Latest update: 2010-03-02 16:47:26
[General | Climbing technique | Safety | References]

Information

"Good judgement is the result of experience. Experience is the result of bad judgement."

anonymous

General

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: Trusting your life solely to something you read on the internet is just plain stupid. Get corroboration from a more reliable source, use your common sense, don't get yourself killed, and don't come crying to me (or the people I've quoted) if you do.

FAQ or RTFM

  • TradGirl FAQ. FAQ at Dawn Alguard's Rock Climbing Web Site. Constantly growing Climbing FAQ from questions that are most frequently asked on rec.climbing and the answers that are given there. Nicely organised and informative. A definite must see. By Dawn Alguard at TradGirl.
  • Usein kysytyt kysymykset. Not nearly as extensive as TradGirl FAQ but still worth seeing.

Forms of climbing

Climbing comes in different forms. These do vary quite a bit in regards to what different forms of climbing require of the climber (both in regards of the necessary skills and equipment). Usually at least the following forms of climbing are distinguished:

  • Indoor climbing
  • Rock climbing. Rock climbing is very commonly subdivided into sport climbing and trad climbing based on whether bolts are used for protection or not.
  • Mountaineering/Alpine climbing
  • Ice climbing

Where one form of climbing starts and where it ends is anything but hard cut. This is especially true in distinguishing rock climbing and ice climbing from alpine climbing.

There are also several styles of climbing. Mostly this affects rock climbing, but to some extent same differentation applies to other forms of climbing as well.

  • bouldering
  • free climbing
  • aid climbing

How rope is used distinguished toproping and lead climbing. Topropings is only feasible on single-pitch climbs. It is normally done by novices and when training, whether it be learning the new route or pushing the physical or technical boundaries of climbers ability. Climbs is not considered done unless it was lead.

There are also numerous styles within lead climbing, depending on

  • amount of prior knowledge of the route
  • whether gear was placed during the lead or if it was preplaced

Free climbing the route from ground up, with no previous attemps on the route and placing the gear on lead (whether it be clipping quickdraws to bolts, placing trad gear or ice protection) is considered the purest form of climbing.

Climbing vocabulary

Understanding climbing vocabulary is often paramount to understanding articles in climbing magazines. Sometimes it may be crucial part to route planning and safety as well.

Understanding guidebooks

Grading

Climbing world is full of different systems, with which it is possible to evaluate the difficulty and seriousness of a given route. This document aims to ease figuring out how hard is a given grade in a given system. With all those fancy grades, it is quite possible to become grade-obsessed, picking routes primarily because of the grade. This is by no means the purpose of this document and is strongly discouraged. Climbers choosing to do so only have themselves to blame for missing many very enjoyable climbs. No grading system is capable of measuring the quality of climbing or how enjoyable and the climbs are. There are many other more rewarding ways to choose climbs. <<more>>.

Reading topo

Climbing technique

Climbing basics

Belaying

Rappelling

Knots

Self rescue

Essential skill for all climbers aspiring to climb multipitch or alpine routes, as self rescue is the only kind of rescue climbers can realistically rely on in many situations. Yet neglegted by many (most?) climbers. Reading a good book self rescue techniques, then training at least most commonly needed techniques is highly recommended. Seld rescue covers various techniques depending on the scenario, but at least the following are common:

  • Escaping the belay
  • Ascending the rope
  • Hauling
  • Lowering
  • Assisted rappell
  • First aid

Some of the techniques are exactly the same than those used in crevasse rescue. Hauling and rope ascending techniques in their turn are commonly used in aid/big wall climbing as well.

Escaping the belay

Escaping the belay is the first step in any rescue situation, should be managed every climber and absolutely essential to anyone climbing multi-pitch routes.

Ascending the rope

There are several ways of ascending the rope. The choice of ascending device naturally has some impact on what's the most feasible way, but the basic principle is always pretty much the same. In big wall climbing where loads of rope ascending is to be expected, mechanical ascenders and etriers are the preferred weapons of choice. In other climbing situations bringing those along is mostly not feasible, therefore you have to make do with less ideal gear.

  1. Attach the ascending device (mechanical ascender or friction knot) to a rope
  2. Extend the ascending device so that you can stand on it (using slings, etriers, prussiks with leg loops or even climbing rope wrapped few times around the foot)
  3. Attach yourself to ascending device (using sling or daisy chain)

  • B52 Frequently Asked Questions. Instructions how to use a autoblock belay device as an ascender. Basically, the ascender mode is an up-side-down autoblock where your anchor is the belay loop on your harness. At Trango.
  • Going Up? Rope Ascending Methods. The article is not going to prepare you for climbing up a rope. Even if you learn of a new skill, only by getting on a rope and having a play will you actually gain a new skill, and that’s what counts when you’re stuck at the bottom of a rope on a big cliff. By Adrian Berry at Planet-Climbing.com on 2010-01-29.
  • How to Ascend a Rope Mechanically. Ascending a rope with mechanical ascenders is required for most wall climbs. Doing it right is required to stay alive. At eHow.
  • TIBLOC technical notice. How to use Petzl Tibloc as ascender. At Petzl.
Hauling

Hauling techniques involved in self-rescue are the very same that are also employed in big wall climbing to haul a bag and in crevasse rescue.

