Traditional climbing
Encyclopedia
Traditional climbing, or trad climbing, is a style of rock climbing
in which a climber or group of climbers places all gear required to protect against falls (pitons, etc.), and removes it when a passage is complete. Characterising climbing as "traditional" distinguishes it from sport climbing
in which all protection and anchor points are permanently installed prior to the climb typically while rappelling, and "free solo climbing
" (a.k.a. "free soloing"), which does not use ropes or gear of any kind. However, protection bolts installed while lead climbing 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". In trad climbing, a leader ascends a section of rock placing his or her own protective devices
while climbing. Before about 1970 these devices were often limited to piton
s; today they consist mainly of a combination of chocks and spring-loaded camming devices, but may less commonly include pitons which are driven with a hammer. John Long
's 1989 technique manual How to Rock Climb (Chockstone Press) 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 older means of protection such as damage to the rock caused by use of pitons. This evolution in climbing ethics has been largely attributed to the efforts of Yvon Chouinard
and many others, who pioneered the "leave no trace" ethic in climbing.
used during climbs (except harness, 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. "Placing gear" denotes the act of setting a piece of gear into the rock face and then attaching the rope (via carabiner) before ascending higher. In the event of a fall, the gear acts as a catch-point for the rope, thus preventing the climber from hurtling to the ground. Being "run out" refers to the situation where the distance from the climber's position to the last piece of gear is far enough that the climber will receive little, if any, protection from a fall.
Nuts started being developed in the 1950s in the UK, with the original pieces being made from discarded machine nuts with slings threaded through them. 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 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:
If a climber is soloing—climbing by him- or herself—the climber removes or "cleans" placed gear while rappelling ("rapping") back down the climb; if climbing with friends, the second person will clean the gear during his or her ascent up the "pitch". (For more slang and unique climbing-isms, see the glossary of climbing terms
.)
In protecting the lead climber in both "trad" and "sport": Carabiner
s and slings
are used to connect the protection gear to the climber's lead rope, so that in the event of a fall, the rope can be used (by the belayer below) to 'catch' the falling climber. Modern traditional climbs only occasionally have fixed gear (pitons or bolts), except in the case where cracks are lacking to place adequate removable gear. It is also considered bad style to install new protection bolts or pitons on existing climbs that can be completed without them.
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 which should be put together in a redundant way to make the anchors safe.
, Granite
and Limestone
.
). 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.
Other ethics do exist, such as no pre-placed protection (i.e., putting the gear in, then climbing). Trying to climb routes onsight (ground up, no prior knowledge of the route) is also considered good ethics. However the ethics are just ethics, and a route can be climbed in any style so long as it does not monopolize a route or damage the rock.
Rock climbing
Rock climbing also lightly called 'The Gravity Game', is a sport in which participants climb up, down or across natural rock formations or artificial rock walls. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a pre-defined route without falling...
in which a climber or group of climbers places all gear required to protect against falls (pitons, etc.), and removes it when a passage is complete. Characterising climbing as "traditional" distinguishes it from sport climbing
Sport climbing
Sport climbing is a form of rock climbing that relies on permanent anchors fixed to the rock, and possibly bolts, for protection,...
in which all protection and anchor points are permanently installed prior to the climb typically while rappelling, and "free solo climbing
Free solo climbing
Free solo climbing, also known as free soloing, is a form of free climbing where the climber forgoes ropes, harnesses and other protective gear while ascending and relies only on his or her physical strength, climbing ability, and psychological fortitude to avoid a fatal fall...
" (a.k.a. "free soloing"), which does not use ropes or gear of any kind. However, protection bolts installed while lead climbing 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
Sport climbing
Sport climbing is a form of rock climbing that relies on permanent anchors fixed to the rock, and possibly bolts, for protection,...
