of Mallorca Deep Water Soloing | archive-date=25 April 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240425050018/https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/features/a_history_of_mallorca_deep_water_soloing-3539 | url-status=live }}</ref>
* [[Lead climbing]].  This involves climbing in pairs with a 'lead climber', who does the climbing, and a 'belayer' (or 'second'), who holds the rope.<ref name=MFOH/> Lead climbing is used in single-pitch and multi-pitch climbing, and for multi-pitch routes, the team can alternate the roles.  The pair are connected by the climbing rope and the belayer uses [[belay device]]s to control the rope.  How the rope is attached to the rock face, depends on the following:<ref name=LC1>{{cite web | magazine=[[Climbing (magazine)|Climbing]] | url=https://www.climbing.com/skills/how-to-lead-climb/ | title=A Beginner's Guide to Lead Climbing | first=Stephen | last=Potter | date=23 August 2022 | accessdate=27 September 2024 | archive-date=4 October 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241004131056/https://www.climbing.com/skills/how-to-lead-climb/ | url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=LC2>{{cite web | magazine=Climber (Magazine) | url=https://www.climbernews.com/what-is-lead-climbing/ | title=What Is Lead Climbing? | date=17 June 2021 | accessdate=3 September 2024 | archive-date=17 April 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240417032251/https://www.climbernews.com/what-is-lead-climbing/ | url-status=live }}</ref>
{{multiple image
|align=right
|direction= horizontal
|total_width=370
|header=Different types of lead climbing
|image1=Hulkosaure 8b Verdon.jpg
|caption1=Leading a [[sport climbing]] route with quickdraws hanging from pre-drilled [[bolt (climbing)|bolt]]s|A sport climber following a long line of bolts for protection
|image2=The Climb - geograph.org.uk - 2480355.jpg
|caption2=Leading a [[traditional climbing]] route where the climber is inserting the protection|alt=A traditional climber placing his own protection into the rock
}}
:* [[Traditional climbing]]. Originally all leading was traditional where the 'lead climber' inserts temporary (or removable) protection as they ascend.<ref name=HTRC12>{{cite book | title=How to Rock Climb | isbn=978-1493056262 | edition=6th | pages=311–334 | chapter=Chapter 12: Trad Climbing | first1=John | last1=Long | first2=Bob | last2=Gaines | author-link=John Long (climber) | publisher=[[Globe Pequot Press|Falcon Guides]] | date=August 2022}}</ref> There are many types of temporary protection including passive (e.g. nuts and hexes), and active (e.g. SLCDs).<ref>{{cite web | magazine=[[Climbing (magazine)|Climbing]] | url=https://www.climbing.com/skills/beginners-guide-trad-climbing/ | title=Learn to Trad Climb: A Beginner's Guide | date=March 2022 | first=Julie | last=Ellison | accessdate=28 September 2024 | archive-date=4 October 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241004131811/https://www.climbing.com/skills/beginners-guide-trad-climbing/ | url-status=live }}</ref>  Traditional climbing is much riskier and more physically demanding than sport climbing as finding places in which to insert the protection — while simultaneously  ascending — drains energy, and poor placements can lead to protection failing in the event of a fall.<ref>{{cite web | magazine=Climber (Magazine) | url=https://www.climbernews.com/what-is-trad-climbing/ | title=What Is Trad Climbing? – Get Started With Our Complete Guide | date=18 October 2021 | accessdate=28 September 2024 | archive-date=14 June 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240614053413/https://www.climbernews.com/what-is-trad-climbing/ | url-status=live }}</ref>

:* [[Sport climbing]]. Here, the climbing protection has been pre-drilled into the rock in the form of [[bolt (climbing)|bolt]]s.<ref name=HTRC11>{{cite book | title=How to Rock Climb | isbn=978-1493056262 | edition=6th | pages=291–310 | chapter=Chapter 11: Sport Climbing | first1=John | last1=Long | first2=Bob | last2=Gaines | author-link=John Long (climber) | publisher=[[Globe Pequot Press|Falcon Guides]] | date=August 2022}}</ref>  The 'lead climber' clips their rope into these bolts using [[quickdraw]]s as they ascend.<ref name=HTRC11/> On very hard routes, the quickdraws are placed in advance, which is called 'pinkpointing' (see photo).<ref name=CLR1>{{cite web | magazine=Climber (Magazine) | url=https://www.climbernews.com/what-is-sport-climbing/ | date=6 April 2021 | accessdate=20 September 2024 | title=What Is Sport Climbing? – Everything You Need To Know | archive-date=24 February 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240224053900/https://www.climbernews.com/what-is-sport-climbing/ | url-status=live }}</ref> Sport climbing developed in the 1980s when French climbers wanted to climb "blank" rock faces that had no cracks into which to insert the temporary protection used in traditional climbing and they called it 'sport climbing' as it was much safer.<ref name="SC">{{cite book |last=Bisharat |first=Andrew |title=Sport Climbing: From Toprope to Redpoint, Techniques for Climbing Success |date=6 October 2009 |publisher=[[Mountaineers Books]] |isbn=978-1594852701 |chapter=Chapter 1: Ethics, Style, and Emergence of Sport Climbing |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MI8TCgAAQBAJ&q=climbing+deadpoint+dyno&pg=PT73 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241004131832/https://books.google.com/books?id=MI8TCgAAQBAJ&q=climbing+deadpoint+dyno&pg=PT73#v=snippet&q=climbing%20deadpoint%20dyno&f=false |archive-date=4 October 2024 |url-status=live |accessdate=27 September 2024}}</ref>

* [[Rope solo climbing]].  Where a 'lead climber' climbs alone but with protection; the 'belayer' is replaced with a [[Glossary of climbing terms#progress capture device|progress capture device]] (PCD) that locks the rope — in the manner of a 'belayer' — in any fall.<ref>{{cite web | website=GearJunkie | url=https://gearjunkie.com/climbing/rope-solo-rock-climbing-how-to | title=Rope Solo Rock Climbing: Understanding How It's Done | first=Christian | last=Black | date=3 February 2022 | accessdate=3 March 2023 | archive-date=5 March 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230305162813/https://gearjunkie.com/climbing/rope-solo-rock-climbing-how-to | url-status=live }}</ref>  It is an advanced technique and difficult to master, and which carries significantly greater risk as PCDs can fail to lock, and it requires much greater energy as the climber needs to ascend every pitch twice.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Whittaker |first1=Pete |author-link=Pete Whittaker |title=How to Rope Solo |url=https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/skills/series/pete_whittaker/how_to_rope_solo_-_with_pete_whittaker-11160 |website=UKClimbing |access-date=3 March 2023 |date=14 August 2018 |archive-date=16 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230116204049/https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/skills/series/pete_whittaker/how_to_rope_solo_-_with_pete_whittaker-11160 |url-status=live }}</ref>
* [[Simul climbing]]. Where both of the 'lead climbing pair' move together and dispense with the traditional set-up of a 'lead climber' doing the climbing while the 'belayer' stays in one place to control the rope.  A simul-climbing pair will insert points of climbing protection as they progress — as in normal lead climbing — but will add PCDs at some of these points to lock the rope in case one or both of them fall.<ref name=CL99/> Simil climbing is used to move quickly on long but easy multi-pitch routes, and for setting [[Speed climbing#Notable non-competition records|speed climbing records]] on big-wall routes.<ref>{{cite book | title=Advanced Rock Climbing: Expert Skills and Techniques | first=Topher | last=Donoghue | date=December 2016 | publisher=[[Mountaineers Books]] | edition=1st | page=218 | isbn=978-1680510126}}</ref>  It is an advanced and a dangerous technique.<ref name=CL99>{{cite web | magazine=[[Climbing (magazine)|Climbing]] | url=https://www.climbing.com/skills/advanced-techniques-simul-climbing-and-short-fixing/ | title=Advanced Climbing Techniques: Simul-Climbing and Short-Fixing | first=Miranda | last=Oakley | date=23 December 2022 | accessdate=8 July 2024 | archive-date=29 April 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190429223753/https://www.climbing.com/skills/advanced-techniques-simul-climbing-and-short-fixing/ | url-status=live }}</ref>

*[[Top rope climbing]]. This is done in pairs but the rope runs from the belayer through a fixed [[anchor (climbing)|anchor]] at the top of the route, and back down to the climber. If the climber falls, the belayer locks the rope and the climber just hangs from the rope at the point of the fall.<ref name="SC" />  Top rope climbing is a popular way for beginners to start rock climbing, and to build up their strength and confidence to lead climb.<ref name="GJ5">{{cite web |last=Anderson |first=Sam |date=1 February 2022 |title=Climbing Explainer: Belaying for Top Roping vs. Leading |url=https://gearjunkie.com/climbing/top-rope-vs-lead-climbing-explainer |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241004131837/https://gearjunkie.com/climbing/top-rope-vs-lead-climbing-explainer |archive-date=4 October 2024 |accessdate=4 September 2024 |website=GearJunkie}}</ref><ref name="HTRC9">{{cite book |last1=Long |first1=John |author-link=John Long (climber) |title=How to Rock Climb |last2=Gaines |first2=Bob |date=August 2022 |publisher=[[Globe Pequot Press|Falcon Guides]] |isbn=978-1493056262 |edition=6th |pages=235–258 |chapter=Chapter 9: Top roping}}</ref>\
*[[Top rope solo climbing]]. This is a solo-climbing variant of top roping where the climber uses a [[Glossary of climbing terms#progress capture device|progress capture device]] (PCD) that automatically locks the rope if the climber falls (like a belayer). Unlike top-rope climbing, top-rope solo climbing is an advanced type of climbing, and there have been fatalities where the PCD did not automatically lock and the climber fell to the ground;<ref name="GJ">{{cite web |last=Black |first=Christian |date=3 February 2022 |title=Rope Solo Rock Climbing: Understanding How It's Done |url=https://gearjunkie.com/climbing/rope-solo-rock-climbing-how-to |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230305162813/https://gearjunkie.com/climbing/rope-solo-rock-climbing-how-to |archive-date=5 March 2023 |accessdate=3 September 2024 |website=GearJunkie}}</ref> it is also used in big wall climbing.<ref>{{cite web |last=Wharton |first=Josh |date=25 August 2022 |title=Top-rope soloing: How Josh Wharton Climbs Multi-pitches Faster and With Less Energy |url=https://www.climbing.com/skills/how-to-toprope-solo/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221102030243/https://www.climbing.com/skills/how-to-toprope-solo/ |archive-date=2 November 2022 |accessdate=5 September 2024 |magazine=[[Climbing (magazine)|Climbing]]}}</ref>

==== Non-free climbing ====
[[File:Tatryhakowka.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|[[Aid climbing]]|alt=An aid climber hanging from the rock face]]
* [[Aid climbing]]. Modern aid climbing is typically used on big-wall and on alpine-climbing routes where the level of difficulty is not uniform, and a given pitch might require aid techniques to overcome its challenges.<ref name=MFOH15a>{{cite book | date=2018 | title=[[Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills]] | edition=9th | isbn=978-1846892622 | publisher=Quiller Publishing | author=[[The Mountaineers (club)|The Mountaineers]] |chapter=Chapter 15. Aid and Big Wall Climbing | pages=276–317}}</ref>  For example, ''[[The Nose (El Capitan)|The Nose]]'' on El Capitan which can be climbed by strong big wall climbers using aid techniques on some pitches, but only a handful of the world's leading climbers have completely free climbed all pitches.<ref name=GRNOSE/><ref name=OutsideUSA>{{cite web | magazine=[[Outside (magazine)|Outside]] | title=The 25 Greatest Moments in Yosemite Climbing History | date=1 June 2016 | access-date=4 September 2024 | url=https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/climbing/25-greatest-moments-yosemite-climbing-history/ | author=Editorial | archive-date=4 December 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221204003915/https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/climbing/25-greatest-moments-yosemite-climbing-history/ | url-status=live }}</ref>
===Competition climbing===
[[File:Climbing World Championships 2018 Lead Final Schubert 08.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|[[2018 IFSC Climbing World Championships|World Championships]]|alt=The indoor climbing wall of the 2018 World Championships]]
With the development of the safer form of [[sport climbing]] in the 1980s, lead climbing competitions on bolted artificial climbing walls became popular. In 1988, the [[Union Internationale des Associations d'Alpinisme]] (UIAA) created rules and created the {{ill|International Council for Competition Climbing|lt=International Council for Competition Climbing|de|International Council for Competition Climbing}} (ICCC) to regulate [[competition climbing]], and in 1998, the ICCC added bouldering and [[speed climbing]] as new events.<ref name=BMC1/> In 2007, the [[International Federation of Sport Climbing]] (IFSC) took over the governance of the sport and its two major competitions, the annual [[Climbing World Cup]] and the biennial [[Climbing World Championships]];<ref name=BMC1/> it debuted as a full Olympic-medal sport in 2020:<ref name=BMC1>{{cite web | website=[[British Mountaineering Council]] | url=https://www.thebmc.co.uk/a-brief-history-of-competition-climbing | first=Toby | last=Dunne | date=17 August 2021 | access-date=20 September 2024 | title=A brief history of competition climbing | archive-date=4 October 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241004131814/https://www.thebmc.co.uk/en/a-brief-history-of-competition-climbing | url-status=live }}</ref>