Rock climbing

General

  • Getting Started. Rock climbing is one of the fastest growing sports in the UK. The combination between the mental and physical demands of the sport provide a challenging, fulfilling, and exciting new activity. This article will look at how to get into climbing in the UK if you've never been before, and will be of help if you've had a go, and would like to improve. By Ben Heason at Planet-Climbing.com.
  • Handjams Are Your Friends: Crack Technique. "The key to pure crack climbing, as with every type of climbing, is the feet. I like to start from the basics, which with cracks, is the hand crack. Hand cracks are the nicest, easiest thing you can climb, so you can focus on body position and movement technique, rather than the more precise jamming. If you have never done a handjam, it will feel alien and bizarre at first, but just slide your hand straight into the crack, and flex it, especially the meaty area under your thumb. It will stick, and that’s a handjam. I always say, if I fall out of a handjam, I deserve it :-) , so I tend to run it out if I’m in solid handjams." By Steph Davis at High Places.
  • Off-World. "Here I am, three years later. The wounds have healed and the memories fade. I'm still no more able to climb an offwidth than I can play the bagpipes, I can't. Don't do off-widths, don't want to. Of course that is a lie, I just don't want to fail, as Homer Simpson once said, "you tried your best and failed miserably. The lesson is, never try"..." By Adrian Berry at Planet-Climbing.com.
  • Rock Secrets: Tricks For Advanced Trad Climbing. Trad climbing is different to sport climbing in a number of fundamental respects: you will not generally be climbing as physically hard as you would be when sport climbing, although the total amount of energy you expend during the day could be far greater (particularly if you’re climbing on a mountain crag or sea cliff with long approaches). A large number of skills are required for advanced trad climbing that are either not required - or very seldom required - for sport climbing. By Dave Pickford at Planet-Climbing.com on 2009-06-08.
  • TechTips. Get that extra edge you need to succeed on your dream climb with Climbing's Tech Tips - Aid, Alpine, Sport, and Trad Beta for the vertical world. Illustrations by Mike Clelland, Mike Tea and Kieth Svihovec. At Climbing Magazine.
  • The PlanetFear Guide To Route Reading. Perhaps the most important non-physical technique that will improve your onsight climbing is route reading skill. Practicing it doesn’t require an exhausting training programme. In fact, it requires no physical effort whatsoever. And nor will you need any equipment other than your own eyes – and maybe a note pad and pencil, or a pair of binoculars if you’re feeling keen. By planetFear at Planet-Climbing.com on 2009-07-13.
  • The mantelshelf. 'Naughty', 'unfortunate', 'frustrating' and 'ungradable'. You decide... By Alastair Lee at Planet-Climbing.com.
  • Trad climbing techniques, tricks, & tips. Rick from Cremnomaniac has complied a nice list of trad climbing techniques, tricks, and tips. By Rick at Cremnomaniacs on 2009-06-12.

Trad protection

Aid climbing

Alpinism & ice climbing

Equipment

"Finally, sort your gear carefully into three piles consisting of absolute essentials, important items and could live without stuff and only bring the “essentials."

Black Diamond

While the most important piece of climbing equipment is the knowledge how to climb and how to use standard gear, having the right gear for the job certainly makes a difference.

