Aid climbing vs trad reddit. Extendable slings are great in this setting. It wont help you with gear placement though. 11 on gear. 3M subscribers in the climbing community. They do soften a lot over time though, but you can always buy a new pair. Trad and sport harnesses can be different with the padding and gear loop layouts. Please read the sidebar below for our rules. 2, and 0. There's a lot more to manage in trad climbing than in sport climbing so being able to take all the time in the world to get that good piece in is great. From what I’ve been hearing, don’t place nuts in horizontal cracks and place cams instead. Yes, I am talking about the Solution Guide. you get the picture. g. As a beginner trad climber, I find that when I lead a pitch of climbing (even climbs well below my limit), the heights/exposure/fear of falling drastically reduces my ability to maintain clear focus in the gear I am placing. A fair chunk of trad climbing in the UK is face climbing. Trad means you're using non-permanent gear (i. Always thought 7mm was standard. In my opinion the extendable sling doesn't often offer enough extension to avoid using/carrying draws and n most cases, but will create an added margin of safety by allowing you to extend to avoid a feature that might cause the draw to unclip or lever over an edge. Jan 26, 2021 · Find rock climbing routes, photos, and guides for every state, along with experiences and advice from fellow climbers. Its comfortable to hang around in at a hanging belay or when you are working a I mentioned early on that I was specifically addressing "trad climbing gear anchors" because I thought that someone would immediately apply what I wrote to a two bolt sport anchor. 8 A2 Grade VI describes a 2+-day big wall climb with moderately difficult traditional climbing, along with sections of aid climbing with lengthy runouts but decent protection. Jun 13, 2025 · Trad, sport, and aid climbing, while just climbing rocks, are vastly different from one another. The use of other methods was termed “direct aid” climbing, or simply aid climbing. There is a lot to learn. As others have said below, El Cap/Yosemite has bolts at specific points for anchors, but is all trad and aid climbing with the addition of hauling. Free climbing can be practiced with or without a rope, but most free climbers do use a rope to catch them in case of an accidental Normal VS Offset trad gear. Went to get a new one at my local shop yesterday and was told 6mm is the way to go unless it's for TR. The only time to have them is if you already had them from sport climbing and you don't want to get runners to replace the dog bones of your existing quickdraws. Free climbing came to be defined as climbing the rock using only one’s hands, feet, and body for support and upward progress. I got a big concrete structure that I've been using for practice. They are weaker than brassies but a different shape. One of the reasons I like mythos for crack climbing is the thick, stiff toebox. You may find yourself enjoying one or all of these! Okay quick little story about Trad in RR (might not apply to all trad in RR, but hopefully you’ll learn from my mistakes) Red Rock is sandstone. If you’re serious about trad climbing get doubles in totems up through yellow. This past weekend -- for the first time in 2 years -- I went on a short sport climbing trip to a classic area, and was -- frankly -- bored. Class 6 was used to grade aid climbing, but it is more popular to use the "A" Scale for Aid. Final thoughts: if calling something aid is simply a pejorative than is actually aid climbing aid? The easiest free route on El Cap is 3,000 feet of free climbing on trad gear, has multiple 5. I was in your shoes about 1 year ago at Red Rock and had the same reservations/questions about the gradings. In normal multipitch id much rather have trad draws with 2 biners than single biner. This being said, it depends whats holding you back. Crack climbing is a lot different than face climbing and 'easy for you' grades can be tricky at first. I prefer rope for swapping leads, and just use slings other times so I don't have to carry a cordelette. In my head it refers to one that poses a challenge but thats obviously subjective, I'd have a hard time hiking a paved trail and calling it Mountaineering Trad climbing is about a lot more than just how to place a nut. 5 and 5. Mountaineering is a very broad term, using technical climbing, hiking, trad, aid, siege or alpine style, ETC to climb a mountain. Climber = rock climbing (no snow/ice) Alpinist = rock/ice/snow climbing, requiring a large range of skills (scrambling, ice climbing, aid climbing, rock climbing, glacier travel, camping, etc. 1K votes, 98 comments. Nov 22, 2021 · What is the purpose of 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. 