* [[Competition lead climbing]]. Competitors start at the bottom of a pre-bolted artificial sport-climbing route and lead-climb to touch or secure the highest [[climbing hold]] possible within a set time limit on a single attempt, making sure to clip the rope into pre-placed [[quickdraw]]s while ascending; they are belayed by an official.<ref name=BMJCC>{{cite journal | title=Olympic competition climbing: the beginning of a new era-a narrative review | first1=Christoph | last1=Lutter | first2=Thomas | last2=Tischer | first3=Volker | last3=Rainer Schöffl | journal=[[British Journal of Sports Medicine]] | doi=10.1136/bjsports-2020-102035 | date=August 2021 | pages=857–864 | volume=55 | issue=15 | pmid=33036996 }}</ref>
* [[Competition bouldering]]. Competitors climb a series of short bouldering problems without a rope but protected by [[crashpad]]s, with an emphasis on the number of problems completed, and the attempts necessary to do so.  The problems tend to be technically harder than in competition lead climbing and involve very dynamic moves.<ref name=BMJCC/>
* [[Competition speed climbing]]. Competitors race-off in pairs on a standardized 'speed climbing wall' using a [[top roping|top rope]] with an [[auto belay]] for protection, in the shortest time possible.  As the speed climbing wall is standardized, time records are chronicled (e.g. such as world record and women's record times).<ref name=BMJCC/>
* [[Competition combined climbing]].  In some competitions, a "combined" event is offered, which in some cases is simply the addition of the scores from leading, bouldering, and/or speed climbing (as per the first Olympics), but in other cases is a separate event where the winners of the lead and bouldering events enter into a separate joint event on both formats (as per the IFSC World Championships).<ref name=BMJCC/>

==Equipment==
{{Main|Rock-climbing equipment}}
[[File:Climber with equipment.jpg |thumb|upright=0.8|Rock climber with a helmet, harness & rope, and a [[traditional climbing]] "rack" of [[climbing protection|protection devices]] on their harness and additional [[gear sling]], which contains SLCDs, nuts, a tricam, and quickdraws|alt=A rock climber carrying a large rack of equipment in preparation for their climb]]
The  equipment needed varies significantly with the route being undertaken and the type of climbing that is being followed. For example, bouldering needs the least equipment outside of [[climbing shoes]], [[Chalk (climbing)|climbing chalk]], and optional [[Bouldering mat|crash pads]].  Sport climbing adds [[climbing rope|ropes]], [[climbing harness|harnesses]], [[belay device]]s, and [[quickdraw]]s to clip into pre-drilled [[Bolt (climbing)|bolts]]. Traditional climbing adds the need to carry a "rack" of temporary passive and active [[#Protection devices|protection devices]].  Multi-pitch climbing, and the related big wall climbing, adds devices to assist in ascending and descending [[fixed ropes]]. Finally, aid climbing uses unique equipment to assist the climber in their upward movement (e.g. [[aider]]s).<ref name=ACMG/><ref name=FoH13>{{cite book | date=2018 | title=[[Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills]] | edition=9th | isbn=978-1846892622 | publisher=Quiller Publishing | author=[[The Mountaineers (club)|The Mountaineers]] | chapter=Chapter 13: Rock Protection | pages=239–254}}</ref><ref name=CL55>{{cite web | magazine=[[Climbing (magazine)|Climbing]] | url=https://www.climbing.com/gear/cllimbing-gear-history-erickson/ | title=How Climbing Gear Has Evolved Over the Past 50 Years | first=Jim | last=Erickson | date=9 September 2022 | accessdate=25 September 2024 | archive-date=9 February 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230209003330/https://www.climbing.com/gear/cllimbing-gear-history-erickson/ | url-status=live }}</ref>

The equipment used in rock climbing can be grouped into the following categories:

*Ropes and slings. Modern [[climbing ropes]] are {{Convert|50–80|m|ft|adj=off}} long and can be [[dynamic rope]]s, which stretch to absorb the energy of a falling climber (and thus absorb higher [[fall factor]]s), or can be the less expensive but more hard-wearing [[static rope]]s for [[fixed rope]]ing. [[Glossary of climbing terms#double ropes|Double ropes]] will reduce [[Glossary of climbing terms#drag|rope drag]].<ref name=ACMG>{{cite book | date=2023 | title=Climbing Guiding Manual | publisher=[[Association of Canadian Mountain Guides]] | chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3OnLEAAAQBAJ&dq=%22sling%22+%22runner%22+%22cord%22+%22climbing%22&pg=PA16 | accessdate=10 September 2023 | chapter=Chapter 1: Materials and Equipment | pages=11–27 | author=ACMG }}</ref><ref name=FoH1>{{cite book | date=2018 | title=[[Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills]] | edition=9th | isbn=978-1846892622 | publisher=Quiller Publishing | author=[[The Mountaineers (club)|The Mountaineers]] | chapter=Chapter 9: Basic Safety System | pages=134–154}}</ref>
*Rope connectors. Various devices are used to connect items to climbing ropes and to slings that include equipment such as metal [[carabiner]]s and [[quickdraw]]s, [[lanyard (climbing)|lanyard]] and [[personal anchor system]]s, and also includes the [[climbing harness]], which connects the climber themselves to their rope.<ref name=ACMG/><ref name=FoH1/>
*Rope devices. Devices are available for controlling the movement of a dynamic climbing rope (e.g. such as [[belay device]]s and [[self-locking device]]s),<ref name=HTRC>{{cite book | title=How to Rock Climb | isbn=978-1493056262 | edition=6th | pages=31–54| first1=John | last1=Long | first2=Bob | last2=Gaines | author-link=John Long (climber) | publisher=[[Globe Pequot Press|Falcon Guides]] | date=August 2022 | chapter=Chapter 3: Belay Devices, Carabiners, Slings and Quickdraws}}</ref> for moving up a [[fixed rope|fixed static rope]] (e.g. such as [[Ascender (climbing)|ascenders]]),<ref name=HTRC10>{{cite book | title=How to Rock Climb | isbn=978-1493056262 | edition=6th | pages=285–290| first1=John | last1=Long | first2=Bob | last2=Gaines | author-link=John Long (climber) | publisher=[[Globe Pequot Press|Falcon Guides]] | date=August 2022 | chapter=Chapter 10: Rappelling and Rope Ascending}}</ref> or for moving down a fixed static rope (e.g. such as descenders or [[abseil device]]s).<ref name=HTRC10/>
*Protection devices. Temporary protection is used in traditional climbing and splits into active devices (mainly [[spring-loaded camming device]]s or SLCDs or 'friends'),<ref>{{cite web | magazine=[[Climbing (magazine)|Climbing]] | url=https://www.climbing.com/gear/the-history-of-friends/ | title=The History of Friends | date=17 July 2017 | accessdate=12 September 2023 | first1=Chris | last1=Van Leuven | archive-date=30 January 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230130113929/https://www.climbing.com/gear/the-history-of-friends/ | url-status=live }}</ref> and passive devices (mainly [[Nut (climbing)|nuts]] and [[Hex (climbing)|hex]]es).<ref>{{cite web | magazine=[[Climbing (magazine)|Climbing]] | url=https://www.climbing.com/gear/nuts-rock-climbing-protection/ | title=What You Need to Know About Nuts | date=8 August 2022 | accessdate=12 September 2024 | first1=Jeff | last1=Achey | first2=Julie | last2=Ellison}}</ref> Fixed protection devices are used in sport and aid climbing, and are mainly [[bolt (climbing)|bolts]] and [[piton]]s.<ref name=FoH13/><ref>{{cite web | magazine=[[Outside (magazine)|Outside]] | url=https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/climbing/what-happens-when-climbing-bolts-go-bad/ | title=What Happens When Climbing Bolts Go Bad? | first=Shelby | last=Carpenter | date=4 November 2015 | accessdate=12 September 2024 | archive-date=8 December 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221208054814/https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/climbing/what-happens-when-climbing-bolts-go-bad/ | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | magazine=[[Climbing (magazine)|Climbing]] | url=https://www.climbing.com/skills/how-to-place-evaluate-climbing-pitons/ | title=Everything You Need to Know About Placing, Evaluating, and Trusting Pitons| date=2 August 2023 | accessdate=12 September 2024 | first=Jim | last=Erikson}}</ref>
*Aid climbing equipment.  [[Aider]]s and [[Daisy chain (climbing)|daisy chain]]s act like ladders for the aid climber.  These aiders are clipped into the protection devices (see above), however, aid climbers can also [[hammer (climbing)|hammer]] into the rock additional options like [[Copperhead (climbing)|copperhead]]s and [[Hook (climbing)|hook]]s.<ref name=MFOH15>{{cite book | date=2018 | title=[[Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills]] | edition=9th | isbn=978-1846892622 | publisher=Quiller Publishing | author=[[The Mountaineers (club)|The Mountaineers]] |chapter=Chapeter 15. Aid and Big Wall Climbing | pages=276–317}}</ref>
*Clothing. Modern [[climbing shoes]] give rock climbers increased grip and ability to step onto and hold tiny 'edges' (called edging).<ref name=HTRC1>{{cite book | title=How to Rock Climb | isbn=978-1493056262 | edition=6th | pages=1–14 | chapter=Chapter 1: Knots and Basic Equipment | first1=John | last1=Long | first2=Bob | last2=Gaines | author-link=John Long (climber) | publisher=[[Globe Pequot Press|Falcon Guides]] | date=August 2022}}</ref> Climbers also use [[climbing helmet]]s (especially in multi-pitch climbing),<ref name=HTRC1/> and specialized equipment such as [[belay gloves]] and [[belay glasses]] when belaying.<ref name=OUT45>{{cite web | magazine=[[Outside (magazine)|Outside]] | first=Alison | last=Osius | title=Sh*t Climbers Bring These Days | url=https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-gear/climbing-gear/unnecessary-climbing-gear/ | date=22 August 2022 | accessdate=25 September 2024 | archive-date=1 February 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230201030934/https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-gear/climbing-gear/unnecessary-climbing-gear/ | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | magazine=[[Climbing (magazine)|Climbing]] | url=https://www.climbing.com/gym-climbing/prevent-belayers-neck/ | date=8 April 2022 | accessdate=25 September 2024 | first=Adam | last=Luu | title=Belayers's Neck Can Become a Chronic Problem. These 8 Science-Backed Methods Prevent It. | archive-date=4 October 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241004132504/https://www.climbing.com/gym-climbing/prevent-belayers-neck/ | url-status=live }}</ref>
*Miscellaneous.  One of the most distinctive aspects of modern rock climbing is the use of [[Chalk (climbing)|climbing chalk]] for grip and [[Surgical tape|medical tape]] for skin wear.<ref name=HTRC1/>  Once controversial, the use of [[Knee pad (climbing)|knee pad]]s and ground coverage from [[bouldering mat]]s have now become commonplace at climbing venues.<ref name=CL55/><ref>{{cite web | magazine=Gripped Magazine | date=31 December 2020 | accessdate=25 September 2024 | first=Noah | last=Walker | title=Grading: Adam Ondra and Alex Megos on Ethics and Kneepads | url=https://gripped.com/news/rock/grading-ondra-and-megos-on-ethics-and-kneepads/ | archive-date=20 March 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230320152701/https://gripped.com/news/rock/grading-ondra-and-megos-on-ethics-and-kneepads/ | url-status=live }}</ref>
*Training.  One of the key elements in the development of standards and grade milestones has come from novel training tools starting with the [[bachar ladder]],<ref name="Hill2013">{{cite book|author=Pete Hill|title=Indoor Climbing: Skills for climbing wall users and instructors|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1xW-r4gaP0gC&pg=PA21|date=18 February 2013|publisher=Cicerone Press Limited|isbn=978-1-84965-858-4|page=21}}</ref> and the [[hangboard]],<ref>{{cite web | magazine=[[Climbing (magazine)|Climbing]] | url=https://www.climbing.com/skills/hangboarding-easier-or-harder/ | title=Hangboarding For Everyone | date=6 October 2022 | accessdate=10 March 2023 | first=Kevin | last=Corrigan | archive-date=2 December 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221202100422/https://www.climbing.com/skills/hangboarding-easier-or-harder/ | url-status=live }}</ref> which evolved into [[plyometric]] training tools such as the [[campus board]],<ref name=Gripped2>{{cite web | website=Gripped | url=https://gripped.com/indoor-climbing/a-beginners-guide-to-campus-board-training/ | title=A Beginner's Guide to Campus Board Training | first=Noah | last=Walker | date=9 September 2022 | accessdate=27 September 2024 | archive-date=29 November 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221129100842/https://gripped.com/indoor-climbing/a-beginners-guide-to-campus-board-training/ | url-status=live }}</ref> and the [[MoonBoard]].<ref>{{cite web | website=Gripped Magazine | url=https://gripped.com/indoor-climbing/the-history-of-the-moonboard-by-ben-moon/ | title=The History of the MoonBoard by Ben Moon | date=17 August 2018 | accessdate=21 September 2024 | archive-date=21 June 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240621222252/https://gripped.com/indoor-climbing/the-history-of-the-moonboard-by-ben-moon/ | url-status=live }}</ref>

==Techniques==

The development of rock-climbing techniques was as important as the development of rock-climbing equipment in increasing standards and reaching new grade milestones.<ref name=AdvancedTechniques/>  Several techniques were particularly notable for their impact on the sport — and on particular types of climbing routes — and are key for any aspiring rock climber to master.  The development of [[route setter]]s in [[competition climbing]], who can artificially fine-tune a route to require the accurate use of specific techniques, has further increased the range of techniques that contemporary rock climbers need to master.<ref name=ClimbingTechnique>{{cite web | magazine=[[Climbing (magazine)|Climbing]] | url=https://www.climbing.com/skills/rock-climbing-technique/ | title=Learn To Rock Climb: Basic Techniques From Handholds to Footwork and Drop Knees | date=14 February 2022 | accessdate=28 September 2024 | author=((The Editors)) | archive-date=4 October 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241004132506/https://www.climbing.com/skills/rock-climbing-technique/ | url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=ClimbingTechnique2>{{cite web | magazine=Gripped Magazine (Canada) | url=https://gripped.com/indoor-climbing/a-comprehensive-guide-to-climbing-technique/ | first=Noah | last=Walker | date=11 February 2021 | accessdate=28 September 2024 | title=A Comprehensive Guide to Climbing Technique | archive-date=19 April 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240419130055/https://gripped.com/indoor-climbing/a-comprehensive-guide-to-climbing-technique/ | url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=MasteringBasicSkills/>

