Sport climbing

Sport climbing is a style of rock climbing that relies on permanent anchors fixed to the rock, especially bolts, for protection. Sport climbing places an emphasis on gymnastic ability, strength and endurance, while virtually eliminating the need to place protection while climbing.

Sport Climbing Basics

Sport climbing equipment. From left to right, top to bottom are: rope, helmet, climbing shoes, harness, chalk bag, belay device, and quick draws.

A route suitable for sport climbing has pre-placed bolts following a line up a rock face. Sport climbs are typically between 20 and 120 feet in length, and have eight to twelve bolts (some routes may have as few as three bolts, while other routes may have twenty five or more).

Sport climbing can be undertaken with relatively little equipment. Equipment used in sport climbing includes:

• A dynamic rope
• Quickdraws
• A belay device
• Climbing harnesses for belayer and climber
• A few runners
• A helmet is recommended
• Climbing Shoes and chalk bag are normally used, although not technically necessary

Two quickdraws. The left side of the draws are clipped directly to the bolt. The rope will be clipped through the right side.

To lead a sport climb is 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 removeable protection (such as cams or nuts), and tends to minimize the usage of pre-placed protection. Sport climbing typically involves single pitch routes, whereas traditional climbing can include single-pitch routes as well as longer, multi-pitch ascents. There are areas like El Potrero Chico that feature multi-pitch sport climbs, but longer routes generally 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.

Ratings

Main article: Climbing grade

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 2004).

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 used for further subdivision (e.g. 5.11a or 5.10d).

Terminology

Sport climbers have developed their own terminology. For example, sport climbers have terms to categorize a successful climb based on the number of attempts and pre-existing knowledge of a given route:

• An ascent is considered an onsight if climbed the first try, without falls and without prior knowledge of the route.
• An ascent is considered a flash if climbed the first try, without falls but with some prior knowledge such as, but not limited to, watching another person climb it or discussing it with another climber.
• An ascent is considered a red point once a climber has attempted a given route and failed to climb it on the first attempt, but succeeded on a subsequent attempt while placing quickdraws.
• An ascent is considered a pink point once a climber has attempted a given route and failed to climb it on the first attempt, but succeeded on a subsequent attempt while climbing on pre-placed quickdraws. In some climbing communities, a pink point is considered to be a red point. In other climbing communities, this term has been abandoned entirely.

Routes that are at or above the individual climber's skill level often require working to red point (e.g. "We spent the summer working Ro Sham Po at the Red River Gorge in Kentucky."). A climber may return to a climb between two and hundreds of times to work out the moves, memorize the movements, and develop the strength and stamina required to complete the route. It is not uncommon for climbers to work routes for months or years.

A route that is being worked is considered that climber's project. Upon success, a climber is said to have sent a given route. (e.g. "Pete was working Ro Sham Po all summer, and in October he sent it.") The term can be used in the present tense as send. (e.g. "We were all yelling at Pete, 'send it!'")

Prior knowledge of a route passed between climbers is referred to as beta. Beta can be information about difficult moves, specific sequences, or any other information that aids in ascent. In particular, a climber may be interested in getting beta for the crux of a route. The crux is the most difficult section of a route. (e.g. "Pete got a bunch of beta for the crux moves on Ro Sham Po from Bill, who sent the route last year.")

Some of the terminology described above was developed by sport climbers, and has been adopted by other forms of climbing, such as bouldering and traditional climbing.

Sport Climbing Around the World

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 Güllich.

Major sport climbing areas:

Arapiles

Nowra

The Blue Mountains,

The Grampians

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. Blessed with limitless limestone and balmy weather, there are many sport routes to be climbed in France.

Major sport climbing areas:

Ceuse

Buoux

Verdon Gorge: Long routes or hard routes that start at the top of a thousand-foot high rock wall

Les Calanques

Some of the hardest routes in France:

Akira, Charente, 9b?

