HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Traditional climbing (or Trad climbing) is a
style Style is a manner of doing or presenting things and may refer to: * Architectural style, the features that make a building or structure historically identifiable * Design, the process of creating something * Fashion, a prevailing mode of clothing ...
of rock climbing in which the climber places all the necessary protection gear required to arrest any falls as they are climbing, and then removes it when the pitch is complete (often done by the second/follow-on climber). Traditional bolted aid climbing means the bolts were placed while
on lead The following is a glossary of terms used in card games. Besides the terms listed here, there are thousands of common and uncommon slang terms. Terms in this glossary should not be game-specific (e.g. specific to Bridge (card game), Bridge, Hearts ...
and/or with hand drills (the bolts tend to be much farther apart than for sport climbs). Traditional climbing carries a higher level of risk than bolted sport climbing, as the climber may not have placed the safety equipment correctly while trying to ascend the route; for some of the world's hardest climbs (e.g. '' Realization/Biographie''), there may not be sufficient cracks or features in the rock that can accept protection gear, and the climb can only be safely attempted by bolting as a sport climb.


Overview

Characterizing climbing as ''traditional'' distinguishes it from bolted climbing—either trad bolted or sport climbing (in which all protection and anchor points are permanently installed prior to the climb — typically installed while
rappelling Abseiling ( ; ), also known as rappelling ( ; ), is the controlled descent of a steep slope, such as a rock face, by moving down a rope. When abseiling the person descending controls their own movement down the rope, in contrast to low ...
) and
free solo climbing Free solo climbing, or free soloing, is a form of technical ice or rock climbing where the climbers (or ''free soloists'') climb alone without ropes, harnesses or other protective equipment, forcing them to rely entirely on their own individu ...
(which does not use ropes or gear of any kind). However, protection bolts and pitons installed while
lead climbing Lead climbing is a climbing style, predominantly used in rock climbing. In a roped party one climber has to take the lead while the other climbers follow. The ''lead climber'' wears a harness attached to a climbing rope, which in turn is connected ...
are also considered "traditional" as they were placed during the act of climbing from the ground up rather than on rappel, especially in the context of granite slab climbing. Before the advent of sport climbing in the United States in the 1980s, and perhaps somewhat earlier in parts of Europe, the usual style of unaided rock climbing was what is now referred to as traditional—either bolted face climbs or crack climbs. In trad climbing, a leader ascends a section of rock placing their own protective devices while climbing. Before about 1970 these devices were often limited to pitons; today they consist mainly of a combination of
chocks Chock or Chocks may refer to: Devices for preventing movement * Wheel chock, tool to prevent accidental movement * Chock (climbing), anchor * Chock, component of a sailing block Other uses * Chock (surname) * ''Chock'' (TV series), a Swe ...
and
spring-loaded camming device A spring-loaded camming device (also SLCD, cam or friend) is a piece of rock climbing or mountaineering protection equipment. It consists of two, three, or four cams mounted on a common axle or two adjacent axles, so that pulling on the ax ...
s, but may less commonly include pitons which are driven with a hammer. John Long's 1989 technique manual ''How to Rock Climb!'' used the term "sport climbing" repeatedly in reference to what is now considered "traditional climbing". Important features of trad climbing are a strong focus on exploration, and a strict dedication to leaving nature unblemished by avoiding use of older means of protection such as pitons, which damage the rock. This evolution in climbing ethics has been attributed to the efforts of
Yvon Chouinard Yvon Chouinard (born November 9, 1938) is an American rock climber, environmentalist, philanthropist and outdoor industry businessman. His company, Patagonia, is known for its commitment to protecting the environment. Chouinard is also a surf ...
,
Royal Robbins Royal Robbins (February 3, 1935 – March 14, 2017) was one of the pioneers of American rock climbing. After learning to climb at Tahquitz Rock, he went on to make first ascents of many big wall routes in Yosemite. As an early proponent of bol ...
, and many others, who pioneered the " leave no trace" ethic in climbing.