===Body positioning and balance===
{{multiple image
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|image1=StefanoGhisolfi-1.JPG
|caption1=Backstepping|alt1=A climber doing the backstepping technique
|image2=2024 Summer Olympics otin 41.jpg
|caption2=High-stepping|alt2=A climber doing the high-stepping technique
|image3=Climbing World Championships 2018 Combined Final Pilz (BT0A9990).jpg
|caption3=Rock-on move|alt3=A climber doing the rock-on movement
}}
Rock-climbing technique is built on having an effective body position and balance to maximize the conservation of energy and thus climb efficiently.<ref name=AdvancedTechniques/><ref name=SC3/> Where possible, the arms should be kept straight, thus holding the body weight on the joints and not on flexed arm muscles, with the 'climbing' driven by the stronger legs.<ref name=ClimbingTechnique/><ref name=ClimbingTechnique2/>

The hips should be kept close to the wall, which often involves the technique of 'back-stepping', where instead of the climber using their big toe to 'toe-into' a foot-hold, they rotate their hips and use the outside edge of their opposite leg; this gives them greater upward reach while keeping their hips close to the rock face.<ref name=ClimbingTechnique/><ref name=ClimbingTechnique3/> Linked to 'back-stepping' is the use of the free leg as a counter-balance to avoid the climber swinging away from the rock, and to support other movements, which is called 'flagging'.<ref name=ClimbingTechnique/><ref name=ClimbingTechnique2/>

Good climbing technique emphasizes the use of the legs to hold body weight and to gain upward momentum, which includes the technique of 'high-stepping' (i.e. lifting the feet above the waistline), which can be combined with 'heel hooking' (see image below), and the technique of 'rock-over' / 'rock-on' weight-transfer movements (i.e. transferring the weight to the higher leg but without explicitly pulling up on the arms).<ref name=MasteringBasicSkills>{{cite book | title=Rock Climbing: Mastering Basic Skills | edition=2nd | first2=Craig | last2=Luebben | first1=Topher | last1=Donahue | isbn=978-1-59485-862-8 | date=September 2014 | publisher=[[The Mountaineers (club)|The Mountaineers]] | chapter=Chapter 2. Face climbing: Dancing on Rock | accessdate=28 September 2024 | chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rpQTCgAAQBAJ&pg=PT33 | pages=21–33 | archive-date=4 October 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241004132452/https://books.google.ie/books?id=rpQTCgAAQBAJ&pg=PT33&source=gbs_selected_pages&cad=1#v=onepage&q&f=false | url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=SC3>{{cite book|title=Sport Climbing: From Toprope to Redpoint, Techniques for Climbing Success|author=Andrew Bisharat|date=6 October 2009|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ehYmcMQAp4QC&dq=Sport+Climbing:+From+Toprope+to+Redpoint,+Techniques+for+Climbing+Success+%22bolt+wars%22&pg=PA31|publisher=[[Mountaineers Books]]|isbn=978-1594852701|access-date=23 September 2024|chapter=Chapter 2: Free Yourself with Great Climbing Technique|pages=42–59|archive-date=4 October 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241004132636/https://www.google.ie/books/edition/Sport_Climbing/ehYmcMQAp4QC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Sport+Climbing:+From+Toprope+to+Redpoint,+Techniques+for+Climbing+Success+%22bolt+wars%22&pg=PA31&printsec=frontcover|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Laybacking, bridging & chimneying===
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|image1=Piazen.jpg
|caption1=Laybacking|alt1=A climber doing the laybacking technique
|image2=Argentiere-jure.jpg
|caption2=Bridging|alt2=A climber doing the bridging technique
|image3=Agamemnon (34031328463).jpg
|caption3=Chimneying|alt3=A climber doing the chimneying technique
}}
Early rock climbers began to distinguish themselves from general mountaineering [[scrambling]] techniques by executing a 'layback' (see image) which involves using the legs and arms in opposing forces to ascend cracks in corners or dihedrals.<ref name=ClimbingTechnique/><ref name=MasteringBasicSkills/>  Ascending corners naturally leads to the related technique of 'bridging' (also called 'stemming'), which involves spreading the legs to gain traction on the opposing walls of the corner.<ref name=ClimbingTechnique/><ref name=MasteringBasicSkills/>  In places where the walls are completely opposing, the technique of bridging becomes the even more spectacular technique of 'chimneying'.<ref name=ClimbingTechnique/><ref name=MasteringBasicSkills/>

Laybacking and bridging enabled rock climbers to ascend dramatic new types of specialist climbing routes that typically combined the corners and cracks needed for these techniques to work.<ref name=ClimbingTechnique/> Famous early examples include [[Joe Brown (climber)|Joe Brown]]'s ''Cenotaph Corner'' in 1952 in [[Dinas Cromlech]] in Wales.<ref>{{cite web | website=PlanetMountain | url=https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/dinas-cromlech-rock-climbing-in-wales.html | title=Dinas Cromlech, rock climbing in Wales | date=5 June 2009 | accessdate=2 October 2024 | archive-date=9 April 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230409020252/https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/dinas-cromlech-rock-climbing-in-wales.html | url-status=live }}</ref> Notable modern examples of routes that require advanced laybacking and bridging include the much-photographed crux-pitch of the big wall route, ''Pre-Muir Wall'', on El Capitan,<ref>{{cite web | website=PlanetMountain | url=https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/barbara-zangerl-climbs-pre-muir-wall-beautiful-big-wall-el-capitan-yosemite.html | date=29 June 2019 | accessdate=6 April 2024 | title=Barbara Zangerl climbs Pre-Muir Wall, beautiful big wall on El Capitan in Yosemite | archive-date=28 October 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201028173013/https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/barbara-zangerl-climbs-pre-muir-wall-beautiful-big-wall-el-capitan-yosemite.html | url-status=live }}</ref> and the groove-pitch of the multi-pitch route, ''The Quarryman'', in Wales.<ref>{{cite web | website=PlanetMountain | url=https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/caroline-ciavaldini-makes-first-female-ascent-of-the-quarryman-in-wales.html | title=Caroline Ciavaldini makes first female ascent of The Quarryman in Wales | date=15 April 2018 | accessdate=28 September 2024 | archive-date=14 June 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240614144530/https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/caroline-ciavaldini-makes-first-female-ascent-of-the-quarryman-in-wales.html | url-status=live }}</ref>

===Jamming ===
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|header=Types of jamming
|image1=Super Crack of the Desert, Indian Creek, Utah.jpg
|caption1=Arm|alt1=A climber doing the arm jamming technique
|image2=Pou Anaiak Totem Pole - panoramio - degar.jpg
|caption2=Finger|alt2=A climber doing the finger jamming technique
|image3=Climbing in Yosemite Valley - 02.jpg
|caption3=Body|alt3=A climber doing the body jamming technique
|image4=Indian Creek Supercrack.jpg
|caption4=Hand|alt4=A climber doing the hand jamming technique
}}
One of the most important revolutions in rock climbing technique was the development of 'jamming'.<ref name=SC3/><ref name=MasteringBasicSkills2>{{cite book | title=Rock Climbing: Mastering Basic Skills | edition=2nd | first2=Craig | last2=Luebben | first1=Topher | last1=Donahue | isbn=978-1-59485-862-8 | date=September 2014 | publisher=[[The Mountaineers (club)|The Mountaineers]] | chapter=Chapter 3. Crack climbing: Climbing cracks from fingertip to full-body chimneys| accessdate=28 September 2024 | url=https://archive.org/details/rockclimbingmast0000lueb/page/n5/mode/2up | pages=41–54}}</ref>  This involves placing — or "jamming" — the climber's body parts into cracks in the rock which they then pull on to gain upward momentum.<ref name=ClimbingTechnique/>  Jamming brought free climbing to the world of '[[crack climbing]]', and rock climbers developed the technique for almost every body part, including the "body jam" (i.e. the whole body in the crack), the "arm jam", the "hand/fist jam", the "toe jam", and the "finger jam".<ref name=ClimbingTechnique/><ref name=ClimbingTechnique2/>

Jamming techniques were notably employed on the long granite cracks of El Capitan, where they were used to free up important routes such as ''The Nose'' and ''The Salathe Wall'', as well as on the photographic sandstone 'splitter cracks' of Indian Creek such as on the famous crack climbing route, ''Supercrack''.<ref name=SC3/><ref name=MasteringBasicSkills2/>

Finger jamming was also used to open harder routes up very thin cracks on many rock types around the world, and remains an important technique on the world's hardest traditional climbing routes — where cracks are needed to insert the temporary climbing protection — with notable examples such as on ''[[Cobra Crack]]'' (and its famous and painful one-finger jam) and on the micro-cracks of ''[[Rhapsody (climb)|Rhapsody]]''.<ref name=SC3/><ref name=MasteringBasicSkills2/>

===Smearing and palming===
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|image1=Maurizio Oviglia.jpg
|caption1=Smearing on natural rock|alt1=A climber using the smearing technique on outdoor rock
|image2=Climbing World Championships 2018 Boulder Semi Klingler (BT0A8468).jpg
|caption2=Smearing on indoor walls|alt2=A climber using the smearing technique on an indoor climbing wall
}}
'Smearing' involves using the rubber grip of the climbing shoes to gain purchase on a featureless rock face with no edges or holds to step on.<ref name=ClimbingTechnique/>  The advent of specialist rubber-soled climbing shoes dramatically increased the surfaces that climbers could "smear" on.<ref name=ClimbingTechnique2/><ref name=MasteringBasicSkills/>    While the technique is used to some degree on almost every type of rock climbing route, it is most associated with '[[slab climbing]]' where the ability to 'smear' is essential because of the smooth and featureless nature of the surface.<ref name=ClimbingTechnique/><ref name=MasteringBasicSkills/>

One of the most notable exponents of the 'smearing' technique is Welch climber [[Johnny Dawes]] who used smearing it to create some of the hardest traditional slab climbs in the world such as the ''[[Indian Face]]'' and ''The Quarryman''.<ref>{{cite magazine | magazine=[[Climbing (magazine)|Climbing]] | url=https://www.climbing.com/news/the-full-johnny-dawes-interview/ | first=Matt | last=Samet | date=27 September 2007 | accessdate=10 January 2022 | title=The Full Johnny Dawes Interview | archive-date=10 January 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220110005843/https://www.climbing.com/news/the-full-johnny-dawes-interview/ | url-status=live }}</ref>   Dawes is also noted for his unique "no-hands demonstrations" where he climbs extreme-graded rock climbing routes but uses only his feet and the smearing technique for upward momentum.<ref name=SM>{{cite magazine | magazine=[[Smithsonian (magazine)|Smithsonian]] | first=Samantha | last=Larson | date=16 April 2015 | accessdate=8 January 2022 | title="Look Ma, No Hands!" A Rock Climber Scales Cliffs Without Using His Hands | url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/look-ma-no-hands-rock-climber-scales-cliffs-without-using-them-180955017/ | archive-date=9 January 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220109143115/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/look-ma-no-hands-rock-climber-scales-cliffs-without-using-them-180955017/ | url-status=live }}</ref>

'Palming' is smearing with the open hands, and is used on smooth holds that cannot be gripped by the fingers, which are called 'slopers'.<ref name=ClimbingTechnique/><ref name=MasteringBasicSkills/>  Palming is also often used when 'bridging' and 'chimneying' where the hands are pushing against the rock surfaces.<ref name=ClimbingTechnique3>{{cite web | website=[[REI]] | url=https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/climbing-techniques.html | title=Climbing Techniques and Moves | first=Jay | last=Parks | date=2024 | accessdate=28 September 2024 | archive-date=10 August 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240810035832/https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/climbing-techniques.html | url-status=live }}</ref>

The extensive use of large [[volume hold]]s (also sloper holds) by route setters in competition lead climbing and competition bouldering has also made 'smearing' and 'palming' an important technique for contemporary competition climbers (see photo).<ref>{{cite web | magazine=Gripped Magazine (Canada) | url=https://gripped.com/indoor-climbing/10-tips-for-how-to-climb-volumes/ | title=10 Tips for How To Climb Volumes | first=Bonnie | last=De Bruijn | date=10 January 2019 | accessdate=28 September 2024 | archive-date=29 May 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240529104503/https://gripped.com/indoor-climbing/10-tips-for-how-to-climb-volumes/ | url-status=live }}</ref>

===Crimping, pinching and edging===
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|image1=BW 2012-08-26 Anna Stoehr AUS 0601-ZoomDoigtsArqués.jpg
|caption1=Crimping and edging|alt1=A climber using the crimping and edging technique on an indoor climbing wall
|image2=Climbing in St. Lorenz - Wachau, Austria.jpg
|caption2=Crimping and edging|alt2=A climber using the crimping and edging technique on an outdoor rock face
}}
As climbers tried harder and harder routes, the holds became smaller and smaller, until they were barely large enough to accommodate the tips of fingers or the smallest part of a toe. 'Crimping' means holding the fingers in a tight line to hold onto the smallest holds, while 'edging' involves a similar process but with the "edges" of the climbing shoe.<ref name=ClimbingTechnique/> A related technique is that of 'pinching' which is used on even smaller holds.<ref name=ClimbingTechnique/> Crimping is associated with the development of training tools such as the [[hangboard]] that increase the tendon strength needed for crimping; however, it is also a source of tendon injury.<ref name=ClimbingTechnique/>

