Sport climbing
Encyclopedia
Sport climbing is a form of rock climbing
that relies on permanent anchors
fixed to the rock, and possibly bolt
s, for protection
, (in contrast with traditional climbing
, where the rock is typically devoid of fixed anchors and bolts, and where climbers must place removable protection as they climb). Since the need to place protection is virtually eliminated, sport climbing places an emphasis on gymnastic-like ability, strength, and endurance - as opposed to the adventure, risk and self-sufficiency which characterize traditional climbing
. Since artificial means are used primarily for safety rather than to make upward progress, sport climbing is considered a form of free climbing
.
On a sport climbing route, pre-placed bolts follow a 'line' up a rock face. Sport climbs can vary in length from a few metres to a full 60 metre rope length for multi-pitch climbs. The climbs might be equipped with just a few bolts or many.
Sport climbing can be undertaken with relatively little equipment. Equipment used in sport climbing includes:
To lead
a sport climb means to ascend a route with a rope tied to the climber's harness, and with the loose end of the rope handled by a belayer. As each bolt is reached along the route, the climber attaches a quickdraw to the bolt, and then clips the rope through the hanging end of the quickdraw. This bolt is now protecting the climber in the event of a fall. At the top of sport routes, there is typically a two-bolt anchor that can be used to return the climber to the ground or previous rappel point.
Because sport routes do not require placing protection, the climber can concentrate on the difficulty of the moves rather than placing protection or the consequences of a fall.
Sport climbing differs from traditional climbing
with respect to the type and placement of protection. Traditional climbing uses mostly removable protection (such as cams
or nuts
), and tends to minimize the usage of pre-placed protection. Sport climbing typically involves single pitch
routes but can have multi-pitch routes. El Potrero Chico is a well known multi-pitch sport climbing area. Long multi-pitch routes may lack pre-placed anchors due to economical, logistical or ethical reasons.
Rock types that produce good sport climbs include limestone
, granite
and quartzite
, though sport climbs can be found on almost all rock types.
The Ewbank rating system, used in Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, is a numerical open-ended system, starting from 1, which you can (at least in theory) walk up, up to 34 (as of 2008).
The French rating system considers the overall difficulty of the climb, taking into account the difficulty of the moves and the length of climb. This differs from most grading systems where one rates a climbing route according to the most difficult section (or single move). Grades are numerical, starting at 1 (very easy), and the system is open-ended. Each numerical grade can be subdivided by adding a letter (a, b or c). Examples: 2, 4, 4b, 6a, 7c. An optional + (no -) may be used to further differentiate difficulty. Many countries in Europe use a system with similar grades but not necessarily matching difficulties. Sport climbing in Britain and Ireland uses the French grading system, often prefixed with the letter "F".
In the United States, the Yosemite Decimal System
is used to rate sport climbs. Current grades for sport routes vary between 5.0 (very, very easy) to 5.15 (ridiculously hard), although the system is open-ended. Past 5.10, letter grades between a and d are sometimes used for further subdivision (e.g. 5.11a or 5.10d). Pluses and minuses may also be used (e.g. 5.9+ or 5.11-). Originally, the YDS rating was designed to rate the difficulty of the hardest move on a given route. However, modern sport grades often take into account other features such as length and sustainedness.
In some areas, including some in the United States, if a route cannot be safely climbed with the use of traditional gear, it is generally acceptable to the climbing community to bolt it. In much of the U.K., similar bolting is widely considered unacceptable. However, regulations regarding bolting can vary from state to state and between landowners or land managers & should always be thoroughly researched. Also look into Park policy and local climbing ethics before bolting.
Additionally, the method of bolting may often be challenged. Many early sport routes were bolted on lead by the first ascender: a "traditional" approach. One could say that it became "sport" climbing when routes started to get bolted from the top (hanging on a rope).
Comfortizing holds often involves aggressively cleaning a route to the point where sharp holds have been filed down, often making them somewhat easier to use. While many climbers frown on this, in some areas comfortizing is considered acceptable to a point.
Reinforcing rock with glue is the most widely accepted modification to natural features in the sport climbing world. When a popular route is climbed over and over, holds may become looser and closer to breaking. Sometimes, these holds will be reinforced to prevent them from breaking. Other times, if a hold entirely breaks off, it may be glued back on. In most areas, these practices are considered acceptable if done neatly.
Not sending a route means that a climber was unable to climb a route without hanging on the rope or falling: a send refers to someone climbing a route entirely under his/her own power without assist from the rope.
.
Major sport climbing areas:
Major sport climbing areas:
Some of the hardest routes in France:
All of these routes (except Realization) were first climbed by Frenchman Fred Rouhling
. Akira has been a matter of great discution due the fact that Fred Rouhling has not climbed any 9b confirmed yet, thus putting in question the grade 9b+ itself.