Equipment

The term ''gear'' in climbing generally refers to
equipment Equipment most commonly refers to a set of tool A tool is an object that can extend an individual's ability to modify features of the surrounding environment or help them accomplish a particular task. Although many animals use simple tools, onl ...
used during climbs (except harnesses, shoes, chalk bags, and chalk). Gear or ''protection'' are mechanical devices that provide safety, either by allowing greater stability in making a move (as in the case of aid climbing) or by dampening force and reducing the distance of a fall. The suitability of individual types of gear depends on the surface and formation of the rock face. The phrase ''placing gear'' denotes the act of setting a piece of gear into the rock face and then attach the rope (via
carabiner A carabiner or karabiner () is a specialized type of shackle, a metal loop with a spring-loaded gate used to quickly and reversibly connect components, most notably in safety-critical systems. The word is a shortened form of ''Karabinerhaken'' ...
or more typically a
quickdraw A quickdraw (also known as an extender) is a piece of climbing equipment used by rock and ice climbers to allow the climbing rope to run freely through protection such as a bolt anchors or other traditional gear while leading. A quickdr ...
) before ascending higher. In the event of a fall, the gear acts as a catch-point for the rope, thus preventing the climber from hitting the ground. Gear is placed at frequent intervals to avoid becoming too "run out" and provide protection in the case of a fall. Nuts started being developed in the 1950s in the United Kingdom, with the original pieces being made from discarded machine nuts with slings threaded through them. Joe Brown is widely acknowledged as one of the pioneers of this new type of ''gear''. Urban legend suggests the first nuts were ones taken from the
Snowdon Mountain Railway The Snowdon Mountain Railway (SMR; cy, Rheilffordd yr Wyddfa) is a Narrow-gauge railway, narrow gauge Rack railway, rack and pinion mountain railway in Gwynedd, north-west Wales. It is a tourist railway that travels for from Llanberis to the ...
. These gradually developed into purpose-built nuts. Prior to about 1970 in the United States, climbing relied mainly on pitons; other types of gear such as nuts, Hexcentrics, Tricams and spring-loaded cams were largely unknown or did not yet exist. As other variants of climbing were not nominally in existence as well, all climbing was in effect trad climbing until the early 1980s when sport climbing emerged in Europe. Since the 1970s, developments in protective gear have made climbing much safer and more dynamic. For example, nuts—removable pieces of metal which could be jammed into cracks to support weight during a fall but could be removed at the end of a climb—helped fuel trad climbing's growth in popularity and safety. Contemporary protective gear used in trad climbing consists of removable protective devices such as aluminum, steel, or brass nuts, hexagonal-shaped chocks, slings, spring-loaded camming devices, and Tricams. If a climber is soloing they remove placed gear while rappelling back down the climb; if climbing with a partner the second climber will clean the gear during their ascent up the pitch. In protecting the lead climber in both trad and sport, carabiners and slings are used to connect the gear to the climber's lead rope, so that in the event of a fall, the rope can be used (by the
belayer Belaying is a variety of techniques climbers use to create friction within a climbing system, particularly on a climbing rope, so that a falling climber does not fall very far. A climbing partner typically applies tension at the other end of t ...
below) to catch the falling climber. Modern traditional climbs occasionally have fixed gear (pitons or bolts) in places where there are no opportunities to place adequate removable gear. It is considered bad style to install new protection bolts or pitons on existing climbs that can be completed without them. Many of the existing pitons, pegs and bolts from the first ascents of routes done many years ago are now considered to be in bad condition, having suffered from
weathering Weathering is the deterioration of rocks, soils and minerals as well as wood and artificial materials through contact with water, atmospheric gases, and biological organisms. Weathering occurs ''in situ'' (on site, with little or no movement), ...
. This is especially present on sea cliffs where the salt nature of the air has sped up the oxidization to create rust and weaken the protection.


Knots

A number of knots are required for traditional climbing, to create anchors, to tie in the climbers, and to be used during the climb. *
Figure-eight loop Figure-eight loop (also figure-eight on a bight, figure-eight follow-through, figure-eight retrace, Flemish loop, or Flemish eight) is a type of knot created by a loop on the bight. It is used in climbing and caving. The double figure eight i ...
is commonly used to tie in the climbers at both ends *
Clove hitch The clove hitch is a type of knot. Along with the bowline and the sheet bend, it is often considered one of the most important knots. A clove hitch is two successive half-hitches around an object. It is most effectively used as a crossing kno ...
is used when building an anchor using the rope and sometimes to make a climber safe quickly at a belay ledge * Alpine butterfly can be used to tie a climber into the middle of a rope *
Munter hitch The Munter hitch, also known as the Italian hitch, mezzo barcaiolo or the crossing hitch, is a simple adjustable knot, commonly used by climbers, cavers, and rescuers to control friction in a life-lining or belay system. To climbers, this hitc ...
is commonly used to belay without a belay device *
Slip knot The slip knot is a stopper knot which is easily undone by pulling the tail ( working end). The slip knot is related to the running knot, which will release when the standing end is pulled. Both knots are identical and are composed of a slippe ...
or running knot can be used during a climb to sling a protrusion of rock known as a chickenhead or any trees that may be on the route * Lark's foot or girth hitch is used to attach slings to trees or spikes and also to a climber's harness *
Double figure-eight loop A double figure-eight loop, (also known as a bunny ears, or a dog eared loop) is a type of knot that forms two parallel loops, and resembles the figure-eight loop. It is frequently used in climbing and caving Caving – also known as sp ...
is used for building a master point off of the climbing rope *
Water knot The water knot (also tape knot, ring bend, grass knot, or overhand follow-through) is a knot frequently used in climbing for joining two ends of webbing together, for instance when making a sling. Tying It is tied by forming an overhand knot in ...
is used for connecting two pieces of
webbing red, blue and black auto_racing.html"_;"title="nylon_webbing_as_used_in_auto_racing">nylon_webbing_as_used_in_auto_racing_harnesses Webbing_is_a_strong_nylon_webbing_as_used_in_auto_racing_harnesses">auto_racing.html"_;"title="nylon_webbing_as ...
together *
Double bowline A double bowline (or round turn bowline) is a type of loop knot. Instead of the single turn of the regular bowline, the double bowline uses a round turn. This forms a more secure loop than a standard bowline. Naming Though called "double bowlin ...
is used for tying in or anchoring around a fixed object