Crimping and edging are most associated with '[[face climbing]]' where there are no big features on which to 'layback' or to 'bridge', and no cracks in which to 'jam'.<ref name=MasteringBasicSkills/> They can also feature in [[Traverse (climbing)#In rock climbing|traversing]] as was dramatically shown on the crux pitch of the famous ''Dawn Wall'' route in the film, ''[[The Dawn Wall]]''.<ref>{{cite web | magazine=Gripped Magazine (Canada) | url=https://gripped.com/news/dawn-walls-pitch-15-battle-project/ | title=Dawn Wall's Pitch 15: The Battle; The Project | date=7 January 2015 | accessdate=28 September 2024 | author=((The Editors)) | archive-date=15 June 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240615080737/https://gripped.com/news/dawn-walls-pitch-15-battle-project/ | url-status=live }}</ref>  Many of the hardest modern routes feature painful micro-crimps from which the climber must launch a small "dyno" (i.e. a jump or lunge) to reach the next micro-crimps. Notable examples include the crux of the sport climbing route, ''[[La Dura Dura]]'',<ref>{{cite magazine | magazine=[[Climbing (magazine)|Climbing]] | url=https://www.climbing.com/news/ondra-puts-down-la-dura-dura-5-15c/ | title=Ondra Talks About La Dura Dura (5.15c) | first=Amanda | last=Fox | accessdate=14 March 2018 | date=8 February 2013 | archive-date=7 September 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180907144754/https://www.climbing.com/news/ondra-puts-down-la-dura-dura-5-15c/ | url-status=live }}</ref> and the crux of the bouldering problem, ''[[Burden of Dreams (climb)|Burden of Dreams]]''.<ref>{{cite web | magazine=Gripped Magazine (Canada) | url=https://gripped.com/profiles/the-many-betas-of-burden-of-dreams-v17/ | title=The Many Betas of Burden of Dreams V17 | first=Aaron | last=Pardy | date=4 March 2024 | accessdate=28 September 2024 | archive-date=4 October 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241004132419/https://gripped.com/profiles/the-many-betas-of-burden-of-dreams-v17/ | url-status=live }}</ref>

===Hooking===
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|image1=Bronwen Karnis CAN 8716.jpg
|caption1=Toe hooking|alt1=A climber using the toe-hooking technique on an indoor climbing wall
|image2=BW 2012-08-26 Juliane Wurm GER 0784.JPG
|caption2=Heel hooking|alt2=A climber using the heel-hooking technique on an indoor climbing wall
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'Hooking' involves using the legs and feet to grab — or "hook" — onto features on the rock.<ref name=ClimbingTechnique/>  While hooking is a long-standing technique in rock climbing, competition climbers need to be able to master every type of hook including "toe hooks", "heel hooks" and "leg hooks" when trying to overcome the challenges of route setters, who have developed particular challenges on artificial climbing walls that can only be overcome with a precise hooking technique.<ref name=ClimbingTechnique2/> Hooking is also used in competition climbing to gain a stable resting position, allowing the lactic acid to be shaken from the arms before carrying on.

The 'heel-toe cam' is where a 'heel hook' and a 'toe hook' are used simultaneously to act like a 'jamming' technique (i.e. they keep each other in place by their opposing force), and is a regular requirement in competition lead climbing.<ref name=ClimbingTechnique/><ref name=ClimbingTechnique2/>

===Other advanced===

The development of modern climbing routes which are typically severely overhanging (or with roofs), and which are now almost the standard in the main competition lead climbing events, has led to greater emphasis and refinement of many more advanced techniques, notable of which are:<ref name=AdvancedTechniques>{{cite book | title=Advanced Rock Climbing: Expert Skills and Techniques | first1=Topher | last1=Donahue | isbn=978-1-59485-862-8 | date=December 2016 | publisher=[[The Mountaineers (club)|The Mountaineers]] | chapter=Chapter1: Face Climbing | pages=20–35}}</ref>
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|image1=Janja Garnbret, World Championships, 17 09 2016 Paris.jpg
|caption1=Drop knee|alt1=A climber using the drop-knee technique on an indoor climbing wall
|image2=Climbing World Championships 2018 Combined Final Schubert (BT0B0686).jpg
|caption2=Dyno|alt2=A climber using the dyno technique on an indoor climbing wall
|image4=Climbing World Championships 2018 Boulder Semi Ondra (BT0A8931).jpg
|caption4=Knee bar|alt3=A climber using the knee-bar technique on an indoor climbing wall
|image3=Alexandre Chabot - PuntX 9a - Gorges du Loup.jpg
|caption3=Finger pockets|alt4=A climber using one-finger pockets on an overhanging limestone rock face
}}
* Drop knee (or the 'Egyptian'), allows the climber to stay close to the surface of an overhanging route which in turn allows them to reach higher; the drop knee can put significant stresses on the knee joints from odd angles and can lead to injuries.<ref name=ClimbingTechnique/><ref name=ClimbingTechnique2/>
* Dynamic moves (or 'Dynos'), are where the climber 'jumps' through a sequence of holds, some of which can only hold the climber for an instant (a 'paddle dyno'), to make the next hold.<ref name=ClimbingTechnique2/> Dynos are a major feature of [[competition bouldering]].<ref name=ClimbingTechnique/><ref name=ClimbingTechnique2/> 
* One/two-finger pockets (also called Huecos or mono-holds) are typically found on the detailed surface of limestone routes,<ref name=ClimbingTechnique/> one of the most famous being the 'dyno' to a small two-finger pocket on the historic sport climbing route, ''[[Action Directe (climb)#Route|Action Directe]]''.<ref name=pm>{{cite web |url=http://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/action-directe-wolfgang-gullich-25-year-old-frankenjura-masterpiece.html |title=Action Directe, Wolfgang Güllich's 25-year-old Frankenjura masterpiece |author=Nicholas Hobley |access-date=December 27, 2021 |publisher=Planet Mountain |archive-date=4 October 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241004132502/https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/action-directe-wolfgang-gullich-25-year-old-frankenjura-masterpiece.html |url-status=live }}</ref> 
* Knee-bars created a revolution in climbing as they enabled climbers to gain crucial rests for their arms during the climb;<ref name=ClimbingTechnique/><ref name=ClimbingTechnique2/> its use with artificial knee pads was initially controversial due to concerns of aid but is now generally accepted.<ref>{{cite web | magazine=Gripped Magazine | date=31 December 2020 | accessdate=25 June 2024 | first=Noah | last=Walker | title=Grading: Adam Ondra and Alex Megos on Ethics and Kneepads | url=https://gripped.com/news/rock/grading-ondra-and-megos-on-ethics-and-kneepads/ | archive-date=20 March 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230320152701/https://gripped.com/news/rock/grading-ondra-and-megos-on-ethics-and-kneepads/ | url-status=live }}</ref>
* Side-pulls and underclings, are where the climber pulls inward against a vertical crack or edge for the side-pull, or against a downward-facing horizontal crack or edge for the undercling; a key aspect of the technique is that while the hands are pulling the climber in, the feet are pushing the climber out, in the manner of 'laybacking'.<ref name=ClimbingTechnique/><ref name=ClimbingTechnique3/>
* Gaston (after its creator, [[Gaston Rébuffat]]),<ref name=MasteringBasicSkills/> is an opposite version of a side-pull where the climber is pushing horizontally against the vertical crack or edge, in a similar action to a person prizing open an elevator door; it can place unusual strains on the shoulders which can cause injury.<ref name=ClimbingTechnique3/><ref name=MasteringBasicSkills/>

==Grading==
{{Main|Grade (climbing)}}

Climbing routes in rock climbing are given a grade that reflects the technical difficulty—and in some cases the risks and commitment level—of the route.  The [[first ascent|first ascensionist]] can suggest a grade, but it will be amended to reflect the ''consensus view'' of subsequent ascents, and recorded in online databased or physical [[climbing guidebook|guidebook]]s.  While many countries with a strong tradition of climbing developed their own grading systems, a small number of grading systems have become internationally dominant for each type of climbing, which has contributed to the standardization of grades worldwide.<ref name=CAI>{{cite web <!-- Deny Citation Bot--> | first1=G |last1=Mandelli |first2=A |last2=Angriman | date=2016 | title=Scales of Difficulty in Climbing | publisher=Central School of Mountaineering, [[Club Alpino Italiano]], Italy | url=https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/SCALES-OF-DIFFICULTY-IN-CLIMBING-Mandelli-Angriman/71aa9bf83711bd677aef61b6feec20bbcfc08aaf#related-papers | accessdate=4 May 2023}}</ref>  
{{multiple image
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|image1=Action Directe (Waldkopf).JPG|caption1=''[[Action Directe (climb)|Action Directe]]'' was the [[List of grade milestones in rock climbing#Redpointed by men|first ever]] free climb at the grades of 9a (French), 5.14d (American YDS), XI (UIAA).|alt=Image of the famous climb known as Action Directe, the world's first 9a (French), 5.14d (American YDS), XI (UIAA) graded free climb
|image2=Midnight Lightning yosemite.jpg|caption2=''[[Midnight Lightning (climb)|Midnight Lightning]]'' is one of the most famous boulders in history and the [[List of grade milestones in rock climbing#Solved by men|second-ever]] at the grades of {{boulder grade|V8|alt=Image of the famous boulder known as Midnight Lightning, the world's second-ever V8 graded boulder climb}}.
}}
For free climbing — in both traditional and sport climbing formats — the most dominant worldwide grading systems are the [[Grade (climbing)#French numerical grade|French system]] (e.g. ... 6b, 6c, 7a, 7b, 7c, ...), and the [[Grade (climbing)#American YDS grade|American system]] (e.g. ... 5.9, 5.10a, 5.10b, 5.10c, 5.10d, 5.11a, ...).<ref name=CAI/><ref name=Rockfax/><ref name=AAJ/> The [[Grade (climbing)#UIAA|UIAA system]] (e.g. ... VII, VIII, IX, X, ...) is popular in Germany and central Europe.  Above the lowest grades, these three systems can be [[Grade (climbing)#Comparison free climbing|exactly aligned]] at each level. For example, ''[[Silence (climb)|Silence]]'' is graded 9c (French), 5.15d (American), and XII+ (UIAA).<ref name=CAI/><ref name=Rockfax>{{cite web | website=Rockfax Publishing | url=https://rockfax.com/climbing-guides/grades/ | title=Grade Conversions: Alpine Grading System | accessdate=4 May 2023 | archive-date=4 April 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230404002423/https://rockfax.com/climbing-guides/grades/ | url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=AAJ>{{cite journal | journal=[[American Alpine Journal]] | date=2013 | title=International Grade Comparison Chart | accessdate=1 May 2023 | url=https://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/13201212386/International-Grade-Comparison-Chart | archive-date=1 May 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230501122146/https://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/13201212386/International-Grade-Comparison-Chart | url-status=live }}</ref>

For bouldering, the most dominant worldwide grading systems are the [[Grade (climbing)#Font grade|French Font system]] (e.g. ... 6B, 6C, 7A, 7B, 7C, ...), and the [[Grade (climbing)#V-grade|American V-grade system]] (e.g. ... V5, V6, V7, V8, V9, ...).<ref name=CAI/><ref name=CL80>{{cite web | magazine=[[Climbing (magazine)|Climbing]] | url=https://www.climbing.com/news/10-things-bouldering-grades/?scope=anon | title=10 Things You Didn't Know About Bouldering Grades | date=24 March 2022 | accessdate=1 September 2023 | first=Matt | last=Samet | archive-date=2 September 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230902102849/https://www.climbing.com/news/10-things-bouldering-grades/?scope=anon | url-status=live }}</ref> Above the lowest bouldering grades, the two systems can be [[Grade (climbing)#Comparison bouldering|exactly aligned]] at each level, and are often both quoted.<ref name=CAI/><ref name=CL80/> For example, ''[[Dreamtime (climb)|Dreamtime]]'' is graded 8C (on the Font-grade) and V15 (on the V-grade).<ref name=OUTB>{{cite web |magazine=[[Outside (magazine)|Outside]] |url=https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/climbing/12-great-moments-bouldering-history/ |first=Matt |last=Cote |date=28 September 2017 |access-date=1 July 2022 |title=12 Great Moments in Bouldering History |archive-date=24 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221124205818/https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/climbing/12-great-moments-bouldering-history/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

It is common, particularly at higher grades, for free climbers to describe the hardest (or crux) moves in terms of their bouldering grades. In 2017, [[Adam Ondra]] described the crux of ''[[Silence (climb)|Silence]]'' in the following terms: "Then comes the crux boulder problem, 10 moves of 8C [French boulder]. And when I say 8C boulder problem, I really mean it. ... I reckon just linking 8C [French boulder] into 8B [French boulder] into 7C [French boulder] is a 9b+ [French] sport climb, I'm pretty sure about that".<ref>{{cite web | website=PlanetMountain | date=26 June 2017 | accessdate=2 July 2023 | first=Nicholas | last=Hobley | url=https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/adam-ondra-climbing-towards-the-worlds-first-9c.html | title=Adam Ondra climbing towards the world's first 9c | archive-date=6 April 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230406140839/https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/adam-ondra-climbing-towards-the-worlds-first-9c.html | url-status=live }}</ref>

Following on from this trend, [[Grade (climbing)#Comparison bouldering|comparison tables]] have been produced to align bouldering grades with their equivalent technical free climbing grades, where for example, free climbing grades of {{climbing grade|5.13d}} are generally equated with the bouldering grades of {{boulder grade|V10}}.<ref name=CAI/>

===Evolution of grade milestones===
{{Main|List of grade milestones in rock climbing}}