Notable climbers:
Major sport climbing areas:
Some of the hardest routes in Germany:
Many world class routes in the 8b+/9a/9a+ range are in nearby Austrian Tyrol.
Korea uses the Yosemite Decimal grading system.
Notable climber:
Go Mi-young was world top 5 climber in both sport climbing and ice climbing
. She also climbed all peaks of Mount Everest in 2007. She died in 2009 descending Nanga Parbet.
Major sport climbing areas:
Geumjeongsan, Busan
Major traditional climbing crags include
Seoraksan National Park, Gangwon Province
have featured Majorca in their videos.
Major sport climbing areas:
Some of the hardest routes in Spain include:
Note on Chilam Balam - The proposed grade was 9b+ and has sparked an onslaught of online controversy around the world, “I cannot take Bernabé's proposal seriously as I can't see any references that would demonstrate his skills of climbing at such a high level — far above the rest of the world. I would be lying if I said that I believed in the correctness of the grade 9b+!,” writes German Alexander Huber on the European spray-tracking website, www.8a.nu. At the time the hardest climb route was proposed by Chris Sharma with his FA Realization with the grade of 9a+.
In April of 2011 Adam Ondra climbed Chilam Balam and suggested the grade 9b.
northern Thailand
Among several developed crags in the Chiang Mai area, there is Crazy Horse, about an hour's drive east of the city. There are also some developed climbing areas which offer cleared routes with stout top-rope anchors, routes with horizontal fixed cables for traverse climbing, and tightropes with overhead safety cables and other challenging activities.
southern Thailand
The Rock around Railay Beach
The rock is all limestone and is part of the world's largest coral reef, stretching from China to Papua New Guinea. The routes are all bolted sport climbing routes. The French grading system is used. With over 700 routes ranging from beginner 5a's to classic multipitch 6a's right up to the extremes of 8c, there's enough to keep any climber busy for years.
Major sport climbing areas include:
Some early proponents of the sport climbing revolution in the UK were Ron Fawcett
, Jerry Moffatt and Ben Moon
. They were heavily influenced by climbing in France, and the German conception of free climbing.
Some of the hardest UK sport routes:
At some UK climbing areas, sport climbing is frowned upon because some climbers believe that the permanent placing of bolts in mountainous and sea-cliff areas detracts from the wilderness experience, damages the rock, and devalues the achievements of the first ascensionist
who climbed in traditional style, placing their own protection. Sport climbing takes place on indoor climbing wall
s and on some limestone and slate cliffs and other rock types that are unsuited to traditional climbing
. Some of the sport routes were originally climbed as aid routes and a great deal of existing fixed gear such as Pitons had been hammered into the routes when the routes were free climbed (not using aid) the original fixed gear was replaced with bolts creating a sport route.
'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." The original sport climbers in the U.S. were trad climbers that adopted a European style of climbing. They created routes that provided plenty of fixed protection (pre-installed Bolt
s) put in on rappel (or 'top-down'). The first routes tended to be vertical with small handholds. As time went by, new routes got steeper, placing an increased emphasis on stamina.
Allan Watts was the first person in the U.S. to adopt a top-down style of climbing. His rappel-bolted routes at Smith Rock were soon internationally acclaimed as some of the best climbing in the U.S. In 1988 Frenchman J.B. Tribout established the first 5.14 in the U.S. at Smith Rock called "To Bolt or Not to Be". Other notable early developers were: Scott Franklin, Dale Goddard and Christian Griffith.
In the early 1980s, Dan Goodwin
, aka Spider Dan, Skyscraperman, who gained fame for scaling skyscraper
s, broke from rock climbing
tradition by free soloing without a rope difficult climbs, including the then tallest structure on the planet, the CN Tower
, thus opening a new era for skyscraper climbers. On American national television
Goodwin, while free soloing Mickey's Beach crack at Stinson Beach, California
, performed the One Arm Fly Off and the Flag Maneuver. Responding to traditionalists within the rock climbing community who hailed his ascents as stunts, Goodwin stated he was sport climbing and therefore not bound by the rules of rock climbing. In 1988, Goodwin built the climbing wall for the First International Sport Climbing Championship which was held at Snowbird
, Utah
, where he served as a commentator for CBS Sports
.
Major sport climbing areas:
Difficult sport climbing routes in the U.S. (with European scale in parentheses):
. In the U.S. it is considered unacceptable to add bolts to an established traditional route to turn it into a sport climb.
In the UK, a number of established routes have been bolted by sports climbers, this has generally been done in recent years by consensus with the first climber, though in earlier years this was not always the case.
In Spain also, traditional climbs have been overbolted against the wishes of traditional climbers.
In 2007, the British Mountaineering Council introduced 10,000 bolts into the UK climbing scene mostly to replace existing unsafe fixed protection., which some fear will cause further conflict.
Bird watchers and other non-climbing wilderness visitors sometimes object to being distracted by brightly-colored slings left at rappel anchors, leading climbers to use webbing the same color as the rock.