Articles, tips & tricks
General
Rock gear
Ice & Alpine
  • Alpine Gear. By Tim Mosedale at On the Edge.
  • Alpine Rucksacks. Thoughts and Ideas on the Best Alpine Climbing 'Sack. By Andy Kirkpatrick at High Mountain Sports.
  • Avalanche Transceivers for Climbers. A guide to avalanche transceivers for climbers. By Adrian Berry at Planet-Climbing.com.
  • Building an Ice Climbing Rack. Getting equipped for waterfall ice climbing, a highly equipment-intensive activity, used to be easy. You just had to buy some screws, technical ice tools, crampons, and wander around the mountains until you found a frozen cascade. Fortunately, recent advances in technology now enable us to climb and protect ice much more efficiently than in years past, but these advances have also made buying ice equipment much more complex. Here I’ll delve into some considerations for selecting equipment for waterfall ice and mixed climbing. By Kurt Hicks at Kurt Hicks on 2009-11-19.
  • Chasing the Holy Grail: Winter Climbing's Glove Problem. For all the advances in gear, one clear, “last great problem” remains for the serious winter climber: gloves. What does everyone want? The holy grail, of course: Warmth, waterproofness, and dexterity. Just like we want gear that’s lightweight and durable, low-fat ice cream that tastes like real ice cream, and parties without hangovers. Be sure to read also additional info in his blog. At Spadout.
  • Gifts from the Gods. Benefitting from extreme ice gear developments. By Andy Kirkpatrick at High Mountain Sports.
  • High Performance Ice Gear. By Dave Pegler at On the Edge.
  • High Performance Ice Gear part 2. By Dave Pegler at On the Edge.
  • Make your own Leashless umbilicals (aka "Double Spring"). These umbilicals are good for keeping those leashless tools from taking the big plunge. Mostly applicable for alpine climbs and longer ice routes where dropping your tool will mean more than just lowering off and starting again. At Alpine Dave.
  • Modified Ice Climbing Tools. Attaching Quark Hammers to Nomics. At Ascent Design Inc.
  • Modified Ice Climbing Tools. Attaching Quark Hammers to Nomics. At Ascent Design Inc.
  • Mountain Gear DIY. By Andy Kirkpatrick at High Mountain Sports.
  • Papa's got a brand new (Bivvy) Bag. By Andy Kirkpatrick at High Mountain Sports.
  • Pointing the Way. Guide to crampons. By Andy Kirkpatrick at High Mountain Sports.
  • Steve House and Vince Anderson: Gear for Nanga Parbat Ascent (Alpine Climb). Patagonia Alpine Ambassador Steve House goes through the gear he and partner Vince Anderson used on their alpine-style first ascent of the Rupal Face of Nanga Parbat in September, 2005. They were awarded the 2005 Piolet d’Or Award, recognizing the significance of this innovative route climbed in a clean and committed style. Patagonia ambassador Steve House first laid eyes on the Rupal Face as a 19-year-old member of a Slovenian mountaineering expedition to the Schell Route, then considered the standard route to Nanga Parbat’s summit. Since then he’s been working to return and attempt the line up the central pillar of the Rupal Face. In 2004, Steve and partner, Bruce Miller, made that attempt, reaching 25,000 feet before Steve’s altitude sickness forced them back. Colorado native Vince Anderson climbed his first mountain at age five and has only looked skyward since. Equally at home on rock, ice or mixed routes, he’s led expeditions in North and South America, Europe and Asia, and has summited 8,000-meter peaks in the Tibetan and Pakistani Himalaya. He has full IFMGA certification and is the owner and lead guide of Skyward Mountaineering.
  • Steve House: Patagonia Clothing System for Nanga Parbat Ascent (Alpine Climb). Patagonia Alpine Ambassador Steve House goes through the clothing he wore on his and Vince Anderson’s alpine-style first ascent of the Rupal Face of Nanga Parbat in September, 2005. They were awarded the 2005 Piolet d’Or Award, recognizing the significance of this innovative route climbed in a clean and committed style. Patagonia ambassador Steve House first laid eyes on the Rupal Face as a 19-year-old member of a Slovenian mountaineering expedition to the Schell Route, then considered the standard route to Nanga Parbat’s summit. Since then he’s been working to return and attempt the line up the central pillar of the Rupal Face. In 2004, Steve and partner, Bruce Miller, made that attempt, reaching 25,000 feet before Steve’s altitude sickness forced them back. Colorado native Vince Anderson climbed his first mountain at age five and has only looked skyward since. Equally at home on rock, ice or mixed routes, he’s led expeditions in North and South America, Europe and Asia, and has summited 8,000-meter peaks in the Tibetan and Pakistani Himalaya. He has full IFMGA certification and is the owner and lead guide of Skyward Mountaineering.
  • Winter Alpine Special: Extreme Alpine. By Andy Kirkpatrick at High Mountain Sports.
  • Winter layers. By Dane Burns at Cold Thistle on 2010-02-26.
Gear lists
Reviews
  • Alpinist Mountain Standards. The Alpinist Mountain Standards reviews apply Alpinist's tradition of excellence and authenticity to gear reviews by providing unbiased, candid feedback and anecdotal commentary to equipment tested (hard) in the field. Our panel is comprised of climbers who use the gear every day as part of their work and play. Only the gear they would actually buy themselves, at retail price, qualifies for the Alpinist Mountain Standards award. Uses five-star rating system.
  • Gear Reviews. At Climb Magazine.
  • Guides Choice. Guides Choice is a sales mark of the American Alpine Institute (AAI), and it encompasses the extensive field testing done by AAI guides. AAI is an international guide service and climbing school that offers expeditions, ascents, and training courses in 6 states and 16 countries.
  • High Mountain Sports. Gear reviews, Mountain Info. At Planet-Climbing.com.
  • Outdoor Review gear reviews [Climbing & Mountaineering]. Readers reviews of various pieces of equipment. Includes sections for Climbing as well as for hiking/backpacking. In a word: excellent reference for anyone considering to buy new gear.
  • SummitPost gear reviews

Manufacturers

Shops

Training

Safety

Avalanche awareness

Medical aspects

References


Mountaineering - The Freedom of the Hills, 7th edition.