The history of rock climbing is closely related to the evolution of [[List of grade milestones in rock climbing|grade milestones]] which have consistently risen as a result of ever-improving climbing techniques and equipment.  Grade milestones are chronicled for various types of rock climbing, and are often split by gender.<ref name=GRMile>{{cite web | magazine=Gripped Magazine (Canada) | url=https://gripped.com/profiles/10-climbing-grade-milestones-since-1961/ | title=10 Climbing Grade Milestones Since 1961 | date=2 February 2024 | accessdate=28 September 2024 | first=Aaron | last=Pardy | archive-date=4 October 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241004132539/https://gripped.com/profiles/10-climbing-grade-milestones-since-1961/ | url-status=live }}</ref> An interesting development in modern rock climbing is that the highest female grade milestones are only one or two levels below the highest male grade milestones in all climbing types, a situation that some scientists have attributed to an evolutionary origin.<ref name=RW>{{cite journal | journal=Current Research in Physiology | publisher=[[Elsevier]] | first=Collin | last=Carroll | title=Female excellence in rock climbing likely has an evolutionary origin | volume=4 | date=2021 | pages=39–46 | doi=10.1016/j.crphys.2021.01.004 | pmid=34746825 | pmc=8562198 }}</ref><ref name=CLW2>{{cite web | magazine=[[Climbing (magazine)|Climbing]] | url=https://www.climbing.com/news/ladies-climbing-hard-is-in-your-dna/ | title=Why Women Can Climb As Hard As Men | first=Corey | last=Buhay | date=25 June 2021 | accessdate=29 September 2024 | archive-date=10 December 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221210084420/https://www.climbing.com/news/ladies-climbing-hard-is-in-your-dna/ | url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=WPRock/>

As of August 2025, the following milestones are recognized (only the first person(s) to achieve the milestone is shown):
[[File:Adam Ondra climbing Silence 9c by PAVEL BLAZEK 2.jpg|thumb|''[[Silence (climb)|Silence]]'' is 9c (French), 5.15d (American YDS), and XII+ (UIAA)|alt=Czeh climber Adam Ondra on the climb known as Silence, the world's first 9c (French), 5.15d (American YDS), and XII+ (UIAA) graded lead climb]]
* For single-pitch climbing:
:* Hardest lead sport climbing redpoint:
::* For men: {{climbing grade|9c}}, the first being [[Adam Ondra]] in 2017 on ''Silence''.<ref>{{cite web | website=[[Guinness World Records]] | url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/691284-hardest-climbing-route | title=Hardest route climbed | date=28 September 2024 | accessdate=28 September 2024 | archive-date=4 October 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241004132452/https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/691284-hardest-climbing-route | url-status=live }}</ref>
::* For women: {{climbing grade|9b+}}, the first and only being [[Brooke Raboutou]] in 2025 on ''Excalibur''.<ref>{{cite web | magazine=[[Climbing (magazine)|Climbing]] | url=https://www.climbing.com/news/brooke-raboutou-becomes-first-woman-climb-5-15c/ | title=Brooke Raboutou Solves 'Excalibur,' Becoming First Woman to Climb 5.15c | first=Owen | last=Clarke | date=11 April 2025 | accessdate=15 June 2025}}</ref><ref name=WPRock>{{cite web | newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/2025/05/05/brooke-raboutou-janja-garnbret-excalibur/ | title=The gender gap has narrowed in climbing. These women have closed it. | date=5 May 2025 | accessdate=15 June 2025 | first=Roman | last=Stubbs}}</ref>
:* Hardest lead sport climbing onsight/flash: 
::* For men: {{climbing grade|9a+}}, the first and only being [[Adam Ondra]] in 2018 on ''SuperCrackinette'' (flash).<ref>{{cite web | website=[[Guinness World Records]] | url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/691322-hardest-flash-ascent | title=Hardest flash ascent | date=28 September 2024 | accessdate=28 September 2024 | archive-date=4 October 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241004132848/https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/691322-hardest-flash-ascent | url-status=live }}</ref> 
::* For women: {{climbing grade|8c+}}, the first and only being [[Laura Rogora]] in 2025 on ''Ultimate Sacrifice'' (onsight).<ref>{{cite web | title=Laura Rogora claims historic first female 8c+ onsight, 'Ultimate Sacrifice' at the Gorges du Loup | date= July 2025 | website=PlanetMountain | accessdate=24 August 2025 | url=https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/laura-rogora-claims-historic-first-female-8c-plus-onsight-ultimate-sacrifice-gorges-du-loup.html}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=Two-time Olympic Climber Laura Rogora Achieves Hardest Female Onsight Ever | date=1 August 2025 | url=https://www.climbing.com/news/two-time-olympic-climber-laura-rogora-achieves-hardest-female-onsight-ever/ | first=Maya | last=Silver | accessdate=24 August 2025}}</ref>
:* Hardest lead traditional climbing redpoint:
::* For men: {{climbing grade|9a}}, the first being [[Jacopo Larcher]] in 2019 on ''Tribe''.<ref>{{cite web | website=[[Guinness World Records]] | url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/691955-hardest-traditional-climb | title=Hardest traditional climb | date=28 September 2024 | accessdate=28 September 2024 | archive-date=4 October 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241004132847/https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/691955-hardest-traditional-climb | url-status=live }}</ref>
::* For women: {{climbing grade|8c+}}, the first being [[Beth Rodden]] in 2008 on '' Meltdown''.<ref>{{cite web | website=[[Guinness World Records]] | url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/691906-hardest-traditional-climb-female | title=Hardest traditional climb (female) | date=28 September 2024 | accessdate=28 September 2024 | archive-date=4 October 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241004132848/https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/691906-hardest-traditional-climb-female | url-status=live }}</ref>
:* Hardest free solo for men: {{climbing grade|8c}}, the first and only being [[Alfredo Webber]] in 2021 on ''Panem et Circenses''.<ref name=GuinnessWR>{{cite web | website=[[Guinness World Records]] | url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/691328-hardest-route-climbed-free-solo | title=Hardest route climbed (free solo) | date=28 September 2024 | accessdate=28 September 2024 | archive-date=1 July 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230701091815/https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/691328-hardest-route-climbed-free-solo | url-status=live }}</ref>

* For multi-pitch (and big wall) climbing:
:* Hardest lead sport climbing redpoint: 
::* For men: {{climbing grade|9a}}, the first being [[Tommy Caldwell]] and [[Kevin Jorgeson]] in 2015 on ''The Dawn Wall''.<ref>{{cite web | magazine=[[National Geographic]] | title=Duo Completes First Free Climb of Yosemite's Dawn Wall, Making History | url=https://www.outsideonline.com/gallery/making-history-dawn-wall/ | date=17 May 2017 | accessdate=2 October 2024 | author=((The Editors)) | archive-date=8 December 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221208003809/https://www.outsideonline.com/gallery/making-history-dawn-wall/ | url-status=live }}</ref>
::* For women: {{climbing grade|8c}}, the first being [[Sasha DiGiulian]], [[Brette Harrington]], and {{ill|Matilda Söderlund|de}} in 2022 on ''Rayu''.<ref>{{cite web | magazine=[[National Geographic]] | title=Bleeding Fingers, Hailstorms, and 2,000 Vertical Feet: How Three Women Set a Big-Wall Climbing Record | url=https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/climbing/hardest-big-wall-climb-women-team/ | date=8 December 2022 | accessdate=2 October 2024 | author=((The Editors)) | archive-date=3 February 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230203063958/https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/climbing/hardest-big-wall-climb-women-team/ | url-status=live }}</ref>
:* Hardest free solo for men: {{climbing grade|7c+}}, the first and only being [[Alex Honnold]] in 2017 on ''Freerider''.<ref name=GuinnessWR/><ref>{{cite web | website=[[Guinness World Records]] | url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/595235-first-free-solo-climb-of-el-capitan | title=First free solo climbing of El Capitan | date=28 September 2024 | accessdate=28 September 2024 | archive-date=16 April 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240416125521/https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/595235-first-free-solo-climb-of-el-capitan | url-status=live }}</ref>

* For bouldering:
::* For men: {{boulder grade|9A}}, the first being [[Nalle Hukkataival]] in 2016 on ''[[Burden of Dreams (climb)|Burden of Dreams]]''.<ref>{{cite web | website=[[Guinness World Records]] | url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/691471-hardest-bouldering-problems | title=Hardest bouldering problem climbed | date=28 September 2024 | accessdate=28 September 2024 | archive-date=4 October 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241004132850/https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/691471-hardest-bouldering-problems | url-status=live }}</ref>
::* For women: {{boulder grade|8C+}}, the first and only being [[Katie Lamb]] in 2025 on ''The Dark Side''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pardy |first=Aaron |date=2025-04-30 |title=Katie Lamb Makes History (Again) with V16 Ascent |url=https://gripped.com/profiles/katie-lamb-makes-history-again-with-v16-ascent/ |access-date=2025-06-09 |website=Gripped Magazine |language=en-US}}</ref>

==History and development==
{{Main|History of rock climbing}}

===Origins and rise of free climbing===

[[File:Napes Needle.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|[[Napes Needle]], on the [[Great Gable]] in the [[Lake District]] in England, was first climbed by [[Walter Parry Haskett Smith|W. P. Haskett Smith]] in 1886; an act that is considered to be the start of the modern ''sport'' of rock climbing.<ref name=Origin>{{cite journal | title=The Origin and Early Evolution of Rock Climbing | date=9 August 2021 | first1=Beifeng | last1=Zhu | first2=Ruizhi | last2=Chen | first3=Yuan | last3=Li | doi=10.2991/assehr.k.210806.124 | publisher=Atlantis Press | journal=Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research | series=Proceedings of the 2021 5th International Seminar on Education, Management and Social Sciences (ISEMSS 2021) | pages=662–667 | volume=571 | isbn=978-94-6239-414-8 | url=https://www.atlantis-press.com/proceedings/isemss-21/125959751 | doi-access=free | access-date=2 October 2024 | archive-date=6 June 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240606054404/https://www.atlantis-press.com/proceedings/isemss-21/125959751 | url-status=live }}</ref>|alt=Image of Napes Needle in the British Lake District, which Walter Parry Haskett Smith's 1886 climb is considered to be the birth of modern rock climbing]]

In the [[history of rock climbing]], the three main sub-disciplines — bouldering, single-pitch climbing, and big wall climbing — trace their origins to late 19th-century Europe.<ref name=Origin/>  Bouldering started in [[Fontainebleau rock climbing|Fontainebleau]], and was pioneered by [[Pierre Allain]] in the 1930s, and [[John Gill (climber)|John Gill]] in the 1950s.<ref name=Origin/><ref name=NatGeo/>  Big wall climbing started in the [[Dolomites]], and spread across the Alps in the 1930s led by [[Emilio Comici]] and [[Riccardo Cassin]], and in the 1950s by [[Walter Bonatti]], before reaching [[Yosemite]] where it was led in the 1950s to 1970s by [[Royal Robbins]].<ref name=Origin/><ref name=OutsideUSA/><ref name="bigwalls">{{cite journal|last=Middendorf|first=John|author-link=John Middendorf|url=http://www.bigwalls.net/climb/mechadv/index.html|title=The Mechanical Advantage: Tools for the Wild Vertical|journal=Ascent|year=1999|access-date=21 December 2022|publisher=[[Sierra Club]]|pages=149–173|archive-date=31 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190331204520/http://www.bigwalls.net/climb/mechadv/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref>  Single-pitch climbing started pre-1900 in both the [[Lake District]] and in [[Saxon Switzerland climbing region|Saxony]],<ref name=Origin/> and by the 1970s had spread globally led by climbers such as [[Ron Fawcett]] (Britain), [[Bernd Arnold]] (Germany), [[Patrick Berhault]] (France), [[Ron Kauk]] and [[John Bachar]] (USA).<ref name=SC4/>

As it uses no [[aid climbing|artificial aid]] or [[climbing protection]], bouldering has remained consistent since its origins.<ref name=NatGeo/> Single-pitch climbing stopped using artificial aid in the early 20th century, led by [[Paul Preuss (climber)|Paul Preuss]],<ref name=NatGeo/> and later by [[Kurt Albert]], in so-called "[[free climbing]]",<ref name=SC4/> however, it would not be until the late 1960s and early 1970s that Robbins and [[Yvon Chouinard]] would bring free-climbing to big-walls.<ref name=OutsideUSA/> Mechanical devices that provided [[climbing protection]] only (i.e. they provided no aid in ascending), were needed for single-pitch and big-wall free climbing, and they were inserted into the route while the climber was ascending, which came to be called "traditional climbing".<ref name=SC4/>

===Impact of sport climbing===

During the late 1970s and early 1980s, French pioneers like [[Patrick Edlinger]] wanted to climb rock faces in [[Buoux]] and [[Verdon Gorge|Verdon]] that had no cracks in which to insert traditional climbing protection.<ref name=SC4/>  They pre-drilled [[Bolt (climbing)|bolts]] into routes as climbing protection (but not as artificial aid to help upward momentum), which became known as "sport climbing".<ref name=SC4>{{cite book|title=Sport Climbing: From Toprope to Redpoint, Techniques for Climbing Success|author=Andrew Bisharat|date=6 October 2009| publisher=[[Mountaineers Books]] | isbn=978-1594852701| chapter=Chapter 1: Ethics, Style and the Emergence of Sport Climbing | pages=21–36}}</ref>  The safer format of sport climbing led to a dramatic increase in climbing standards, [[Grade (climbing)|technical grades]], and training tools (e.g. artificial [[climbing wall]]s and [[campus board]]s),<ref name=ClimbingGymHistory/> the development of [[Climbing competition|competition climbing]] (initially dominated in the 1990s by French climbers such as [[François Legrand (climber)|François Legrand]]),<ref name=BMC1/> and the arrival of the "professional" rock climber.<ref name=SC4/>