, with hundreds of sport and trad routes. The park also has several Bouldering
problems ranging from V0 to V11 in difficulty.
Other states with widely known sport routes are Trujillo
, Guarico
, Tachira and Lara
.
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...
that relies on 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...
fixed to the rock, and possibly 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, for protection
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:...
, (in contrast with traditional climbing
Traditional climbing
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 , and removes it when a passage is complete...
, where the rock is typically devoid of fixed anchors and bolts, and where climbers must place removable protection as they climb). Since the need to place protection is virtually eliminated, sport climbing places an emphasis on gymnastic-like ability, strength, and endurance - as opposed to the adventure, risk and self-sufficiency which characterize traditional climbing
Traditional climbing
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 , and removes it when a passage is complete...
. Since artificial means are used primarily for safety rather than to make upward progress, sport climbing is considered a form of 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....
.
Basics
Sport climbing can be undertaken with relatively little equipment. Equipment used in sport climbing includes:
- A dynamic ropeDynamic ropeA dynamic rope is a specially constructed, stretchable rope. This 'stretch' is what makes it 'dynamic', in contrast to a static rope that doesn't have any give when under load. By stretching under load, a dynamic rope will soften the impact of extreme stresses on it, such as falls, and lessens the...
- QuickdrawQuickdrawQuickdraws are used by rock climbers to connect the climbing rope to bolt anchors or other protection, while lead climbing...
s - A belay device
- Climbing harnessClimbing harnessA climbing harness is a piece of equipment used in certain types of rock-climbing, abseiling or other activities requiring the use of ropes to provide access or safety...
es for belayer and climber - Climbing Shoes and chalk bag are normally used, although not technically necessary
Lead climbing
Lead climbing is a climbing technique used to ascend a route. This technique is predominantly used in rock climbing and involves a lead climber attaching themselves to a length of dynamic climbing rope and ascending a route while periodically attaching protection to the face of the route and...
a sport climb means to ascend a route with a rope tied to the climber's harness, and with the loose end of the rope handled by a belayer. As each bolt is reached along the route, the climber attaches a quickdraw to the bolt, and then clips the rope through the hanging end of the quickdraw. This bolt is now protecting the climber in the event of a fall. At the top of sport routes, there is typically a two-bolt anchor that can be used to return the climber to the ground or previous rappel point.
Because sport routes do not require placing protection, the climber can concentrate on the difficulty of the moves rather than placing protection or the consequences of a fall.
Sport climbing differs from traditional climbing
Traditional climbing
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 , and removes it when a passage is complete...
with respect to the type and placement of protection. Traditional climbing uses mostly removable protection (such as cams
Spring loaded camming device
A spring-loaded camming device is a piece of rock climbing or mountaineering protection equipment. It consists of three or four cams mounted on a common axle or two adjacent axles, so that pulling on the axle forces the cams to spread farther apart...
or nuts
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...
), and tends to minimize the usage of pre-placed protection. Sport climbing typically involves single pitch
Pitch (vertical space)
-Climbing:In rock climbing and ice climbing, a pitch is a steep section of a route that requires a rope between two belays, as part of a climbing system...
routes but can have multi-pitch routes. El Potrero Chico is a well known multi-pitch sport climbing area. Long multi-pitch routes may lack pre-placed anchors due to economical, logistical or ethical reasons.
Rock types that produce good sport climbs include 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....
, 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 quartzite
Quartzite
Quartzite is a hard metamorphic rock which was originally sandstone. Sandstone is converted into quartzite through heating and pressure usually related to tectonic compression within orogenic belts. Pure quartzite is usually white to gray, though quartzites often occur in various shades of pink...
, though sport climbs can be found on almost all rock types.
Ratings
Sport climbs are assigned subjective ratings to indicate difficulty. The type of rating depends on the geographic location of the route, since different countries and climbing communities use different rating systems.The Ewbank rating system, used in Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, is a numerical open-ended system, starting from 1, which you can (at least in theory) walk up, up to 34 (as of 2008).
The French rating system considers the overall difficulty of the climb, taking into account the difficulty of the moves and the length of climb. This differs from most grading systems where one rates a climbing route according to the most difficult section (or single move). Grades are numerical, starting at 1 (very easy), and the system is open-ended. Each numerical grade can be subdivided by adding a letter (a, b or c). Examples: 2, 4, 4b, 6a, 7c. An optional + (no -) may be used to further differentiate difficulty. Many countries in Europe use a system with similar grades but not necessarily matching difficulties. Sport climbing in Britain and Ireland uses the French grading system, often prefixed with the letter "F".