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". In trad climbing, a leader ascends a section of rock placing his or her own protective devices
Protection (climbing)
To make climbing as safe as possible, most climbers use protection, a term used to describe the equipment used to prevent injury to themselves and others.-Types of climbing:...
while climbing. Before about 1970 these devices were often limited to piton
Piton
In climbing, a piton is a metal spike that is driven into a crack or seam in the rock with a hammer, and which acts as an anchor to protect the climber against the consequences of a fall, or to assist progress in aid climbing...
s; today they consist mainly of a combination of chocks and spring-loaded camming devices, but may less commonly include pitons which are driven with a hammer. John Long
John Long
John Long may refer to:*John Long , English Member of Parliament for Cricklade*John Long , Archbishop of Armagh*John Long , member of the Parliament of Ireland in 1689 for Midleton, County Cork...
's 1989 technique manual How to Rock Climb (Chockstone Press) 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 older means of protection such as damage to the rock caused by use of pitons. This evolution in climbing ethics has been largely attributed to the efforts of Yvon Chouinard
Yvon Chouinard
Yvon Chouinard is a rock climber, environmentalist and outdoor industry businessman, noted for his contributions to climbing, climbing equipment and the outdoor gear business. His second company, Patagonia is known for its environmental focus...
and many others, who pioneered the "leave no trace" ethic in climbing.
Trad gear
The term "gear" in climbing generally refers to equipmentClimbing equipment
A wide range of equipment is used during rock climbing. The most popular types of climbing equipment are briefly described in this article. The article on protecting a climb describes equipment commonly used to protect a climber against the consequences of a fall....
used during climbs (except harness, 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
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....
) 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. "Placing gear" denotes the act of setting a piece of gear into the rock face and then attaching the rope (via carabiner) before ascending higher. In the event of a fall, the gear acts as a catch-point for the rope, thus preventing the climber from hurtling to the ground. Being "run out" refers to the situation where the distance from the climber's position to the last piece of gear is far enough that the climber will receive little, if any, protection from a fall.
Nuts started being developed in the 1950s in the UK, with the original pieces being made from discarded machine nuts with slings threaded through them. 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 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 nutsNut (climbing)In rock climbing, a nut is a metal wedge threaded on a wire, used for protection by wedging it into a crack in the rock. Quickdraws are clipped to the nut wire by the ascending climber and the rope threads through the quickdraw. Nuts come in a variety of sizes and styles, and several different...
- Hexagonal-shaped chocksHexcentricHexes are items of rock climbing equipment used to protect climbers from injury during a fall. They are intended to be wedged by into a crack or other opening in the rock, and do not require a hammer to place. They were developed as an alternative to pitons, which are hammered into cracks and are...
- SlingsSling (climbing equipment)A sling or runner is an item of climbing equipment consisting of a tied or sewn loop of webbing that can be wrapped around sections of rock, hitched to other pieces of equipment or tied directly to a tensioned line using a prusik knot; for anchor extension , equalization, or climbing the...
- Spring-loaded camming device
- TricamTricamright|thumb|A pair of tricams: on the right, a nylon size 2.0, and on the left, a [[Dyneema]] size 1.5.A Tricam is a type of climbing protection equipment.The most versatile nut, the Tri-cam, was invented by Greg Lowe in 1973, and came to market in 1981....
s
If a climber is soloing—climbing by him- or herself—the climber removes or "cleans" placed gear while rappelling ("rapping") back down the climb; if climbing with friends, the second person will clean the gear during his or her ascent up the "pitch". (For more slang and unique climbing-isms, see the glossary of climbing terms
Glossary of climbing terms
This page describes terms and jargon related to climbing and mountaineering.-A:American death triangle : An anchor which is created by connecting a closed loop of cord or webbing between two points of protection, and then suspending the rope from a carabiner clipped to only one strand of said anchor...
.)
In protecting the lead climber in both "trad" and "sport": Carabiner
Carabiner
A carabiner or karabiner is a metal loop with a sprung or screwed gate that is used to quickly and reversibly connect components in safety-critical systems. The word comes from "Karabinerhaken", meaning "hook for a carbine" in German.-Use:...
s and slings
Sling (climbing equipment)
A sling or runner is an item of climbing equipment consisting of a tied or sewn loop of webbing that can be wrapped around sections of rock, hitched to other pieces of equipment or tied directly to a tensioned line using a prusik knot; for anchor extension , equalization, or climbing the...
are used to connect the protection gear to the climber's lead rope, so that in the event of a fall, the rope can be used (by the belayer below) to 'catch' the falling climber. Modern traditional climbs only occasionally have fixed gear (pitons or bolts), except in the case where cracks are lacking to place adequate removable gear. It is also considered bad style to install new protection bolts or pitons on existing climbs that can be completed without them.
Commonly used knots
A number of knots are required for traditional climbing, to create anchors, to tie in the climbers and even to be used during the climb.- Figure of 8 is commonly used to tie in the climbers at both ends
- Clove hitchClove hitchA clove hitch is a type of knot. Along with the bowline and the sheet bend, it is often considered one of the most essential knots. A clove hitch is two successive half-hitches around an object. It is most effectively used as a crossing knot. It can be used as a binding knot, but is not...
is used when building an anchor using the rope and sometimes to make a climber safe quickly at a belay ledge - Alpine butterflyAlpine butterfly knotThe alpine butterfly knot is a knot used to form a fixed loop in the middle of a rope. Tied in the bight, it can be made in a rope without access to either of the ends; this is a distinct advantage when working with long climbing ropes. The butterfly loop is an excellent mid-line rigging knot, it...
can be used to tie a climber into the middle of a rope - Munter hitchMunter hitchThe Munter hitch, also known as the Italian hitch, is a simple knot, commonly used by climbers and cavers as part of a life-lining or belay system. To climbers, this knot is also known as HMS, the abbreviation for the German term Halbmastwurfsicherung, meaning half clove hitch belay...
is commonly used to belay without a belay device - Slip knotSlip knotA slip knot is one of two different classes of knot. The most common are knots which attach a line to an object and tighten when tension is applied to the free end of the line...
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 climbers harness
Anchors
- Protection: An anchor typically consists of 3–4 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/SlingsSling (climbing equipment)A sling or runner is an item of climbing equipment consisting of a tied or sewn loop of webbing that can be wrapped around sections of rock, hitched to other pieces of equipment or tied directly to a tensioned line using a prusik knot; for anchor extension , equalization, or climbing the...
/Rope: These are used to tie the pieces of protection of the anchor together with equalised tension using the above mentioned knots. - Carabiners: Are used to connect the pieces of protection to the rope and also to attach the belay deviceBelay deviceBelay devices are mechanical pieces of climbing equipment used to control a rope during belaying. They are designed to improve belay safety for the climber by allowing the belayer to manage their duties with minimal physical effort. With the right belay device, a small, weak climber can easily...
and lead climber to the anchor.
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 to the ground.Typical sequence
- Leader places gear on harness
- Leader ties into the rope using a Figure 8 knot.
- Second climber ties into the other end of the rope.
- Second puts the leader on belay using a belay device or munter hitch.
- 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 drawQuickdrawQuickdraws are used by rock climbers to connect the climbing rope to bolt anchors or other protection, while lead climbing...
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 clips into using a screw gate carabiner 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
- 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 on each with a varying degree of suitability for traditional climbing. Some examples are SandstoneSandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
, Granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
and Limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
.
Ethics
While it may 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. done with a combination of permanent anchors or bolts and crack fitting hardware were termed "traditional" when the term was first coined—see climbing stylesClimbing styles
Rock climbing style refers to the method by which vertical progress can be made in rock climbing. Each climbing style can be considered a sort of game with rules or standard commonly referred to as climbing ethic. These ethics are some of climbing's social mores.- Categories :The term "style" is...
). 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.
Other ethics do exist, such as no pre-placed protection (i.e., putting the gear in, then climbing). Trying to climb routes onsight (ground up, no prior knowledge of the route) is also considered good ethics. However the ethics are just ethics, and a route can be climbed in any style so long as it does not monopolize a route or damage the rock.