By the end of the 20th century, the hardest sport climbs were often combinations of 'bouldering moves', and some of the best challenges lay in free climbing extreme big walls; this led to greater cross-over amongst the three sub-disciplines.<ref name=SC4/> Pioneers such as [[Wolfgang Güllich]], [[Jerry Moffatt]], [[Alexander Huber]], [[Fred Nicole]], [[Chris Sharma]], [[Adam Ondra]], and [[Tommy Caldwell]] set records in several of these disciplines.<ref name=SC4/>  Güllich and Huber made ever-bolder [[List of grade milestones in rock climbing#Free-solo by men|single-pitch free solo climbs]], while Sharma [[List of grade milestones in rock climbing#Deep-water solo routes|pushed standards]] in deep-water soloing;<ref name=SC4/> [[Alex Honnold]]'s big wall free soloing became the [[91st Academy Awards|Oscar-winning]] film, ''[[Free Solo]]''.<ref name=NatGeo/>  In 2016, the [[International Olympic Committee|IOC]] announced competition climbing would be a medal event in the [[2020 Summer Olympics]].<ref name=NatGeo/>

===Women in rock climbing===

Female rock climbing developed later in the 20th century but by the 1980s, climbers such as [[Lynn Hill]] and [[Catherine Destivelle]] were closing the gap to the technical grades that the leading men were climbing.<ref name=CLW/>  In 1993, Hill made the first free ascent of ''[[The Nose (El Capitan)|The Nose]]'' on [[El Capitan]], one of the most sought-after big wall climbing prizes that had resisted all prior attempts.<ref name=OutsideUSA/><ref name=CLW/> By the 21st century, [[Josune Bereziartu]], [[Angela Eiter]] and [[Ashima Shiraishi]], had closed the gap to the highest sport and boulder climbing grades achieved by men to within one-two notches;<ref name=CLW2/><ref name=NGW>{{cite web | magazine=[[National Geographic]] | url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/article/american-woman-reaches-a-new-milestone-in-rock-climbing | title=American Woman Reaches a New Milestone in Rock Climbing | first=Andrew | last=Bisharat | date=1 March 2017 | accessdate=29 September 2024 | archive-date=4 January 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220104202217/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/article/american-woman-reaches-a-new-milestone-in-rock-climbing | url-status=live }}</ref> [[Beth Rodden]] fully closed the gap for traditional climbing grades by freeing ''Meltdown'', and [[Janja Garnbret]] became the most successful competition climber in [[Ranking of career IFSC victories by climber|history]].<ref name=CLW>{{cite web | magazine=[[Climbing (magazine)|Climbing]] | url=https://www.climbing.com/people/consolidated-history-womens-climbing-achievements/ | title=A Consolidated History of Women's Climbing Achievements | first=Meghan | last=Walsh | date=17 November 2022 | accessdate=29 September 2024 | archive-date=2 October 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221002193703/https://www.climbing.com/people/consolidated-history-womens-climbing-achievements/ | url-status=live }}</ref>

==Ethics==

There have been many debates in rock climbing on "ethical issues", particularly around what is fair sporting conduct (e.g. the use of aid or "fair means" climbing, the use of bolts in sport climbing, and the use of "chipping" to manufacture holds), and what is appropriate for the protection of the environment (e.g. the switch to clean aid "hammerless" climbing and the greater awareness of the adverse effect of climbing on the environment).<ref>{{cite journal | journal=[[Northwest Mountaineering Journal]] | title=Rock Climbing Ethics: A Historical Perspective (Part 1 Fair Means, Clean Climbing) | first=Matt | last=Perkins | url=http://www.alpenglow.org/nwmj/05/051_Ethics.html | accessdate=27 September 2024 | issue=2 | date=2005 | archive-date=21 May 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240521012703/http://www.alpenglow.org/nwmj/05/051_Ethics.html | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | journal=[[Northwest Mountaineering Journal]] | title=Rock Climbing Ethics: A Historical Perspective (Part 2 Sport Climbing, Bolt Wars, Chipping) | first=Matt | last=Perkins | url=http://www.alpenglow.org/nwmj/05/051_Ethics2.html | accessdate=27 September 2024 | issue=2 | date=2005 | archive-date=11 December 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231211113214/http://www.alpenglow.org/nwmj/05/051_Ethics2.html | url-status=live }}</ref>

===Use of aid for progression ("fair means")===

One of the earliest ethical debates in rock climbing was around the transition from aid climbing to free climbing.<ref name=NatGeo/> In 1911, Austrian climber [[Paul Preuss (climber)|Paul Preuss]] started what became known as the [[Paul Preuss (climber)#Mauerhakenstreit (piton dispute)|''Mauerhakenstreit'']] (or "[[piton]] dispute"), by advocating for a transition to "free climbing" via a series of essays and articles in the ''[[German Alpine Club|German Alpine Journal]]'' where he defined "[[Aid climbing|artificial aid]]" and proposed 6 rules of free climbing including the important rule 4: "The piton is an emergency aid and not the basis of a system of mountaineering".<ref name=NatGeo/><ref name="bigwalls"/> In 1913, German climber [[Rudolf Fehrmann]] published the second edition of ''Der Bergsteiger in der Sächsischen Schweiz'' (or ''The Climber in [[Saxon Switzerland]]''), which included the first binding rules [[Saxon Switzerland climbing region#Saxon Climbing Regulations|for climbing in the area]] to protect the soft sandstone rock. The rules said that only natural holds were allowed, and these "rules for free climbing" are in still use today.<ref name=Origin/>

===Clean aid climbing ("hammerless climbing")===
[[File:Gunks Traps - Pitons on Shockley's Ceiling - 2.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|Hammered in [[piton]]|alt=Image of a metal piton that has been hammered into a natural rock face]]
The arrival of steel [[piton]]s after World War 2, ushered in a golden age of big wall aid climbing on the granite cracks of Yosemite (the cracks were then too difficult to be free-climbed).<ref name=OutsideUSA/><ref name=NG>{{cite web | magazine=[[National Geographic]] | title=Rock climbing: from ancient practice to Olympic sport | first=Freddie | last=Wilkinson | date=14 March 2019 | accessdate=25 May 2023 | url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/article/rock-climbing| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210327100131/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/article/rock-climbing| url-status=dead| archive-date=March 27, 2021}}</ref>  In 1958, a team led by [[Warren Harding (climber)|Warren Harding]] made the coveted first ascent of ''[[The Nose (El Capitan)|The Nose]]'' on [[El Capitan]] hammering in 600 pitons and 125 bolts into the route over 47 days; while the ascent got worldwide recognition it was controversial due to the excessive use of aid.<ref name=OutsideUSA/><ref>{{cite web | magazine=[[Climbing (magazine)|Climbing]] | url=https://www.climbing.com/people/royal-robbins-the-kingpin-of-yosemites-golden-age/ | title=Royal Robbins: The Kingpin of Yosemite's Golden Age | date=21 March 2017 | access-date=4 December 2022 | first=Chris | last=Van Leuven | archive-date=4 October 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241004133009/https://www.climbing.com/people/royal-robbins-the-kingpin-of-yosemites-golden-age/ | url-status=live }}</ref>  A famous 1972 essay by big wall pioneers [[Yvon Chouinard]] and [[Tom Frost]], called for and end to hammer (and piton) intensive aid climbing and a switch to hammerless "[[clean climbing]]", which was adopted.<ref>{{cite web | magazine=[[Alpinist (magazine)|Alpinist]] | url=http://www.alpinist.com/doc/web23w/wfeature-a81-sharp-end-balancing-between-safety-and-boldness | title=Between safety and boldness | date=10 March 2023 | first=Derek | last=Franz | accessdate=25 May 2023 | archive-date=27 May 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230527122445/http://www.alpinist.com/doc/web23w/wfeature-a81-sharp-end-balancing-between-safety-and-boldness | url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=HU2>{{cite book | date=2019 | title=Hooking Up – The Ultimate Big Wall and Aid Climbing Manual | edition=1st | isbn= 978-8885475809 | publisher=Versante Sud  | first1=Fabio | last1=Elli | first2=Peter | last2=Zabrok | chapter=Chapter 2. A Brief History of Aid Climbing | pages=25–52}}</ref>

===Use of bolts for protection ("sport climbing")===
[[File:Setaki.JPG|thumb|upright=0.8|[[Bolt (climbing)|Bolt]] and [[quickdraw]]|alt=Image of a climbing bolt that is attached to a quickdraw]]
Since the introduction of bolted sport-climbing in the 1980s, there has been a debate in the climbing world on their use in providing protection (sport climbing bolts do not provide any aid in upward momentum),<ref name=SC2/> as they can alter the challenge and risk of a climbing route.<ref name=ALP/> A famous essay from 1971 by Italian mountaineer [[Reinhold Messner]] called ''The Murder of the Impossible'' (which was believed to have been inspired by the 400-bolt ''[[Compressor Route]]''), challenged that the use of bolted protection was diminishing the nature of mountaineering, saying of such climbers: "he carries his courage in his rucksack, in the form of bolts and equipment".<ref name=ALP>{{cite magazine | magazine=[[Alpinist (magazine)|Alpinist]] | url=http://www.alpinist.com/doc/web23w/wfeature-a81-sharp-end-balancing-between-safety-and-boldness | date=10 March 2023 | access-date=26 August 2023 | first=Derek | last=Franz | title=Between safety and boldness | volume=81 | archive-date=28 September 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928043457/http://www.alpinist.com/doc/web23w/wfeature-a81-sharp-end-balancing-between-safety-and-boldness | url-status=live }}</ref>

During the 1980s and 1990s in the US, this debate became so heated that it was known as the "bolt wars", with climbers [[Glossary of climbing terms#bolt chopping|bolt chopping]] (i.e. removing in-situ protection) on routes they considered to be traditional-only routes (i.e. no in-situ protection). Bolt chopping still goes on today, however, many climbing areas, with the assistance and support of regulatory bodies, have introduced formal policies regarding bolt use.<ref name=SC2>{{cite book|title=Sport Climbing: From Toprope to Redpoint, Techniques for Climbing Success|author=Andrew Bisharat|date=6 October 2009|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MI8TCgAAQBAJ&q=climbing+deadpoint+dyno&pg=PT73|publisher=[[Mountaineers Books]]|isbn=978-1594852701|access-date=23 August 2023|chapter=Chapter 1: Ethics, Style and the Emergence of Sport Climbing|quote=Bolt Wars|pages=31–34|archive-date=4 October 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241004131832/https://books.google.com/books?id=MI8TCgAAQBAJ&q=climbing+deadpoint+dyno&pg=PT73#v=snippet&q=climbing%20deadpoint%20dyno&f=false|url-status=live}}</ref>

The debate also extends to the issue of [[retro-bolting]] traditional-climbing routes by installing fixed bolts to make them into safer sport-climbing routes,<ref>{{cite web | website=[[Climbing (magazine)|Climbing]] | url=https://www.climbing.com/news/opinion-not-reto-bolting-is-irresponsible-a-doctor-sounds-off/ | title=Opinion: Not Retro-Bolting Is Irresponsible. A Doctor Sounds Off. | date=26 October 2022 | access-date=1 March 2023 | first=Sam | last=Miller | archive-date=4 December 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221204190934/https://www.climbing.com/news/opinion-not-reto-bolting-is-irresponsible-a-doctor-sounds-off/ | url-status=live }}</ref> but which then alters the challenge of the route.<ref>{{cite web | website=[[Climbing (magazine)|Climbing]] | url=https://www.climbing.com/places/32-climbing-experiences-inform-bolting-decisions/ | title=Should We Really Retro-bolt That Dangerous Classic? | date=18 July 2023 | access-date=12 September 2023 | first=Steve | last=Bordeau | archive-date=3 August 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230803143453/https://www.climbing.com/places/32-climbing-experiences-inform-bolting-decisions/ | url-status=live }}</ref> Some traditional climbers began to '[[greenpoint (climbing)|greenpoint]]' established sport climbing routes by chopping their in-situ bolts and re-climbing using traditional protection.  Notable examples include [[Sonnie Trotter]]'s 'greenpoint' of ''The Path'' at [[Lake Louise (Alberta)|Lake Louise]].<ref>{{cite web | website=PlanetMountain | url=https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/sonnie-trotter-finds-the-path-514-r-at-lake-louise-alberta-canada.html | title=Sonnie Trotter finds The Path 5.14 R at Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada | date=23 August 2007 | accessdate=8 February 2023 | archive-date=8 February 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230208235256/https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/sonnie-trotter-finds-the-path-514-r-at-lake-louise-alberta-canada.html | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Lambert|first=Erik|date=31 August 2007|title=Trotter Chops Bolts, Sends Marathon Project|url=http://www.alpinist.com/doc/ALP20/newswire-trotter-path-bolt-chop|access-date=8 February 2023|magazine=[[Alpinist (magazine)|Alpinist]]|archive-date=8 February 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230208233826/http://www.alpinist.com/doc/ALP20/newswire-trotter-path-bolt-chop|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Manufacturing of holds on routes ("chipping")===