In the United States, the Yosemite Decimal System
Yosemite Decimal System
The Yosemite Decimal System is a three-part system used for rating the difficulty of walks, hikes, and climbs. It is primarily used by mountaineers in the United States and Canada. The Class 5 portion of the Class scale is primarily a rock climbing classification system. Originally the system was...
is used to rate sport climbs. Current grades for sport routes vary between 5.0 (very, very easy) to 5.15 (ridiculously hard), although the system is open-ended. Past 5.10, letter grades between a and d are sometimes used for further subdivision (e.g. 5.11a or 5.10d). Pluses and minuses may also be used (e.g. 5.9+ or 5.11-). Originally, the YDS rating was designed to rate the difficulty of the hardest move on a given route. However, modern sport grades often take into account other features such as length and sustainedness.
Ethics
The ethics climbers adopt toward their sport are not always steadfast, and they often depend on the venue. The following examples are merely outlines that do not always hold true.Bolting
Whether a route should be bolted as a sport climb is often in dispute.In some areas, including some in the United States, if a route cannot be safely climbed with the use of traditional gear, it is generally acceptable to the climbing community to bolt it. In much of the U.K., similar bolting is widely considered unacceptable. However, regulations regarding bolting can vary from state to state and between landowners or land managers & should always be thoroughly researched. Also look into Park policy and local climbing ethics before bolting.
Additionally, the method of bolting may often be challenged. Many early sport routes were bolted on lead by the first ascender: a "traditional" approach. One could say that it became "sport" climbing when routes started to get bolted from the top (hanging on a rope).
First ascents
Sometimes, a newly bolted route is considered "red tagged," and ethics dictate that the person who bolted the route should be the only climber to attempt it until they can send it. This is because equipping a new route is an expensive & time-consuming endeavor for the person who finds it. Other times, the bolter will allow the route they developed to become an "open project" that anyone can try. Ascents of reserved routes have led to a number of controversies in the sport climbing world.Chipping, comfortizing, and reinforcing
Changing the natural features of rock is often frowned upon, but in many parts of the world it is accepted to some extent. At some areas, "chipping" of the rock with a chisel or similar tool to create a hold that did not exist naturally is considered acceptable. This is particularly true in some quarries as well as some European crags. However, at many other areas, local ethics absolutely forbid this.Comfortizing holds often involves aggressively cleaning a route to the point where sharp holds have been filed down, often making them somewhat easier to use. While many climbers frown on this, in some areas comfortizing is considered acceptable to a point.
Reinforcing rock with glue is the most widely accepted modification to natural features in the sport climbing world. When a popular route is climbed over and over, holds may become looser and closer to breaking. Sometimes, these holds will be reinforced to prevent them from breaking. Other times, if a hold entirely breaks off, it may be glued back on. In most areas, these practices are considered acceptable if done neatly.
Sending
Sometimes, an ascent or the style in which it is done will come into dispute. For example, a leader who experiences tension on their rope from their belayer while climbing without falling may have not made a valid ascent, through no fault of their own. Additionally, the line between an onsight and a flash is often disputed. Some climbers consider any knowledge of a route, including its grade, to be data that invalidates an onsight. However, other climbers will go so far as to belay another climber on a route and still claim that they did not have enough prior knowledge to move from the onsight realm to the flash realm.Not sending
If a climber fails to onsight or flash a route, they may decide to "work" it by attempting to climb it despite falling and hanging on the rope. However, at popular destinations, multiple parties of climbers will often line up to try a route. A climber working a route may spend an inordinate amount of time on it, preventing other parties from climbing it. This is often frowned upon, particularly if the climber is toproping rather than leading.Not sending a route means that a climber was unable to climb a route without hanging on the rope or falling: a send refers to someone climbing a route entirely under his/her own power without assist from the rope.
Australia
Australia has some excellent sport climbing areas, and from time to time some of the hardest climbs in the world are established by either locals, or visitors such as Wolfgang GüllichWolfgang Güllich
Wolfgang Güllich , was born in Ludwigshafen, Germany, and is widely considered to be one of the best sport climbers in history.He first started climbing on the Sandstone-rocks of the 'Südpfalz'...
.
Major sport climbing areas:
- Nowra
- The Blue Mountains,
- The GrampiansGrampians National ParkThe Grampians National Park is a national park in Victoria, Australia, 235 kilometres west of Melbourne. The Park was listed on the Australian National Heritage List on 15 December 2006 for its outstanding natural beauty and being one of the richest indigenous rock art sites in south-eastern...
France
France was the birthplace and longtime champion of hard sport climbing in the 80s and 90s. This was partially due to their rock not being suitable for traditional type routes. In France, sport climbing and bouldering are very popular and competitive climbing is big business. With lots of limestone and balmy weather, there are many sport routes to be climbed in France.Major sport climbing areas:
- Ceuse
- BuouxBuouxBuoux is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.Located on the north side of the Luberon, the town is known for the high cliffs that surround it, making it a hot spot and world-famous site for rock-climbing enthusiasts, as well as the...