Anchors

When a climber has reached the top of a climb an anchor must be set up to allow the leader to bring up the seconder safely. An anchor has a number of different components that should be put together in a redundant way to make the anchors safe. * Protection: an anchor typically consists of three to four pieces of protection with the minimum being two pieces. The anchor placements are chosen such that a failure of any single piece will not lead to loss of integrity of the entire system. * Cordelletes/Web-o-lettes/slings/rope: these are used to tie the pieces of protection of the anchor together with equalized tension using the above-mentioned knots. * Carabiners: are used to connect the pieces of protection to the rope and also to attach the
belay device A belay device is a mechanical piece of climbing equipment used to control a rope during belaying. It is designed to improve belay safety for the climber by allowing the belayer to manage their duties with minimal physical effort. With the right ...
and lead climber to the anchor. ** locking carabiners have a twistable ring that will close over the gate to prevent accidental opening ** non-locking carabiners do not have this safety ring and are therefore more likely to be accidentally opened by rope or systems. When using non-locking carabiners in place of locking carabiners, they are placed with the gates opposite and opposed, so that it is significantly unlikely that both will be opened simultaneously.


Bailing

In some cases, a traditional climb may be too difficult or there might not be enough time to complete the climb before dark. The lead climber may decide to abort the climb (or "bail") and descend to the ground before reaching the top. To do this an anchor is set up mid-climb and whatever protection that is required to ensure a safe descent is left on the rock after the climbers
abseil Abseiling ( ; ), also known as rappelling ( ; ), is the controlled descent of a steep slope, such as a rock face, by moving down a rope. When abseiling the person descending controls their own movement down the rope, in contrast to low ...
to the ground.


Typical sequence

* Leader places gear on harness * Leader ties into the rope using a figure-eight knot. * Second climber ties into the other end of the rope. * Second puts the leader on belay using a
belay device A belay device is a mechanical piece of climbing equipment used to control a rope during belaying. It is designed to improve belay safety for the climber by allowing the belayer to manage their duties with minimal physical effort. With the right ...
or
Munter hitch The Munter hitch, also known as the Italian hitch, mezzo barcaiolo or the crossing hitch, is a simple adjustable knot, commonly used by climbers, cavers, and rescuers to control friction in a life-lining or belay system. To climbers, this hitc ...
. * Leader climbs up and places the first piece of protection. The first piece of protection should be multi-directional. This means that it should not be able to be pulled out if it moves up or down. * Leader uses a quick draw or extended draw to connect the first piece to the rope. * Leader climbs upwards and places the second piece of protection and repeats until the top of the climb. * Leader creates an anchor and attaches themself at two points to become safe. * Seconder takes leader off belay. * Leader pulls up all the rope until there is no slack between the leader and seconder * Leader puts second on belay. Leader says "On me" for safety and verification. * Seconder says "On you" to signify the seconder is on belay. * Second climbs up and removes the protection the leader has placed on the way up.