Some climbers have physically altered the rock surface to "construct" a route (or make a route more climbable), by cutting or expanding handholds,<ref>{{cite web | magazine=[[Climbing (magazine)|Climbing]] | url=https://www.climbing.com/places/leslie-gulchs-controversial-route-building-laboratory/ | title=Leslie Gulch's Controversial Route-Building Laboratory | first=Brad | last=Heller | date=27 December 2016 | access-date=26 August 2023 | archive-date=12 October 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221012174808/https://www.climbing.com/places/leslie-gulchs-controversial-route-building-laboratory/ | url-status=live }}</ref> which is known as [[chipping (climbing)|chipping]].<ref name=CL4>{{cite web | magazine=[[Climbing (magazine)|Climbing]] | url=https://www.climbing.com/places/survey-chipping-holds-rock-climbs/ | title=Where's the Line Between Chipping and Cleaning on Routes? | first=Stefani | last=Dawn | date=6 June 2022 | access-date=26 August 2023 | archive-date=4 October 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241004133353/https://www.climbing.com/places/survey-chipping-holds-rock-climbs/ | url-status=live }}</ref>  Such acts have at times caused controversy (e.g. [[Fred Rouhling]]'s ''[[Akira (climb)|Akira]]'' and ''[[Hugh (climb)|Hugh]]''), but at other times has not (e.g. famous routes such as {{ill|Antoine Le Menestrel|fr}}'s ''La Rose et la Vampire'', [[Jean-Baptiste Tribout]]'s ''Superplafond'', and [[Ray Jardine]]'s ''The Phoenix'').<ref name=PW>{{cite web | magazine=[[Climbing (magazine)|Climbing]] | url=https://www.climbing.com/people/fred-rouhling/ | title=The Other Side of Fred Rouhling | first=Pete | last=Ward | date=2004 | access-date=22 June 2022 | archive-date=22 June 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220622205227/https://www.climbing.com/people/fred-rouhling/ | url-status=live }}</ref> The free climb of one of the most famous big-wall routes in history, ''The Nose'' on El Capitan, relies on a "manufactured" [[traverse (climbing)|traverse]] that was chipped out of the granite rock by Ray Jardine (and is called "Jardine's Traverse").<ref>{{cite book | title=On the Nose: A Lifelong Obsession with Yosemite's Most Iconic Climb | first1=Hans |last1=Florine | first2=Jayme|last2=Moye | author-link=Hans Florine| date=September 2016 | page=79| isbn= 978-1493024988 | publisher=Falcon Guides}}</ref>  A 2022 survey by ''[[Climbing (magazine)|Climbing]]'' showed climbers were largely against manufacturing routes on natural outdoor rock on public lands, but were less negative on private lands (or on routes in quarries); they were willing to allow "cleaning" of routes (which some consider manufacturing), and also the repairing of routes (e.g. gluing back broken holds).<ref name=CL4/>

=== Effect of climbing on the environment ===

The popularity of outdoor rock climbing has led to several debates on its environmental impact. Rock climbers' extensive use of chalk has come under scrutiny, both for concerns around its mining,<ref>{{cite web | magazine=[[Climbing (magazine)|Climbing]] | url=https://www.climbing.com/gear/the-hidden-environmental-cost-of-climbing-chalk/ | date=17 January 2024 | first=Bradley | last=Alf | title=The Hidden Environmental Impact of Climbing Chalk | accessdate=27 September 2024 | archive-date=2 December 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221202105329/https://www.climbing.com/gear/the-hidden-environmental-cost-of-climbing-chalk/ | url-status=live }}</ref> and its potential toxicity and unsightly bright white color.<ref name=NG54>{{cite web | newspaper=[[National Geographic]] | url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/rock-climbing-is-more-popular-than-ever-is-that-a-good-thing | first=Jackie | last=Shaw| date=23 July 2021 | title=Rock climbing is getting more popular—and that concerns conservationists| accessdate=27 September 2024}}</ref> Rock climbing has been restricted and even prohibited in areas due to concerns about its impact on sensitive breeding wildlife grounds and delicate fauna, and incidences of damage or vandalism to the physical rock and cultural sites.<ref name=GUAR54>{{cite web | newspaper=[[The Guardian]] | url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/nov/25/rock-climbing-damage-cliff-ecosystems-aoe | first=Jack | last=McGowan | date=25 November 2023 | title=Rock climbers like to connect with nature – but are they also destroying it? | accessdate=27 September 2024 | archive-date=4 October 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241004133454/https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/nov/25/rock-climbing-damage-cliff-ecosystems-aoe | url-status=live }}</ref>  A notable example is in [[Hueco Tanks]], one of the most important bouldering locations in the world (and where the V-grading system was invented), where climbing is controlled and limited by park rangers to avoid damage to important cultural sites.<ref>{{cite web | newspaper=[[The New York Times]] | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/14/sports/othersports/14boulder.html | title=A Boulder-Climbing Paradise, Where Sacredness Meets Sport | date=13 April 2009 | accessdate=27 September 2024 | first=Michael | last=Brick | archive-date=22 December 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221222041505/https://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/14/sports/othersports/14boulder.html | url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Evolving equipment and technology ===
[[File:Hueco Tanks - Schwerer Gustav - V11.webm|thumb|Climber using [[knee pad (climbing)|knee pads]] to execute a knee-bar on a boulder.|alt=Video of a climber using knee-pads to execute a knee-bar move on a boudlder.]] 
Many developments in rock-climbing equipment such as the introduction of advanced rubber-soled shoes or the use of climbing chalk were met with concerns that they gave unfair aid to the climber.  The most recent equipment debate concerned the use of [[knee pad (climbing)|knee pads]] which enable the climber to use the 'knee-bar' technique to take rests on the climb.<ref name=GRKnee>{{Cite web | website=Gripped Magazine (Canada) | first=Noah | last=Walker | date=31 December 2020 | title=Grading: Adam Ondra and Alex Megos on Ethics and Kneepads | url=https://gripped.com/news/rock/grading-ondra-and-megos-on-ethics-and-kneepads/ | accessdate=1 October 2024 | archive-date=20 March 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230320152701/https://gripped.com/news/rock/grading-ondra-and-megos-on-ethics-and-kneepads/ | url-status=live }}</ref>  In some cases, the use of such 'knee-bars' (facilitated by knee pads) has reduced the technical grade or difficulty of a route (e.g. ''[[Hubble (climb)|Hubble]]'' in Britain).<ref>{{Cite web | website=LACrux | author=((The Editors)) | url=https://www.lacrux.com/en/klettern/kneepads-change-the-level-of-difficulty-when-climbing%2C-that%27s-what-the-pros-say/ | date=14 January 2021 | accessdate=1 October 2024 | title=Do Kneepads change the level of difficulty when climbing? That's what the pros say | archive-date=28 February 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240228091211/https://www.lacrux.com/en/klettern/kneepads-change-the-level-of-difficulty-when-climbing%2C-that%27s-what-the-pros-say/ | url-status=live }}</ref> In 2021, Czech climber [[Adam Ondra]] wrote that knee pads are no different to the introduction of rubber shoes or climbing chalk and that the changes in the grade are unfortunate from a historical perspective but they are inevitable.<ref>{{cite web | website=AdamOndra.com | url=https://www.adamondra.com/climbing-ethics/ | date=21 October 2021 | accessdate=1 October 2024 | title=Climbing Ethics | archive-date=23 April 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240423203852/https://www.adamondra.com/climbing-ethics/ | url-status=live }}</ref>

==Health==

===Positive aspects===
Rock climbing has been associated with various health benefits, including improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness, muscle strength, and balance. Research has also reported potential mental health benefits,<ref>{{cite web | magazine=[[Climbing (magazine)|Climbing]] | date=31 July 2021 | first=Katie |last=Lambert | url= https://www.climbing.com/news/mental-health-benefits-of-climbing/ | title=The Mental Health Benefits of Climbing | accessdate=4 October 2024}}</ref> such as enhanced memory and problem-solving, reduced symptoms of depression,<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Larsson |first1=Robin |last2=Larsson |first2=Anette |last3=Nordeman |first3=Lena |date=2025-09-23 |title=Effectiveness of indoor rock climbing and bouldering as treatment for depression – a systematic review |journal=BMC Psychiatry |language=en |volume=25 |issue=1 |article-number=858 |doi=10.1186/s12888-025-07292-3 |doi-access=free |issn=1471-244X |pmc=12459035 |pmid=40988014}}</ref> improved communication and social integration skills, and increased self-confidence.<ref>{{cite web | magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] | url=https://time.com/6256185/rock-climbing-health-benefits/ | first=Angela | last=Haupt | title=Rock Climbing Is a Thrill. It's Also Really Good for You| date=16 February 2023 | accessdate=4 October 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | magazine=[[CNN News]] | date=5 May 2022 | first=Melanie |last=Radzicki McManus | url=https://edition.cnn.com/2022/05/05/health/rock-climbing-benefits-wellness/index.html | title=Rock climbing brings unexpected benefits | accessdate=4 October 2024}}</ref>

The awareness of mental health benefits from rock climbing has led to the emergence of "[[therapeutic climbing]]" (TC),<ref>{{cite journal | journal=[[International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health]] | title=The Origin, Application and Mechanism of Therapeutic Climbing: A Narrative Review | doi=10.3390/ijerph19159696 | date=August 2022 | volume=19 | issue=15 | author1=Sheng Liu | author2=Xiaoqin Gong | author3=Hanping Li | author4=Yuan Li| page=9696 | doi-access=free | pmid=35955052 | pmc=9367706 }}</ref> particularly indoor bouldering because of its relative ease and safety for beginners.<ref>{{cite web | magazine=[[Climbing (magazine)|Climbing]] | date=8 February 2022 | first=Ula | last=Chrobak | url= https://www.climbing.com/skills/climbing-as-a-form-of-therapy/ | title=Why Experts Are Exploring Climbing as a Form of Therapy| accessdate=4 October 2024}}</ref> A 2023 review in the academic journal ''[[PM&R (journal)|PM&R]]'' reported positive effects of TC in various patient groups and concluded that it is a safe and effective approach for improving physical, mental, and social well-being.<ref>{{cite journal |journal=[[PM&R (journal)|PM&R]] | title=The Therapeutic Effects of Climbing: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis | date=28 August 2022 | doi=10.1002/pmrj.12891 |  url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/363062649 | volume=15 |issue=11 | author1=Gassner, Lucia| author2=Dabnichki, Peter| author3=Langer, Agnes| author4=Pokan, Rochus| author5=Zach, Heidemarie| author6=Ludwig, Michaela| author7=Santer, Agnes| pages=1194–1209 | pmid=36031691 |accessdate=4 October 2024}}</ref> Some additional studies have suggested that TC may even be comparable in effectiveness to [[cognitive behavioral therapy]] for treating depression.<ref>{{cite web | newspaper=[[The Guardian]] | first=Theo | last=Zenou | date=8 April 2022 | accessdate=4 October 2024 | url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/apr/08/my-head-was-completely-free-the-rise-of-climbing-as-therapy | title='My head was completely free': the rise of climbing as therapy}}</ref> A 2025 systematic review reported that indoor bouldering combined with mindfulness exercises may be an effective, safe, and sustainable adjunctive intervention for adults with moderate depression, although superiority over other established treatments could not be demonstrated.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Larsson |first1=Robin |last2=Larsson |first2=Anette |last3=Nordeman |first3=Lena |date=2025-09-23 |title=Effectiveness of indoor rock climbing and bouldering as treatment for depression – a systematic review |journal=BMC Psychiatry |language=en |volume=25 |issue=1 |article-number=858 |doi=10.1186/s12888-025-07292-3 |doi-access=free |issn=1471-244X |pmc=12459035 |pmid=40988014}}</ref>

===Adverse aspects===
{{see also|Climbing injuries}}
Aside from the obvious physical risks of a fall in rock climbing,<ref>{{cite web | magazine=[[Climbing (magazine)|Climbing]] | date=5 February 2024 | first=Matt | last=Samet | url= https://www.climbing.com/people/did-friend-die-night-climbing/ | title=If You Climb Long Enough, You Will Lose People  | accessdate=4 October 2024}}</ref> climbers are known to experience tendon (particularly on the fingers and arms), and joint (particularly on the knees and shoulders) injuries.<ref>{{cite web | magazine=[[Climbing (magazine)|Climbing]] | date=7 December 2023 | first=Zak | last=di Cristino | url= https://www.climbing.com/skills/joint-health-climbing/ | title=Climbing? Yeah it's Tough on the Body | accessdate=4 October 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | website=[[University of Utah]] | url=https://healthcare.utah.edu/healthfeed/2024/07/reach-new-heights-understanding-rock-climbing-injuries | title=Reach New Heights: Understanding Rock Climbing Injuries | date=3 July 2024 | accessdate=4 October 2024}}</ref>  This frequency and severity of these injuries have been amplified by the used of advanced [[plyometric]] training devices such as the [[campus board]],<ref>{{cite web | magazine=[[Outside (magazine)|Outside]] | date=8 August 2020 | first=Hayden | last=Carpenter | url=https://www.outsideonline.com/health/training-performance/climbing-injury-prevention-exercises/ | title=Prevent Overuse Climbing Injuries with These Exercises | accessdate=4 October 2024}}</ref> and by the use of advanced climbing techniques such as the 'drop-knee'.<ref>{{cite web | magazine=[[Climbing (magazine)|Climbing]] | date=4 May 2022 | first=Adam| last=Luu | url= https://www.climbing.com/gym-climbing/hidden-dangers-of-drop-knee/ | title=The Hidden Dangers of One Crucial Steep-Rock Technique| accessdate=4 October 2024}}</ref>

Climbers have spoken about the prevalence of [[eating disorder]]s,<ref>{{cite web | magazine=[[Climbing (magazine)|Climbing]] | date=12 February 2024 | first=Stephanie| last=Forte| url= https://www.climbing.com/people/stephanie-forte-eating-disorder/ | title=Stephanie Forté, One of the First Climbers To Speak Up About Eating Disorders, Looks Back  | accessdate=4 October 2024}}</ref> particularly in competition climbing as athletes seek to optimize their strength-to-weight ratio.<ref>{{cite web | website=[[NPR]] | url=https://www.npr.org/2026/01/01/1198916099/sport-climbers-speak-out-about-eating-disorders | date=3 August 2023 | accessdate=4 October 2024 | title=Leaner, lighter... lethal? Sport climbing's problem with eating disorders}}</ref> In 2023, one of the most high-profile competition climbers, [[Janja Garnbret]], called it a long-standing "cultural problem".<ref>{{cite web | magazine=[[CNN News]] | date=26 March 2024 | first=Ben | last=Church | url=https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/26/sport/janja-garnbret-paris-2024-climbing-eating-disorders-spt-intl/index.html | title=Olympic champion Janja Garnbret warns that climbing has a 'cultural' problem with eating disorders | accessdate=4 October 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | website=Olympics.com | url=https://olympics.com/en/news/slovenia-janja-garnbret-eating-disorders-sport-climbing-exclusive-interview | title=Exclusive - Olympic champion Janja Garnbret speaks out on eating disorders in sport climbing: 'Being light does not mean being strong' | date=7 December 2023 | accessdate=4 October 2024 | first1=Lena |last1=Smirnova | first2=Lorena |last2=Encabo}}</ref> In 2024, the IFSC introduced its first explicit policy guidelines to try and combat the issue of eating disorders in competition climbing.<ref>{{cite web | magazine=[[Climbing (magazine)|Climbing]] | date=19 February 2024 | author=((The Editors)) | url= https://www.climbing.com/news/ifsc-policy-combat-eating-disorders/ | title=After Facing Criticism, IFSC Introduces Unprecedented Policy to Combat Eating Disorders  | accessdate=4 October 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | newspaper=[[The Wall Street Journal]] | first=Jared | last=Diamond | date=10 August 2024 | title=The Olympic Sport With an Eating Disorder | url= https://www.wsj.com/sports/olympics/sport-climbing-paris-olympics-730241ba}}</ref>