Graydon, Don; Cox, Steven M. & Fulsaas, Kris: Mountaineering - The Freedom of the Hills, 7th edition. Mountaineers Books, 2003. Isbn: 1904057276.

Since publication of the first edition in 1961, Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills has endured as the classic mountaineering text. Novice climbers use it as a primer; veterans use it to review their skills. Translated into five languages, it has instructed and inspired more than half a million climbers from all over the world. The fully updated seventh edition maintains the same high standard for complete, authoritative instruction in an easy-to-use format.

From choosing equipment to how to tie a particular knot, from basic rappelling technique to planning an expedition, it's all here in this essential mountaineering reference. Continued evolution of the sport ensures that climbers who own previous editions will need to "upgrade" to the new seventh edition. The chapter on aid climbing, for example, has been substantially rewritten to include new aid techniques and equipment. A new chapter has been added to meet the rising popularity of waterfall ice and mixed climbing.

The more than thirty contributors to Freedom 7 are all active climbers who regularly use and teach the skills about which they write. This book is the resource trusted by climbers the world over.

Basics

  • Graydon, Don; Cox, Steven M. & Fulsaas, Kris: Mountaineering - The Freedom of the Hills, 7th edition. Mountaineers Books, 2003. Isbn: 1904057276.
  • Houston, Mark & Cosley, Kathy: Alpine Climbing - Techniques to Take You Higher (Mountaineers Outdoor Expert). Mountaineers Books, 2004. Isbn: 0898867495.

Further information

  • Daffern, Tony: Avalanche Safety - For Skiers & Climbers. Mountaineers Books, 1999. Isbn: 0898866472.
  • Fasulo, David: Self-Rescue - How to Rock Climb Series. Chockstone Press, 1997. Isbn: 0934641978.
  • Gadd, Will & Thurman, Paula: Ice & Mixed Climbing - Modern Technique (Mountaineers Outdoor Expert), 1st edition. Mountaineers Books, 2003. Isbn: 0-89886-769-X.
  • Houston, Charles: Going Higher - Oxygen Man and Mountains. Mountaineers Books, 1998. Isbn: 0898865808.
  • Long, John: More Climbing Anchors. Chockstone Press, 1998. Isbn: 1575400006.
  • Selters, Andrew & Selters, Andy: Glacier Travel & Crevasse Rescue - Reading Glaciers, Team Travel, Crevasse Rescue Techniques, Routefinding, Expedition Skills 2nd Edition, 2nd edition. Mountaineers Books, 2006. Isbn: 0898866588.
  • Twight, Mark & Martin, James: Extreme Alpinism - Climbing Light, Fast, and High, 1st edition. Mountaineers Books, 1999. Isbn: 0898866545.
  • Wilkerson, James: Medicine for Mountaineering & Other Wilderness Activities. Mountaineers Books, 1993. Isbn: 0898863317.

Other recommended readings are introduced here.

Online books

  • Basics of rock climbing. By Jarmo Määttälä at Mountainshop.
  • Ice climbing guide. By Leo Määttälä at Mountainshop.
  • Technical Alpine Climbing for Two-Person Teams. Online book. Excellent piece of work. If you've been bitten by a mountain fever you can not afford to miss this one. Foreword of Cameron McPherson Smith: "This is an incomplete manuscript, written in 1992, which was under contract to be published by ICS books, of Merilville, Indiana, with Jim Bridwell as editor of the work. Unfortunately, Bridwell was overwhelmed with his slide tour, and he dropped the project. I now find myself without the time or resources to complete and edit the text, as well as complete the 80 or so illustrations needed. For this reason, and a few others, I am putting the text on-line for the use of fellow alpinists, particularly those just beginning in this realm of adventure. I sincerely hope that there will be something of interest and value here for climbers of all levels of experience, but I would like to emphasize that this manuscript is written for climbers with some basic competence in roped movement on rock, at least, and perhaps ice and snow. It is to the climber of about two or three years' experience, who knows something of their limits and ambitions, and who is seeking adventure a bit beyond that which they find at crag climbs, that I really address this text." By Cameron McPherson Smith.

Bookstores

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