Types of rock

A number of types of rock are climbed, each with a varying degree of suitability for traditional climbing. Some examples of rock types used in climbing are
granite Granite () is a coarse-grained ( phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly cools and solidifies under ...
,
sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates ...
,
basalt Basalt (; ) is an aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the surface of a rocky planet or moon. More than 90 ...
,
gneiss Gneiss ( ) is a common and widely distributed type of metamorphic rock. It is formed by high-temperature and high-pressure metamorphic processes acting on formations composed of igneous or sedimentary rocks. Gneiss forms at higher temperatures a ...
,
quartzite Quartzite is a hard, non- foliated metamorphic rock which was originally pure quartz sandstone.Essentials of Geology, 3rd Edition, Stephen Marshak, p 182 Sandstone is converted into quartzite through heating and pressure usually related to tec ...
and
limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...
.
Granite Granite () is a coarse-grained ( phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly cools and solidifies under ...
(and other granitic rock) is popular for traditional climbing, being found in such climbing areas as the
Yosemite Valley Yosemite Valley ( ; ''Yosemite'', Miwok for "killer") is a glacial valley in Yosemite National Park in the western Sierra Nevada mountains of Central California. The valley is about long and deep, surrounded by high granite summits such as Hal ...
and
Joshua Tree National Park Joshua Tree National Park is an American national park in southeastern California, east of San Bernardino and Los Angeles and north of Palm Springs. It is named after the Joshua trees (''Yucca brevifolia'') native to the Mojave Desert. Origin ...
.


Ethics

While it may arguably be more dangerous than sport climbing, traditional climbing leaves little or no trace of climbing, which preserves the natural environment of the cliff face (though many significant first ascents in the U.S. were done with a combination of permanent anchors or bolts and crack-fitting hardware were termed "traditional" when the term was first coined—see climbing styles). Sport climbing, on the other hand, requires bolts to be permanently drilled into the rock face providing the exclusive or primary means of protection. The difference between sport and traditional or "trad" styles has caused some periodic contention in the rock climbing community as the respective camps debate the merits of the differing styles.


Hardest routes

The following is a list of traditional climbs considered to be the hardest ever ascended (in order of difficulty): *''Tribe'' (ungraded, but possibly 5.14d or harder) in Cardarese, Italy, by Jacopo Larcher in 2019. *''Blackbeard’s Tears'' (5.14c, 8c+) at Redwood Coast, U.S., first ascent by Ethan Pringle in 2016. *''Meltdown'' (5.14c, 8c+) in Yosemite, first ascent by
Beth Rodden Beth Rodden (born April 5, 1980) is an American rock climber known for her ascents of hard single-pitch traditional climbing routes. She was the youngest woman to climb and is one of the only women in the world to have redpointed a traditional ...
in 2008. *''Pura Pura'' (5.14c, 8c+) in Valle dell’Orco, Italy, first ascent by Tom Randall in 2014. *''Recovery Drink'' (5.14c, 8c+) in Jossingford, Norway, first ascent by in 2013. *''Rhapsody'' (E11 7a, 5.14c R/X) in Dumbarton Rock, UK, first ascent by
Dave MacLeod Dave MacLeod (born 17 July 1978) is a Scottish people, Scottish rock climber, ice climbing, ice climber, and climbing author. MacLeod is best known for being the first climber in the world to climb in free solo style (without rope) a route ('' ...
in 2006. *''Magic Line'' (5.14c, 8c+) in Yosemite, pinkpointed by
Ron Kauk Ron Kauk (born 23 September 1957) is an American rock climber. Kauk is associated with Camp 4 in Yosemite Valley, where he lived for decades, now a resident of El Portal, California. In 1975, he made the first free ascent of the east face of Wa ...
in 1996, redpointed by Lonnie Kauk in 2018, first redpoint repeat and first female ascent by Hazel Findlay in 2019. *''Century Crack'' (5.14b) in Canyonlands, Utah, U.S., first ascent by Tom Randall and Pete Whittaker in 2011. *''Cobra Crack'' (5.14b/c, 8c/+) in Squamish, Canada, first ascent by Sonnie Trotter in 2006. *''Echo Wall'' (5.14b) on
Ben Nevis Ben Nevis ( ; gd, Beinn Nibheis ) is the highest mountain in Scotland, the United Kingdom and the British Isles. The summit is above sea level and is the highest land in any direction for . Ben Nevis stands at the western end of the Grampian ...
, Scotland, first ascent by
Dave MacLeod Dave MacLeod (born 17 July 1978) is a Scottish people, Scottish rock climber, ice climbing, ice climber, and climbing author. MacLeod is best known for being the first climber in the world to climb in free solo style (without rope) a route ('' ...
in 2008.


See also

*
History of rock climbing In the history of rock climbing, the three main sub-disciplines: bouldering, single-pitch climbing, and big wall (or multi-pitch) climbing can trace their origins to late 19th-century Europe. Bouldering started in Fontainebleau, and was advan ...
*
List of first ascents (sport climbing) In rock climbing, a first free ascent (FFA) is the first documented redpoint, onsight or flash of a single-pitch, big wall (multi-pitch), or boulder route that did not involve using aid equipment to help progression or resting; the ascent must ...


References


External links


"Tricksters and Traditionalists"
by Tom Higgins
List of traditional climbing gear
{{DEFAULTSORT:Traditional Climbing Types of climbing Climbing techniques Mountaineering techniques