==Governance and organization==
{{see also|Climbing club}}
Rock climbing is a largely self-governing sport principally relying on [[Social control|social sanctioning]] but where individual country-level associations can act as "representative bodies" for the sport some of which are formally recognized by the State (e.g. the [[American Alpine Club]]) and can have an influence on Government policy in areas that interest the sport such as land access.<ref>{{cite journal | journal=Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism | title=The self-governance challenges facing climbers, with examples from Utah, Colorado, & Ontario | doi=10.1016/j.jort.2020.100323 | volume=31 | date=September 2020 | author1=David P. Carter | author2=Garrett Hutson | author3=Patrick Lam| author4=Jeff Rose | author5=Nate Furman | article-number=100323 | bibcode=2020JORT...3100323C | accessdate=4 October 2024 | url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2213078020300475| url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | journal=[[International Journal of the Commons]] | title=nstitutional enforcement, signaling, and deliberation: Rock climbers attempting to maintain rules and norms through social sanctioning | first=David P. | last=Carter | doi=10.18352/ijc.878 | date=2019 | volume=13 | issue=1 | pages=353–377| bibcode=2019IJCom..13..353C | doi-access=free }}</ref> Many such country-level rock-climbing associations also represent the related sport of [[mountaineering]], from which rock-climbing evolved during the 19th and 20th centuries (e.g. the [[British Mountaineering Council]]).  The [[Union Internationale des Associations d'Alpinisme]] (UIAA) is an important international representative association for mountaineering that also represents rock climbing and [[ice climbing]], particularly in the areas of equipment quality standards and competition climbing.<ref>{{cite web | website=[[Union Internationale des Associations d'Alpinisme]] | url=https://www.theuiaa.org/inside-the-uiaa/history/ | title=History of the UIAA | accessdate=5 October 2024 | date=2024}}</ref>

In the late 1980s, the UIAA began to more formally regulate and govern the emerging rock climbing discipline of competition climbing and formed the {{ill|International Council for Competition Climbing|lt=International Council for Competition Climbing|de|International Council for Competition Climbing}} (ICCC), which the UIAA later seceded to a new separate body called the [[International Federation of Sport Climbing]] (IFSC) that regulates competition climbing, including the Olympic sport of climbing (the UIAA still directly regulates [[competition ice climbing]]).<ref name=BMC1/>  The creation of the ICCC and the IFSC also led to the creation of numerous country-level competition climbing associations, some of which are sub-organizations of longer-standing "representative bodies" (e.g. GB Climbing is a sub-group of the British Mountaineering Council),<ref>{{cite web | website=[[British Mountaineering Council]] | url=https://services.thebmc.co.uk/we-are-gb-climbing | title=We are GB Climbing | date=25 July 2021 | accessdate=5 October 2024 | first=Niall | last=Grimes}}</ref> and some of which are completely independent (e.g. [[USA Climbing]]).<ref>{{cite web | website=[[USA Climbing]] | url=https://usaclimbing.org/about/ | title=About USA Climbing: USA Climbing is the national governing body of the sport of competition climbing in the United States | date=2024 | accessdate=5 October 2024}}</ref>

In addition to the above international and national representative bodies, specialist groups have been established to represent the interests of rock climbing in particular areas, a notable example being [[The Access Fund]], a North American body whose focus is on securing and maintaining access to climbing areas and of promoting responsible and ethical behavior within those areas.<ref>{{cite web | magazine=[[Climbing (magazine)|Climbing]] | url=https://www.climbing.com/people/when-you-clip-a-bolt-or-climb-on-public-lands-you-can-thank-this-guy/ | title=When You Clip a Bolt or Climb on Public Lands, You Can Thank This Guy | first=Jeff | last=Jackson | date=25 March 2024 | accessdate=5 October 2024 | quote=Roughly from 1986 to 1993, Armando Menocal was one of the founders and de facto leader of the nascent Access Fund. It is hard to imagine where climbing would be today without him. He fought for climbers’ rights, and though he wasn’t a fan of bolts he believed the government shouldn’t dictate how or where climbers place them. When government agencies tried to ban bolts, Armando stood in their way.}}</ref>

==In film==
Several notable films have been made that are focused on various types of rock climbing including:<ref name=OutsideFilm>{{cite web | magazine=[[Outside (magazine)|Outside]] | url=https://www.outsideonline.com/culture/books-media/best-climbing-mountaineering-films-of-all-time/?scope=anon | title=The 20 Best Climbing Films of All Time | first=Andrew | last=Bisharat | date=6 September 2022 | accessdate=28 September 2024 | archive-date=17 October 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231017110648/https://www.outsideonline.com/culture/books-media/best-climbing-mountaineering-films-of-all-time/?scope=anon | url-status=live }}</ref>

===Aid climbing===
*''Assault on El Capitan'', a 2013 documentary film of [[Ammon McNeely]]'s 2011 repeat of the controversial 1982 route, ''Wings of Steel'', on [[El Capitan]].<ref name=WoS>{{cite web | magazine=[[Rock & Ice]] | url=https://www.rockandice.com/snowball/el-caps-hardest-wings-of-steel/ | title=El Cap's Hardest: Wings of Steel | date=December 2011 | accessdate=29 September 2024 | first=Ammon | last=McNeely | author-link=Ammon McNeely | archive-date=9 June 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230609144035/https://www.rockandice.com/snowball/el-caps-hardest-wings-of-steel/ | url-status=live }}</ref>
*''The Inner Wall'', a 2018 short documentary film from [[Sender Films|Reel Rock]] (Season 4, Episode 2) on [[Andy Kirkpatrick]] rope solo aid climbing on [[El Capitan]].<ref>{{cite web | website=Red Bull| url=https://www.redbull.com/ie-en/episodes/the-inner-wall-reel-rock-s04-e02 | title=The Inner Wall: Reel Rock S4 E2 | accessdate=19 June 2024 | date=2018}}</ref>

===Big wall climbing===
* [[El Capitan (film)|''El Capitan'']], a 1978 documentary film about an early ascent of ''[[The Nose (El Capitan)|The Nose]]'' (VI 5.9 C2) on [[El Capitan]].<ref name=OutsideFilm/>
*''[[Valley Uprising]]'', a 2014 Amazon Prime documentary film about rock climbing in Yosemite, that includes big wall climbing.<ref name=OutsideFilm/>
*''[[The Dawn Wall]]'', a 2017 Netflix documentary film about [[Tommy Caldwell]] and [[Kevin Jorgeson]]'s ascent of the [[List of grade milestones in rock climbing#Redpointed|first-ever]] big wall route at {{climbing grade|5.14d}}.<ref name=OutsideFilm/>
*''[[Free Solo]]'', a 2018 Netflix documentary film about [[Alex Honnold]]'s free solo climb of ''[[Freerider (climb)|Freerider]]'' {{climbing grade|5.13a}} on El Capitan.<ref name=OutsideFilm/>
*''[[The Alpinist]]'', a 2021 documentary film about the late Canadian alpinist [[Marc-André Leclerc]], featuring his solo ascent of [[Torre Egger]] in [[Patagonia]].<ref name=OutsideFilm/>

===Bouldering===
*''Rampage'', a 1999 documentary of an 18-year old [[Chris Sharma]] on an American bouldering road trip that ushered in the "bouldering revolution".<ref name=OutsideFilm/>

===Competition climbing===
*''The Wall: Climb for Gold'', a 2022 film documentary on [[Janja Garnbret]], [[Shauna Coxsey]], [[Brooke Raboutou]], and [[Miho Nonaka]].<ref>{{cite web | magazine=[[Climbing (magazine)|Climbing]] | url=https://www.climbing.com/news/the-wall-climb-for-gold-new-film-reveals-the-vulnerable-side-of-climbings-olympians/ | title="The Wall: Climb For Gold" New Film Reveals The Vulnerable Side of Climbing's Olympians | first=John | last=Burgman | date=20 January 2022 | access-date=2 October 2023 | archive-date=14 November 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221114204914/https://www.climbing.com/news/the-wall-climb-for-gold-new-film-reveals-the-vulnerable-side-of-climbings-olympians/ | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | magazine=Gripped Magazine | url=https://gripped.com/indoor-climbing/why-you-should-watch-the-wall-climb-for-gold/ | title=Why You Should Watch 'The Wall: Climb for Gold' | first=Noah | last=Walker | date=25 January 2022 | access-date=2 October 2023 | archive-date=17 October 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231017115740/https://gripped.com/indoor-climbing/why-you-should-watch-the-wall-climb-for-gold/ | url-status=live }}</ref>

===Single pitch climbing===
*''Dosage Volume I-V'', the well-regarded 2001 to 2007 series includes notable first ascent grade milestones including [[Chris Sharma]]'s historic first free ascent of ''[[Realization (climb)|Realization/Biographie]]'' {{climbing grade|9a+}}, and [[Beth Rodden]]'s historic first free ascent of ''Meltdown'' {{climbing grade|8c+}}.<ref name=OutsideFilm/>
*''[[Hard Grit]]'', a 1998 documentary film about traditional climbing on extreme gritstone routes in the British [[Peak District]].<ref name=OutsideFilm/>
*''King Lines'', a 2007 documentary film about [[Chris Sharma]], featuring his free solo climb of the DWS route, ''[[Es Pontàs (climb)|Es Pontàs]]'' {{climbing grade|9a+}}, in [[Mallorca]].<ref name=OutsideFilm/>
*''Reel Rock 7'', the 2012 edition of the [[Reel Rock Film Tour|Reel Rock series]] with [[Chris Sharma]] and [[Adam Ondra]]'s collaboration on ''[[La Dura Dura]]'' {{climbing grade|9b+}}.<ref name=OutsideFilm/><ref>{{cite web | website=UKClimbing | url=https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2020/04/lockdown_-_free_sport_climbing_films_to_get_you_through_isolation-72269?fbclid=IwAR00QjDz5Io6cQR9JXSLZNHvdnolRUNkEOd3WfV7Mx3AdIUM7Sy2t_Fc3SY | title=Lockdown – Sport Climbing films to get you through isolation | date=8 April 2020 | accessdate=2 October 2023 | first=Nick | last=Brown}}</ref>
*''Statement of Youth'', a 2019 documentary film about the birth of sport climbing in Britain in the 1980s featuring [[Jerry Moffatt]] and [[Ben Moon (climber)|Ben Moon]].<ref>{{cite web | magazine=[[Climbing (magazine)|Climbing]] | date=27 May 2020 | first=Cameron | last=Burns | accessdate=2 October 2023 | url=https://www.climbing.com/gear/13-great-climbing-films-you-might-not-be-familiar-with-and-5-of-the-worst/ | title=13 Great Climbing Films You Might Not Be Familiar With | quote=Statement of Youth: The Birth of British Sport Climbing}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | website=PlanetMountain | title=The Birth of British Sport Climbing in Statement of Youth | date=May 2019 | accessdate=2 October 2023 | url=https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/the-birth-of-british-sport-climbing-in-statement-of-youth.html | archive-date=16 January 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240116144332/https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/the-birth-of-british-sport-climbing-in-statement-of-youth.html | url-status=live }}</ref>

==See also==
{{portal|Climbing}}

===General climbing===
*[[Glossary of climbing terms]]
*[[List of climbers]]

===Other major forms of climbing===
*[[Ice climbing]]
*[[Mountaineering]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

===Further reading===
*{{cite book | title=How to Rock Climb | isbn=978-1493056262 | edition=6th | first1=John | last1=Long | first2=Bob | last2=Gaines | author-link=John Long (climber) | publisher=[[Globe Pequot Press|Falcon Guides]] | date=August 2022}}
*{{cite book | date=2018 | title=[[Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills]] | edition=9th | isbn=978-1846892622 | publisher=Quiller Publishing | author=[[The Mountaineers (club)|The Mountaineers]]}}
*{{cite book | title=Rock Climbing: From Toproping to Sport Climbing | first1=Nate |last1=Fitch | first2=Ron | last2=Funderburke | isbn=978-1493016396 | publisher=[[Falcon Guides]] | edition=illustrated | date=July 2016}}
*{{cite book | title=Advanced Rock Climbing: Expert Skills and Techniques | first1=Topher | last1=Donahue | isbn=978-1-59485-862-8 | date=December 2016 | publisher=[[The Mountaineers (club)|The Mountaineers]]}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Rock climbing}}
{{Wiktionary}}
*[https://www.thecrag.com/en/home theCrag], Europe's largest online rock climbing route database
*[https://www.mountainproject.com/ MountainProject], North America's largest online rock and ice climbing route database
*[https://services.thebmc.co.uk/new-rock-climbers New Rock Climbers: Your First Steps to Climbing Outside], [[British Mountaineering Council]] (2024)

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