3). I intend on taking a course this summer and would like some advice for climbing training. Today we’re going to translate three of the most popular styles of climbing in Australia: […] I’ve always had dedicated PAS but am leaning toward ditching it entirely and primarily anchoring with the climbing rope (I mostly do multi-pitch trad). Why bother with trad climbing if you don't like the problem solving part when you can just clip bolts and focus on the part that only matters to you? The route is 11a A0. One of the most common questions people ask us here is ‘what’s the difference between top rope, sport, traditional climbing?’ When you’re new to climbing it can feel like travelling to a new country where everyone is speaking a foreign language. 8kn vs 12. Im sure you’re aware of the consequences of sandstone (Don’t climb after rain please!!) so I won’t get into that. Thoughts on 6mm cordalette use exclusively as a multipitch trad anchor? What makes you enjoy sport/trad climbing? Is it the adventure? The physical challenge? Getting a little scared running it out but keeping the headspace you need to execute? All of the above? Bouldering is similar, but I think boulderers and trad climbers are driven by different things. The intended use is for single pitch trad and sport climbing, at the project level. a6 = you fall, you die. Even better, get into a position where you can release one hand for a period of time. 10 trad climber. Nov 1, 2023 · Furthermore, trad climbing fosters resilience, teaching climbers to confront fear and uncertainty head-on, transforming obstacles into stepping stones towards personal growth and accomplishment. 4K votes, 77 comments. I have small offset nuts but what do people think about normal small nuts. Trad opens up more adventure-style climbing, tackling big walls and being out there on the wall for hours. This Feb 14, 2022 · A comprehensive analysis of 30 years worth of data of climbing accidents recorded in Accidents in North American Climbing. Even climbing on Little Cottonwood Granite with weird flares and pin scars, one of my Metolius cams or an offset cam/nut fit the same or better than an equivalent Totem. Hi folks, I'm starting to get into trad climbing, and I've been reading various different accounts of how people have been gotten injured on the wall and their partners have been able to retreat with them safely, which got me thinking about the rope skills you'd need to know to get out of a hairy situation. All brands fit differently as well so maybe offering to purchase one in your budget is a good idea. The local climbing guide books would be my first choice for information on this topic but they are often too vague. Apr 10, 2022 · Bouldering and rock climbing are sometimes used interchangeably but climbers can mean different things. Needs 4 good size gear loops for trad rack. Trad climbing 101 Learn everything you’ve ever wanted to know about trad climbing including the skills, gear, and popular destinations. Most of these seem fairly straightforward, but in practice can be incredibly Aid climbing is a great way to understand placements and build trust in gear. free climbing: using only your body and the rock's natural features to climb, while having ropes as backup in a fall. Hello Climbing, I am an advanced level boulder climber and I am really looking forward to jumping into Trad climbing. 11 and 5. 1 but DMM Dragonflies would be a good alternative. 3) up to 3 and haven't felt the need for anything more (stoppers and tricams fill gaps for me). They aren't ultralight, but they were super cheap, the grips grip, and they pack pretty well in a technical pack for climbs. Reddit's main subreddit for videos. This is the only correct answer, and should get added to browsers as an autocorrect replacement for every variation of "Best Trad Harness" , "What is the best Trad Harness", etc. Has anyone else experienced this? Any Yeah aid climbing is an entirely different beast. My take is that the dragons are really great for alpine climbing. 19K subscribers in the tradclimbing community. 