Realization, Ceuse, 9a+

Hugh, Eaux-Claires, 9a

Robi in the Sky, Calanques, 9a

Germany

Many consider Germany to be the next country after France to embrace sport climbing.

Notable climbers:

Kurt Albert was in many ways the original free climber.

Wolfgang Gullich 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.

Elbsandsteingebirge (aka Sächsische Schweiz), is a major sandstone climbing area in East Germany.

Holzen

Lürdissen

Ith

Some of the hardest routes in Germany:

Action Direct, Frankenjura, 9a

Die Welle, Leonhardstein, 9a

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 Mallorca, for example, is considered the birthplace of deep-water soloing, and such world-class climbers as Chris Sharma have featured Mallorca in their videos.

Spaniards are considered among the finest climbers in the world. It is reported that roughly 30 people in the world can climb 5.14d, and that out of those, a little over half are Spaniards.

Major sport climbing areas:

Mallorca

Rodellar

Riglos

Siurana

Baltzola

El Chorro in Malaga

La Pedriza in Madrid

Some of the hardest routes in Spain (and the world):

Chilam Balam 9b+?

La Rambla, Siurana 9a+

Orujo, Malaga, 9a+

Il Domani, Baltzola, 9a

Thailand

Thailand offers exceptional sport climbing on limestone crags right off the beach of the southern islands. The Rock around Railay Beach The rock is all limestone and is part of the worlds 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. [1]

United Kingdom

Sport climbing began in the UK around 1984.

Major sport climbing areas include:

Raven Tor

Portland

Malham

Pen Trwyn

Kilnsey

Some early proponents of the sport climbing revolution in the UK were Ron Fawcett, Jerry Moffat, 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:

Overshadow 9a+, at Malham Cove

The Big Bang, Lower Pen Trwyn, 9a

Mutation, Raven Tor, 9a

Rainshadow, Malham, 9a

Northern Light, Kilnsey, 9a

At most UK climbing areas, sport climbing is frowned upon because many 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 walls and on a limestone and slate cliffs that are unsuited to traditional climbing.

United States

Sport climbing is a relatively modern branch of the sport, becoming popular in the US during the 1980s. 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 Bolts) 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 Rocks called "To Bolt or Not to Be". Other notable early developers were: Scott Franklin, Dale Goddard and Christian Griffith.

Major sport climbing areas:

Smith Rock State Park, Oregon

American Fork Canyon, Utah

Mt. Charleston, Nevada

Rifle, Colorado

Rumney, New Hampshire

Red Rocks, Nevada

Red River Gorge, Kentucky

New River Gorge, West Virginia

Some of the hardest sport climbing routes in the U.S. (rated by the European scale):

Flex Luthor, Fortress of Solitude, Colorado, 9a+ (5.15a)

Kryptonite, Fortress of Solitude, Colorado, 9a (5.14d)

Psychedelic, St George, 9a (5.14d)

The Fly, Rumney, 9a/8B (5.14c/d)

Livin’ Astroglide, Rumney, 9a (5.14d)

Access & 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 ascensionist. In the U.S. it is considered unacceptable to add bolts to an established traditional route to turn it into a sport climb.

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.

See also

• Template:Wikitravelpar
• Rock Climbing
• Climbing equipment
• Lead Climbing
• Glossary of climbing terms

References

• Long, John (2003). How to Rock Climb! 4th edition. Helena, Montana, USA: Falcon Publishing. ISBN 0762724714.
• Horst, Eric (2003). How to Climb 5.12, 2nd edition. Helena, Montana, USA: Falcon Publishing. ISBN 0762725761.
• Goddard, Dale (1994). Performance Rock Climbing. Mechanicsburg, PA, USA: Stackpole Books. ISBN 0811722198. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
• Mellor, Don (2003). Rock Climbing: a trailside guide. New York, NY, USA: W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN 039331653X.
• 5 Climbing Magazine (August 2006)