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 a ...
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, 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
Traditional climbing (or Trad climbing) is a style 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 ...
*
sport climbing
*
bouldering
*
solo climbing (excluding solo aid climbing)
Common misunderstandings of the term
While clear in its contrast to
aid climbing, 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
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 ...
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.
*.
Further reading
*''How to Rock Climb'',
John Long
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Types of climbing