13 bit), but it mentions it's fully bolted, so again you can probably bypass this pitch by pulling on draws. Aug 8, 2022 · With no moving parts (hence, “passive protection”), nuts are inexpensive, lightweight, and sturdy. Yosemite Decimal System (YDS), Font, French, Alpine, British Trad, British Tech—the list goes on. I use my Chaos for anything that isn't aid climbing or route setting (I use a Waldo Safe Tech then) and I think it is an amazing harness. Trad climbing with quickdraws is not ideal, but it works if you bring a few alpines as well for strategic extensions. While climbing up, stop and think about how you would lock off and release one hand while you place or remove pro. I read Big-Wall Climbing, by Jared Ogden to get started, and also read lots of material on internet forums, including Chris McNamara's How to Big Wall Climb. com Nov 22, 2021 · In the simplest terms, sport climbing focuses almost entirely on physical challenges, while trad climbing involves a mental game as well. 10 & onwards. I have a double rack of cams, one set friends, one set C4s. Finally, lookout for ledges and other objective risks especially on those easy climbs. ) "Mountain climber" could be anything. Start slow, learn from legitimate sources, and other trad climbers. What is less clear is the matter of style - the details in which a climb was achieved. I climb in Squamish and cannot say enough good things about the black Totem. In sport climbing and bouldering, it's all about the physical act of climbing. We have 6 grades of climbing below VS for people who are starting out with trad climbing (all the way down to 5. Have you ever aid climbed before? Your goal as stated right here is literally impossible without serious modification. From the A lot of crack climbing (and climbing in general) is using your feet to push you up rather than pulling only with your arms. Approaches are usually more involved, multipitch, gear needs, bail options, descent, weather, etc. Here's what you need to know. There are a 12 votes, 48 comments. Mar 21, 2022 · Trad climbing and sport climbing have different techniques and equipment requirements. 146 votes, 56 comments. The home of Climbing on reddit. Practice building big wall anchors, practice hauling, practice aid climbing, and practice jugging the rope. Also Climbing Rope Size Chart to help climbers choose the correct rope based on their needs. If you're just getting started aid climbing then build up your trad rack first and focus on really small pieces. now if the descent is a bunch of rappels and the fixed gear (slings, bolts, nuts, whatever) look suspect you would leave behind some of your own and remove the suspect gear. We have been climbing for a while, guiding professionally Feb 25, 2021 · The world of rock climbing is rich with various methods and gear like – sport, trad, aid, ice, and alpine. I've been climbing MP trad for ~7y, and serious aid / BW for ~1y. You can see it HERE Some examples of potential questions could be; "How do I get stronger?", or "How does aid climbing work?" Prior Weekly Trad Climber Thread posts Ask away! Totems vs Friends vs ??? I've got a whole double rack of WC friends (except singles in the 0. Oct 16, 2023 · Traditional climbing, often referred to as “ trad climbing,” is a style of rock climbing where climbers place and remove all the protection as they ascend, rather than relying on pre-placed bolts as in sport climbing. The gear loops are big enough in my opinion, they can handle a double rack of cams, passive pro and draws for the long routes. Any recommendations would be highly appreciated! Curious what folks use and are happy with. Trad placements So I’ve recently started trad climbing and have only led 2 very easy ones (5. But I highly recommend PAS for beginning climber so they get in the habit of anchoring the same way each time without having to problem solve or decide which piece of gear to use in which way Quickdraws have no place on a trad rack. Reply reply One device but I bring a backup for multipitch Different device based on discipline (sport vs trad vs alpine) Different device based on situation (single pitch vs multi, leader vs follower) Crashpad Voting closed Share Add a Comment Sort by: Best Open comment sort options Best asanano • Multipitch backup is a munter Reply reply governator trueMy $0. Nuts are usually sold in sets of around ten. Please direct me to some literature or youtube videos on top of your comments so I can study/hold on to them. Aliens, offset cams, and totems are bomber for the little stuff. They inspire more confidence than any other small piece but they are slightly bigger than 0. In aid climbing, you place gear (like trad climbing) and then you use cloth ladders, called aiders or etriers, to put your body weight on the gear and move upwards until you can place another piece of gear. 5 in my approach shoes and my TC pros are 39. This is quite dangerous, and is holding me back from pursuing trad climbing. I am a seasoned all-around climber. Check out our subreddit wiki that