Rock climbing is a sport that uses the original climbing instinct of human beings and various equipment for safety protection to climb cliffs, cracks, boulders and artificial rock walls composed of some rocks.
Types of Rock Climbing
1. Classification by Location
A. Natural Rock Wall Climbing:
Definition: Climbing naturally generated rock walls in the wild; generally developed and cleared difficult or bouldering routes;
Advantages: You can get close to nature and fully experience the fun of rock climbing; the diversity of rock wall angles and stone qualities brings a thousand and one changes in climbing routes; because the rock walls are fixed, the routes are public and can be preserved for a long time, so the grading of natural rock walls can be tested and compared by many people, which becomes the main basis for rock climbing grading.
Disadvantages: The outdoor rock site is remote, transportation is inconvenient, and time and money are spent; route development is also more laborious.
B. Artificial Rock Wall Climbing
Definition: Climbing on artificial rock climbing walls, including indoor rock climbing gyms and outdoor artificial rock walls;
Advantages: High safety for beginners; convenient transportation, saving time and effort; few unforeseen factors, regular training or special training; dense personnel, convenient for communication and exchange; in addition, artificial rock walls can set up confidential routes, thus becoming the main form of rock climbing competitions.
Disadvantages: lack of special terrain, less creativity, and little room for free play; the adjustability of the fulcrum makes the artificial rock wall route often change, the grading is more subjective, and the accuracy is low.
2. Classification by Climbing Form
2.1: Free Climbing
Definition: Climbing without the help of protective equipment (main rope, quick draw, iron lock, etc.), only relying on one's own strength;
Features: This form of climbing is dominant in my country, more in line with the meaning of sports, and tests the potential of the human body.
Freestyle is further divided into the following according to the style of climbing:
A. On Sight:
It means just looking from below and climbing up without falling once, without trying or practicing, and without rappelling from the top to carefully study the route. This is the best description of the climber's ability.
B. Red Point:
It means that you are allowed to fall multiple times during practice, but you can climb from the bottom to the top without falling once at least once. The ability to red point a route shows how high the climber's free pioneer climbing ability can reach.
2.2: Aid Climbing
Definition: Climbing with the help of equipment;
Features: It is more commonly used in big wall climbing, and sometimes equipment is used to pass routes that are more difficult than the climber's ability. Its significance lies in the climber's project goals and activity history rather than in overcoming difficult movements. The requirements for equipment operation are high.
2.3: Top Rope Climbing
Definition: The protection points are pre-set at the top of the rock wall, and the main rope is protected through the protection points. The climber does not need to operate the equipment during the climbing process.
Features: safe, no impact when falling, suitable for beginners; but it has strict requirements on the rock wall, the rock wall must be of appropriate height (8 to 20 meters) and the horizontal span of the route is not large. Since it is necessary to go around the top for pre-operation, the work of setting up and withdrawing protection points is relatively cumbersome. Sometimes, for the convenience of beginners, a top rope can be set up on the route of pioneer climbing.
2.4: Pioneer Climbing (Sport)
Definition: Several expansion nails and hanging plates are pre-installed on the route. During the climbing process, the quick hang is buckled into the hanging plate to become a protection point and buckled into the main rope to protect yourself. The climber needs to operate while climbing.
Features: It is most popular in Europe, especially France. It is safer than traditional climbing, which can reduce the impact of psychological fear (fear factor) on climbing, so as to go all out to break through the physiological limit and challenge the highest difficulty; in addition, in routes with large angles or large horizontal spans, the pioneer climbing method is more convenient than the top rope protection, which allows climbers to easily return to the place where they fell after falling off, and repeatedly practice the difficult points. Since this method turns rock climbing from an adventurous and exciting sport into a safe sports training, pioneer climbing is called sport climbing.
3. Classification by Competition Form
3.1: Difficulty Rock Climbing
It is a rock climbing competition that distinguishes the performance of the players by the difficulty of the climbing route. The result of the difficulty rock climbing competition is determined by the height of the rock wall that the players reach within the specified time. In the competition, the team members are protected by ropes below, climb up with ropes and hang the intermediate protection ropes in order according to the competition regulations. The height of the competition rock wall is generally 15 meters, and the route is set by the route setter according to the level of the contestants. Usually the eaves type is more difficult.
3.2: Speed Rock Climbing
Just like the 100-meter race in track and field competitions, it is full of rhythm and vitality. According to the designated route, the time is used to distinguish the superior and the inferior.
3.3: Indoor Rock Climbing
It is to set up artificial rock walls of different angles and difficulties in a high and large room, and there are many rock points of different sizes on it, so that people can use their limbs to climb with their hands and feet with the help of the position of the rock points. The difficulty of indoor rock climbing can be directly controlled by people. Rock walls are also divided into artificial rock walls and natural rock walls. Artificial rock walls are simulated walls with artificially set rock points and routes. Rock climbing techniques can be trained indoors and outdoors, the difficulty can be controlled at will, and the training time is relatively flexible, but the height and sense of reality are limited. Natural rock walls are cliffs formed naturally by nature during crustal movement, which give people a strong sense of reality and challenge. You can choose the rock wall, climbing route and climbing location by yourself, and the route of natural rock walls is rich in variations, such as bosses, recesses, cracks, elevation angles, etc., so that you can experience the feeling of "I am the peak at the end of the mountain".
Keep Training
Whenever, keep training is the key to climb higher and higher. So, take a doorway hangboard to train at home daily or a portable hangboard outdoor always is really very important. During your training, ensure you have enough energy always. So, you'd better to have a rock climbing mug to have some tea or coffee at side. This climbing mug is with a real rock climbing hold, which can practice your grip strength always. Also, you can take it as rock climbing gifts for rock climbers.