- Verdon GorgeVerdon GorgeThe Verdon Gorge , in south-eastern France , is a river canyon that is often considered to be one of Europe's most beautiful. It is about 25 kilometres long and up to 700 metres deep...
: Long routes or hard routes that start at the top of a 1000 feet (304.8 m) rock wall - Les Calanques
Some of the hardest routes in France:
- Akira, Charente, 9b+?
- RealizationRealization (climb)Realization, or Biographie, is a sport climbing route on a crag on the southern face of the 2016-metre Montagne de Céüse near Gap and Céüse, France....
(Biographie Extension), Ceuse, 9a+ ( repeated by Dave Graham ) - Salamander, Saint-Pierre en Faucigny, 9a+?
- Hugh, Eaux-Claires, near VilhonneurVilhonneurVilhonneur is a commune in the Charente department in southwestern France.-History:Vilhonneur was located on the Angoulême-Limoges Roman road, which was also known as the "English Road" ....
9a - L'autre côté du ciel, Eaux-Claires, 9a?
- Mandallaz drive, D’Allonzier la Caille, 9a?
All of these routes (except Realization) were first climbed by Frenchman Fred Rouhling
Fred Rouhling
Fred Rouhling is a French rock climber, famed for his 1995 proposal of the grade 9b/5.15b for his unrepeated climb Akira...
. Akira has been a matter of great discution due the fact that Fred Rouhling has not climbed any 9b confirmed yet, thus putting in question the grade 9b+ itself.
Germany
Many consider Germany to be the next country after France to embrace sport climbing.Notable climbers:
- Kurt AlbertKurt AlbertKurt Albert was a climber and photographer. He started climbing at the age of 14. Before he wholly committed his life to climbing in 1986 he was a mathematics and physics teacher....
was in many ways the original free climber. - Wolfgang GullichWolfgang GüllichWolfgang Güllich , was born in Ludwigshafen, Germany, and is widely considered to be one of the best sport climbers in history.He first started climbing on the Sandstone-rocks of the 'Südpfalz'...
put up the world’s first 9a, Action Directe in the Frankenjura.
Major sport climbing areas:
- Frankenjura (aka Fränkische Schweiz) - a world famous climbing area with over 4,000 routes on various types of limestone formations.
- ElbsandsteingebirgeElbe Sandstone MountainsThe Elbe Sandstone Mountains, also called the Elbe sandstone highlands is a mountain range straddling the border between the state of Saxony in southeastern Germany and the North Bohemian region of the Czech Republic, with about three-quarters of the area lying on the German side...
(aka Sächsische Schweiz), is a major sandstone climbing area in East Germany. - Holzen
- Lürdissen
- Ith
Some of the hardest routes in Germany:
- Action DirecteAction Directe (climb)Action Directe is a famously difficult sport climb in the Frankenjura, Germany.Milan Sykora bolted this line in the 80's. The first ascent was by Wolfgang Güllich in 1991, who climbed the route using a 16 move sequence...
, Frankenjura, 9a - Corona, Frankenjura, 9a+
- The man that follows hell, Frankenjura, 9a+?
- Die Welle, Leonhardstein, 9a
Many world class routes in the 8b+/9a/9a+ range are in nearby Austrian Tyrol.
Korea
Sport climbing in Korea is getting more and more popular. Most cities and municipal governments have their own indoor or outdoor climbing walls now. More than 150 climbing areas (and an equal number of gyms/walls) throughout the country are packed up with climbers on weekends.Korea uses the Yosemite Decimal grading system.
Notable climber:
Go Mi-young was world top 5 climber in both sport climbing and ice climbing
Ice climbing
Ice climbing, as the term indicates, is the activity of ascending inclined ice formations. Usually, ice climbing refers to roped and protected climbing of features such as icefalls, frozen waterfalls, and cliffs and rock slabs covered with ice refrozen from flows of water. For the purposes of...
. She also climbed all peaks of Mount Everest in 2007. She died in 2009 descending Nanga Parbet.
Major sport climbing areas:
- Seoul Metropolitan Area
- Seonunsan Provincial Park, Jeollabuk Province
- Yongseo Pokpo, Jeollanam Province
- Ganhyeon Resort, Gangwon Province
Geumjeongsan, Busan
Major traditional climbing crags include
- Bukhansan National Park, Seoul/Gyeonggi Province
Seoraksan National Park, Gangwon Province
Spain
In the 1980s, Spain's limestone crags became known as excellent winter sport climbing destinations. With excellent weather and some of the finest climbing in Europe, Spain is popular with both local climbers and visitors from across Europe. A wide variety of rock can be found in this world-class climbing locale, including granite, slate, limestone, and sandstone. With the highest number of 9a routes in the world, Spain has become one of the premier climbing destinations for the highest-caliber climbers. The island of Majorca, for example, is considered the birthplace of deep-water soloing, and such world-class climbers as Chris SharmaChris Sharma
Chris Omprakash Sharma is an American rock climber.-History:Chris Omprakash Sharma was raised in Santa Cruz, California, son of Gita Jahn and Bob Sharma. He started rock climbing when he was 12 at the Pacific Edge climbing gym...
have featured Majorca in their videos.