has tons of useful info for new climbers. I was leading up to about 5. My suggestion would be to focus on smooth climbing and maybe for the longer projects start in teams of 2 until you're more comfortable and can climb more efficiently at those grades. Have you climbed multipitch before? What about you leading every single pitch? Been using a 7mm cordalette for 10+ years. If the gym has any crack routes, do those. Traditional climbing: use at your own risk. There's a very specific danger when you shorten it by clipping an inner loop, but as long as you only clip it in a maximum of two spots, it should be safe. trad, are defined by one critical difference: the system of protection that a Check out our subreddit wiki that has tons of useful info for new climbers. Nov 8, 2023 · Discover the unique challenges and techniques of aid climbing and free climbing, and decide which style best fits your goals and abilities. Climbing Nuts 101 will help you make that decision when you're getting your first gear for trad climbing. That’s expensive and unnecessary Expensive in what way? A lot of harder trad in my experience, I needed some rudimentary aid climbing techniques anyway in order to access the route to parse out the free climbing beta safely. I’m looking for recommendations for a shoe for hard single pitch trad. Most rope climbing (top, sport, trad, aid) are a lot more similar in a lot of ways to each other than they are to bouldering, and similarly, I think there are a lot more people who only participate/have a desire to participate in one group and not the other, or do so very minimally. To start, you need Dec 3, 2018 · When people talk about climbing, things can easily get confusing. C4s are great for pure trad: when I’m pumped while placing gear I really enjoy a thumb loop. 7). Build the anchor and tether yourself using the climbing rope with a clove hitch to the master point. These will give you a good range of sizes. Have stuck to indoor climbing but have ventured out recently into trad. 10b sport outside when I started getting into trad, then kinda had to start over when learning on gear. I have a feeling that improving all of these things could be very helpful in mountaineering, especially in higher mountains. I wear a 40/40. You'll want at least doubles of most cams. For climbing I use the north face route rocket 18 and it’s amazing. I'm assuming limited rack so one sling per cam. There are certainly more "pure" forms of free climbing style, but that doesn't necessarily negate a free climb ascent. Generally, there are a lot more logistics to a trad climb. I’ve been climbing about 8 years, leading trad consistently for maybe 3. 10's (especially face-climbing ones, which are considerably more demanding of protection skills and strategies than pure crack climbs), that is, for most people, the right time to consider falling as part of your climbing strategy. On top of the trad basics (anchor building, rope management, gear placement, etc), what Take some time to practice downclimbing. sticking a nut into a rock that you'll get back on the way down vs a permanent bolt) to help protect you from death. I really like my WC Zero's for 0. However, building one takes time and needs to be tailored to your style. As free climbing skills improved, it became obvious 5. One of my trad friends says his BD #1 stopper is his most useful one. But yes falling helps, but knowing when it's okay to fall and when it's not okay is something that takes time and hopefully one doesn't fuck it up along the way. Weights? Style of session? Small technique tips for equipment? Tell me how to make the switch as smoothly as possible. Trying to master my gear placement though. Dec 1, 2020 · Looing into aid climbing? Look no further! In this incredibly awesome guide we explain exactly what is aid climbing and how to get started! For free climbing, the DMM Peanuts are awesome. But I was thinking about it, and I was wondering if folks on r/climbing has any oppinions on the best methods for multipitch routes when NOT swapping the lead. If you are single pitch climbing, it's probably fine, but multipitch climbing with a full double rack, draws, anchor material, atc/grigri, and water bottle/packable jacket gets really tight without a lot of gear loop space. My background in placing gear is 30% alpine, 65% mixed sport climbing (you have bolts and pegs but using gear is advisable) and 5% pure trad. 2 extra trad draws for nuts. New trad climbers often get in a fairly dogmatic frame of mind about "nuts go in constrictions and cams go in parallel cracks" when in practice, most of my placements are cams in constrictions. