To make climbing

Climbing

Climbing is the activity of using one's hands and feet to ascend a steep object. It is done both for recreation and professionally, as part of activities such as maintenance of a structure, or military operations.Climbing activities include:* Bouldering: Ascending boulders or small...

 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

There are a number of ways to "protect" a climb, varying according to the type of climbing:

Lead climbing

Lead climbing is the climbing system in which the lead climber places protection (temporary or permanent anchors

Anchor (climbing)

In rock climbing, an anchor can be any way of attaching the climber, the rope, or a load to rock, ice, steep dirt, or a building by either permanent or temporary means...

) in the rock establishing the climbing route. The rope is clipped through carabiners (often made especially for lead climbing called quick draws) which are in turn connected to the protection. The belayer

Belaying

thumb|200px|right|A belayer is belaying behind a lead climberBelaying refers to a variety of techniques used in climbing to exert friction on a climbing rope so that a falling climber does not fall very far...

 pays out rope during the ascent, and manually arrests the climber's fall by locking the rope.

Top roping

Instead of leading the climb, when top roping, the climber arranges anchors for a rope at the top of the route before attempting the climb. The rope runs from the belayer, on the ground, through the anchor at the top of the route, and back down to the climber. There will be almost no slack in the rope should the climber fall.

Bouldering

Bouldering is climbing routes that are generally horizontal in nature, without rope. As these routes are low to the ground, other types of safety equipment are appropriate:

• Bouldering mat
  Bouldering mat
  A bouldering mat or crash pad is a foam pad used for protection when bouldering. There are various sizes and makes, but the most common type is a folded mattress, 8 to 10 centimetres thick , that when unfolded measures about 1 x 1.3 metres . Bouldering mats often have shoulder straps so as to...
  
  . A bouldering mat or crash pad is a padded foam-cell mat placed on the ground below a climber. This reduces the chance of injury from a fall.
• Spotting
  Spotting (climbing)
  Spotting is a technique used in climbing, especially in bouldering, where the climbers are close to the ground and ropes are not typically used. The spotter stands below the climber, with arms raised or at the ready. If the climber falls, the spotter does not catch the climber, but redirects the...
  
  . The spotter stands below the climber and attempts to direct a potential fall. Generally, the aim is to stop the climber from landing badly, and especially to stop the climber's head from hitting the ground.

Soloing

Although 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...

 is done without any protective gear, solo climbers

Solo climbing

Solo climbing or soloing is a style of climbing in which the climber climbs alone, without somebody belaying him. There are three ways to climb solo:* Roped solo climbing:**lead climbing with a self-locking device which is used to arrest a fall...

 do sometimes use protection. A climber may place a piece of protection and clip into it with a short tether for safety during a difficult move, then remove the protection and continue the ascent. There are also pieces of equipment such as a Silent Partner which fill the role of a belayer, allowing a lead climber to climb without a partner.

Equipment

The gear used to protect climbs varies:

• Slings are loops of nylon
  Nylon
  Nylon is a generic designation for a family of synthetic polymers known generically as polyamides, first produced on February 28, 1935, by Wallace Carothers at DuPont's research facility at the DuPont Experimental Station...
  
   webbing
  Webbing
  Webbing is a strong fabric woven as a flat strip or tube of varying width and fibres often used in place of rope. The name webbing comes from the meshed material frequently used in its construction, which resembles a web...
  
   (also called "tape"), or rope
  Rope
  A rope is a length of fibres, twisted or braided together to improve strength for pulling and connecting. It has tensile strength but is too flexible to provide compressive strength...
  
  , or some other material. They can be tied around rock spikes or trees, threaded; through natural holes in the rock, round natural chockstones in cracks, or through artificial anchors such as metal hangers, chains, or rings.
• Metal nut
  Nut (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...
  
  s or chocks can be placed in constrictions in cracks and attached to carabiners with wire or nylon slings.
• Spring-loaded camming device (SLCDs) are devices that use a spiral shaped cam that expands into a crack as it is weighted. These can be placed even in parallel and outward flaring cracks.
• Bolt
  Bolt (climbing)
  In rock climbing, a bolt is a permanent anchor fixed into a hole drilled in the rock as a form of protection. Most bolts are either self-anchoring expansion bolts or fixed in place with liquid resin....
  
  s can be pre-placed in pre-drilled holes in the rock and then clipped by the climber with a carabiner. Bolts are usually found in situ. It is very unusual to place bolts as one climbs, as it involves drilling and gluing, but it is sometimes necessary on exploratory routes and particularly when 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....
  
   on new routes.
• 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 can be hammered (or hand-placed if loose enough) into thin cracks and clipped (through an "eye" in the piton) to a carabiner.
• Skyhook
  Skyhook (climbing)
  A skyhook is a piece of climbing equipment, a very small hook which gives hold on small protrusions or watery and slippery grips.They are most often used for placements, often extremely marginal, in aid climbing, although they also feature in some extreme free routes...
  
  s are talon shaped pieces of strong metal that can be hooked over very small ledges and flakes in the rock and secured to a carabiner. Usually found more in 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....
  
   they are occasionally used in free climbing
  Free climbing
  Free climbing is a type of rock climbing in which the climber uses only hands, feet and other parts of the body to ascend, employing ropes and forms of climbing protection to prevent falls only....
  
  , as extremely marginal protection.

In-situ protection usually consists of bolts (along with a metal hanger, chain, or ring) or fixed pitons. Sometimes there are in-situ slings, or nuts/SLCDs that have been irretrievably jammed in the rock. Anything else that is left in-situ has a tendency to get 'cleaned' (collected) by climbers.

Standards

There are two major standards for climbing equipment safety and reliability worldwide:

• UIAA (International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation)
  Union Internationale des Associations d'Alpinisme
  The UIAA or Union Internationale des Associations d'Alpinisme, is the organization that represents several million mountaineers and climbers, world-wide, on international issues. Formed in 1932 in Chamonix, France, it now has over 88 members associations from some 76 countries, all of national...
  
  
• CEN (European Committee for Standardisation)
  European Committee for Standardization
  The European Committee for Standardization or Comité Européen de Normalisation , is a non-profit organisation whose mission is to foster the European economy in global trading, the welfare of European citizens and the environment by providing an efficient infrastructure to interested parties for...
  
  

In recent years, the CEN has become an important standards organization, mainly in Europe since any products sold in Europe must by law be third-party certified to the relevant standards. There is no such requirement in most other countries, although most manufacturers voluntarily follow UIAA or CEN standards (much like electrical equipment in the US is almost always privately certified by Underwriters Laboratories

Underwriters Laboratories

Underwriters Laboratories Inc. is an independent product safety certification organization. Established in 1894, the company has its headquarters in Northbrook, Illinois. UL develops standards and test procedures for products, materials, components, assemblies, tools and equipment, chiefly dealing...

).

CEN

In Europe

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

, equipment used by climbers has to meet the requirements of the Personal and Protective Equipment (PPE) Directive. Essentially, the equipment must be manufactured using a carefully controlled process and samples must meet various tests. Equipment meeting the regulations is marked with the CE Mark

CE mark

CE marking is a mandatory conformity mark for products placed on the market in the European Economic Area . With the CE marking on a product the manufacturer ensures that the product conforms with the essential requirements of the applicable EC directives...

. Various standards are used when specifying how equipment should be tested:

• EN 12270:1998 "Mountaineering equipment. Chocks. Safety requirements and test methods."
• EN 892:1997 "Mountaineering equipment. Dynamic Mountaineering ropes. Safety requirements and test methods"
• EN 12276:1999 "Mountaineering equipment. Frictional anchors. Safety requirements and test methods" (covers SLCDs)

There are many more. Most of them appearing in ICS code 97.220.40 and having "Mountaineering" in the title.

UIAA

Safety is a very important area of work for the UIAA, as it is for all climbers and mountaineers. In response to the need for safety, the UIAA has developed the UIAA Safety Label. In the mid-nineties, CEN adopted the UIAA Safety Standards. Both commissions in CEN and UIAA share similar members. However, since a CE mark is mandatory in Europe, CEN label has grown to become popular amongst the manufacturers of mountaineering and climbing equipment. However, many climbers do not use protection in their climbing activities. This is highly risky, as falling off could result in serious injury or death. Although some critics claim climbing protection dulls the sensation of climbing, it prevents serious injury or death. Europe still holds more than 50% of the equipment market thus keeping the manufacturers interested in CE.

The UIAA Safety Label currently is owned by over 50 equipment manufacturers with over 1600 labels. REI, the largest outdoor equipment retailer from US became a UIAA Safety Label Holder. REI mandatorily requires all manufacturers to pass UIAA standards for equipment to be sold in its vast network of stores across the United States.

The UIAA Label is truly the only worldwide label for safety on mountain equipment as it brings together manufacturers from all over the world to have a say in the future standards for climbing equipment. The latest Safety Commission meeting was held in September 2008 in Prague, Czech Republic. Many benefits of the UIAA Safety Label over CEN:
a. UIAA made the first standards which were then adopted by CEN

b. Worldwide acceptance of Standards, especially in the US market,

c. Quick implementation of new standards for products to be brought out in the market

d. Participation in annual commission meetings open to stakeholders who are associated safety - including test labs, individuals and prospective label holders


Finally, UIAA Safety Label is "Designed for climbers, by climbers".