Major sport climbing areas:
- Mallorca
- Rodellar
- Riglos
- Vilanova de MeiàVilanova de MeiàVilanova de Meià is a municipality in the comarca of Noguera, in the province of Lleida, Catalonia, Spain....
- Siurana
- Baltzola
- El ChorroEl ChorroEl Chorro is a limestone gorge in Andalusia in southern Spain, through which passes the Guadalhorce river. It was dammed in 1921, forming three reservoirs which are flanked by pine forests....
in the province of Málaga - La PedrizaLa PedrizaLa Pedriza is a geological feature of great scenic and leisure interest. It is located on the southern slopes of the Guadarrama mountain range. Access is from Manzanares el Real, a municipality northwest of the Community of Madrid...
in the Community of Madrid - Santa Linya
Some of the hardest routes in Spain include:
- Chilam Balam 9b, Villanueva del Rosario (FA Adam Ondra)
- Chaxi Raxi 9b, Oliana (FA Adam Ondra)
- Delincuente Natural 9b, Rodellar (FA Dani Andrada)
- Es Pontas 9b? , Mallorca (FA Chris Sharma)
- Fight or Flight 9b, Oliana (FA Chris Sharma)
- First round first minuto 9b, Margalef (FA Chris Sharma)
- Golpe de Estado 9b, Siurana (FA Chris Sharma)
- La RamblaLa Rambla (climb)La Rambla is a famously difficult sport climb in Siurana, Catalonia . It's located at the sector of El Pati...
9a+, Siurana (FA Ramón Julián Puigblanque)
Note on Chilam Balam - The proposed grade was 9b+ and has sparked an onslaught of online controversy around the world, “I cannot take Bernabé's proposal seriously as I can't see any references that would demonstrate his skills of climbing at such a high level — far above the rest of the world. I would be lying if I said that I believed in the correctness of the grade 9b+!,” writes German Alexander Huber on the European spray-tracking website, www.8a.nu. At the time the hardest climb route was proposed by Chris Sharma with his FA Realization with the grade of 9a+.
In April of 2011 Adam Ondra climbed Chilam Balam and suggested the grade 9b.
Thailand
Thailand offers good sport climbing on limestone crags near the southern islands and in its northern regions.northern Thailand
Among several developed crags in the Chiang Mai area, there is Crazy Horse, about an hour's drive east of the city. There are also some developed climbing areas which offer cleared routes with stout top-rope anchors, routes with horizontal fixed cables for traverse climbing, and tightropes with overhead safety cables and other challenging activities.
southern Thailand
The Rock around Railay Beach
The rock is all limestone and is part of the world's largest coral reef, stretching from China to Papua New Guinea. The routes are all bolted sport climbing routes. The French grading system is used. With over 700 routes ranging from beginner 5a's to classic multipitch 6a's right up to the extremes of 8c, there's enough to keep any climber busy for years.
United Kingdom
Sport climbing began in the UK around 1984.Major sport climbing areas include:
- Raven Tor
- PortlandIsle of PortlandThe Isle of Portland is a limestone tied island, long by wide, in the English Channel. Portland is south of the resort of Weymouth, forming the southernmost point of the county of Dorset, England. A tombolo over which runs the A354 road connects it to Chesil Beach and the mainland. Portland and...
- MalhamMalhamMalham is a village and civil parish in the Craven district of North Yorkshire, England. Situated in the Yorkshire Dales with a population of approximately 150. The surrounding countryside is well known for its limestone pavements and other examples of limestone scenery...
- Pen Trwyn
- Kilnsey
Some early proponents of the sport climbing revolution in the UK were Ron Fawcett
Ron Fawcett
Ron Fawcett is an English rock climber. He is noted for being amongst the outstanding rock climbers of the 1970s and 1980s, and for being one of the first professional rock climbers....
, Jerry Moffatt and Ben Moon
Ben Moon
Ben Moon is a rock climber from England. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, Ben Moon, along with his climbing partner Jerry Moffatt drove forward the level of sport climbing in the UK especially, but also throughout the world. He was the first person to climb a route at the grade of 8c+,...
. They were heavily influenced by climbing in France, and the German conception of free climbing.
