Free climbing is a form of

rock climbing Rock climbing is a sport in which participants climb up, across, or down natural rock formations. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a usually pre-defined route without falling. Rock climbing is a physically and ...

in which the climber may use climbing equipment such as ropes and other means of climbing protection, but only to protect against injury during falls and not to assist vertical or horizontal progress. The climber ascends or traverses by using physical ability to move over the rock via handholds, footholds, and body smears. The term ''free climbing'' is used in contrast to

aid climbing Aid climbing is a style of climbing in which standing on or pulling oneself up via devices attached to fixed or placed protection is used to make upward progress. The term contrasts with free climbing in which progress is made without using artifi ...

, in which specific aid climbing equipment (such as mechanical ascenders) is used to assist the climber in ascent. The term ''free climbing'' originally meant "free from direct aid". Free climbing more specifically may include: * traditional climbing *

sport climbing Sport climbing (or Bolted climbing) is a form of rock climbing that relies on permanent anchors (or bolts), permanently fixed into the rock for climber protection, in which a rope that is attached to the climber is clipped into the anchors to ...

* bouldering * solo climbing (excluding solo aid climbing)

Common misunderstandings of the term

While clear in its contrast to

, the term ''free climbing'' is nonetheless prone to misunderstanding and misuse. The three most common errors are: * Confusing ''free climbing'' with '' solo climbing'' (or ''soloing,'') a style of climbing in which the climber climbs alone, without the assistance of a belayer and with or without a self-belaying system. *Confusing ''free climbing'' with '' free soloing'' (a subset both of free climbing and solo climbing), which is climbing alone with just one's hands, feet, and body without any rope or protective equipment. *Confusing the term ''soloing a free climb'' with ''free soloing'', "soloing" in each case meaning merely to climb without a partner (with or without a self-belaying system in the first instance, without any protection at all in the second).

References

Bibliography

*''The French Spiderman'' (La légende de l'homme araignée), DVD, director Olivier Van'L. *.

Common misunderstandings of the term

References

Bibliography

Further reading