Some of the hardest UK sport routes:
- Overshadow 9a+, at Malham Cove
- The Big Bang, Lower Pen Trwyn, 9a
- Mutation, Raven Tor, 9a
- Rainshadow, Malham, 9a
- Northern Lights, Kilnsey, 9a
At some UK climbing areas, sport climbing is frowned upon because some climbers believe that the permanent placing of bolts in mountainous and sea-cliff areas detracts from the wilderness experience, damages the rock, and devalues the achievements of the first ascensionist
First ascent
In climbing, a first ascent is the first successful, documented attainment of the top of a mountain, or the first to follow a particular climbing route...
who climbed in traditional style, placing their own protection. Sport climbing takes place on indoor climbing wall
Climbing wall
A climbing wall is an artificially constructed wall with grips for hands and feet, usually used for indoor climbing, but sometimes located outdoors as well. Some are brick or wooden constructions, but on most modern walls, the material most often used is a thick multiplex board with holes drilled...
s and on some limestone and slate cliffs and other rock types that are unsuited to traditional climbing
Traditional climbing
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 , and removes it when a passage is complete...
. Some of the sport routes were originally climbed as aid routes and a great deal of existing fixed gear such as Pitons had been hammered into the routes when the routes were free climbed (not using aid) the original fixed gear was replaced with bolts creating a sport route.
United States
Sport climbing is a relatively modern branch of the sport, becoming popular in the US during the 1980s. John LongJohn 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." The original sport climbers in the U.S. were trad climbers that adopted a European style of climbing. They created routes that provided plenty of fixed protection (pre-installed 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) put in on rappel (or 'top-down'). The first routes tended to be vertical with small handholds. As time went by, new routes got steeper, placing an increased emphasis on stamina.
Allan Watts was the first person in the U.S. to adopt a top-down style of climbing. His rappel-bolted routes at Smith Rock were soon internationally acclaimed as some of the best climbing in the U.S. In 1988 Frenchman J.B. Tribout established the first 5.14 in the U.S. at Smith Rock called "To Bolt or Not to Be". Other notable early developers were: Scott Franklin, Dale Goddard and Christian Griffith.
In the early 1980s, Dan Goodwin
Dan Goodwin
American Dan Goodwin is a building, rock, and sports climber, as well as a stage-four cancer survivor, originally from Kennebunkport, Maine, United States, and living as of 2010 in Lake Tahoe, California.-Building climber:...
, aka Spider Dan, Skyscraperman, who gained fame for scaling skyscraper
Skyscraper
A skyscraper is a tall, continuously habitable building of many stories, often designed for office and commercial use. There is no official definition or height above which a building may be classified as a skyscraper...
s, broke from rock climbing
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...
tradition by free soloing without a rope difficult climbs, including the then tallest structure on the planet, the CN Tower
CN Tower
The CN Tower is a communications and observation tower in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Standing tall, it was completed in 1976, becoming the world's tallest free-standing structure and world's tallest tower at the time. It held both records for 34 years until the completion of the Burj...
, thus opening a new era for skyscraper climbers. On American national television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
Goodwin, while free soloing Mickey's Beach crack at Stinson Beach, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, performed the One Arm Fly Off and the Flag Maneuver. Responding to traditionalists within the rock climbing community who hailed his ascents as stunts, Goodwin stated he was sport climbing and therefore not bound by the rules of rock climbing. In 1988, Goodwin built the climbing wall for the First International Sport Climbing Championship which was held at Snowbird
Snowbird
Snowbird may refer to:*"Snowbird" , recorded by Anne Murray in 1970*Snowbird , people from Canada and the northern United States who spend winter in warmer climates of the southern United States*Snowbird , a Marvel Comics character...
, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, where he served as a commentator for CBS Sports
CBS Sports
CBS Sports is a division of CBS Broadcasting which airs sporting events on the American television network. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on West 52nd Street in midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS Broadcast Center on West 57th Street.CBS...
.
Major sport climbing areas:
- American Fork Canyon, UtahAmerican Fork, UtahAmerican Fork is a city in Utah County, Utah, United States, at the foot of Mount Timpanogos in the Wasatch Range, north of Utah Lake. It is part of the Provo–Orem, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 26,263 at the 2010 census, nearly a 20% growth since the 2000 census...
- New River Gorge, West VirginiaNew River Gorge National RiverThe New River Gorge National River is a unit of the United States National Park Service designed to protect and maintain the New River Gorge in southern West Virginia. Established in 1978, the NPS-protected area stretches for from just downstream of Hinton to Hawks Nest State Park near Ansted.New...
- Owens River Gorge, CaliforniaOwens River GorgeThe Owens River Gorge is a steep 10 mi canyon on the upper Owens River in eastern California in the United States. The canyon is located at the eastern edge of the Sierra Nevada mountains in southern Mono County, along the stretch of the river where it exits the Long Valley near its source...
- Red Rocks, NevadaRed Rock Canyon National Conservation AreaRed Rock Canyon National Conservation Area in Nevada is an area managed by the Bureau of Land Management as part of its National Landscape Conservation System, and protected as a National Conservation Area. It is located about west of Las Vegas, and easily seen from the Las Vegas Strip...
- Red River GorgeRed River GorgeThe Red River Gorge is a canyon system on the Red River in east-central Kentucky. Geologically, it is part of the Pottsville Escarpment.Much of the Gorge is located inside the Daniel Boone National Forest and has been subsequently reserved as the Red River Gorge Geological Area, an area of around...
, KentuckyKentuckyThe Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth... - Rifle, ColoradoRifle, ColoradoThe City of Rifle is a Home Rule Municipality in Garfield County, Colorado, United States. The population was 6,769 at the 2000 census. Rifle is a regional center of the cattle ranching industry located along Interstate 70 and the Colorado River just east of the Roan Cliffs, which dominate the...
- Rumney, New HampshireRumney, New HampshireRumney is a town in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 1,480 at the 2010 census. The town is located at the southern edge of the White Mountain National Forest.-History:...
- Smith Rock, OregonSmith Rock State ParkSmith Rock State Park is a state park located in central Oregon's high desert near the towns of Redmond and Terrebonne. Its sheer cliffs of tuff and basalt are ideal for rock climbing of all difficulty levels...
Difficult sport climbing routes in the U.S. (with European scale in parentheses):
- Jumbo Love, Clark Mountain, California, 5.15b (9b)
- Flex Luthor, Fortress of Solitude, Colorado, 5.15a (9a+)
- Jaws II, Rumney, 5.15a (9a+)
- Kryptonite, Fortress of Solitude, Colorado, 5.14d (9a)
- Psychedelic, St George, 5.14d (9a)
- The Fly, Rumney, 5.14d (9a/8B+)
- Livin’ Astroglide, Rumney, 5.14c/d (9a)
- Cain, Willow River, Wisconsin, 5.14c (8c+)
- Monkey Face, Smith Rock, Oregon 5.14c
- The Golden Ticket, Red River Gorge 5.14c/d (9a)
Access and conflicts
The United States has a strong history of traditional climbing, especially at certain crags, and considerable value is placed on routes staying as they were done by the first ascenderFirst ascent
In climbing, a first ascent is the first successful, documented attainment of the top of a mountain, or the first to follow a particular climbing route...
. In the U.S. it is considered unacceptable to add bolts to an established traditional route to turn it into a sport climb.
In the UK, a number of established routes have been bolted by sports climbers, this has generally been done in recent years by consensus with the first climber, though in earlier years this was not always the case.
In Spain also, traditional climbs have been overbolted against the wishes of traditional climbers.
In 2007, the British Mountaineering Council introduced 10,000 bolts into the UK climbing scene mostly to replace existing unsafe fixed protection., which some fear will cause further conflict.
Bird watchers and other non-climbing wilderness visitors sometimes object to being distracted by brightly-colored slings left at rappel anchors, leading climbers to use webbing the same color as the rock.
Venezuela
Venezuela has several states with sport equipped routes, the most known place to practice sport climbing is La Guairita, CaracasCaracas
Caracas , officially Santiago de León de Caracas, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela; natives or residents are known as Caraquenians in English . It is located in the northern part of the country, following the contours of the narrow Caracas Valley on the Venezuelan coastal mountain range...
, with hundreds of sport and trad routes. The park also has several Bouldering
Bouldering
Bouldering is a style of rock climbing undertaken without a rope and normally limited to very short climbs over a crash pad so that a fall will not result in serious injury. It is typically practiced on large natural boulders or artificial boulders in gyms and outdoor urban areas...
problems ranging from V0 to V11 in difficulty.
Other states with widely known sport routes are Trujillo
Trujillo (state)
Trujillo State is one of the 23 states of Venezuela. Its capital is Trujillo. The state is divided into 20 municipalities and 93 parishes. Trujillo State covers a total surface area of 7,400 km² and, in 2007, had an estimated population of 711,400....
, Guarico
Guárico
Guárico State is one of the 23 states of Venezuela. The state capital is San Juan de Los Morros. Guárico State covers a total surface area of 64 986 km² and, in 2007, had an estimated population of 745,100.-Municipalities and municipal seats:...
, Tachira and Lara
Lara (state)
Lara State is one of the 23 states into which Venezuela is divided. The state capital is Barquisimeto.Lara State covers a total surface area of and, in 2007, had an estimated population of 1,795,100.- Municipalities and municipal seats :...
.
See also
- Rock ClimbingRock ClimbingRock 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...
- Climbing equipmentClimbing equipmentA 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....
- Lead ClimbingLead climbingLead climbing is a climbing technique used to ascend a route. This technique is predominantly used in rock climbing and involves a lead climber attaching themselves to a length of dynamic climbing rope and ascending a route while periodically attaching protection to the face of the route and...
- Glossary of climbing termsGlossary of climbing termsThis 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...
- International Sport Climbing Federation--http://www.ifsc-climbing.com
- Asian Sport Climbing Federation--http://www.afsc-climbing.com
- Southeast Asia Climbing Federation--http://www.seacf.org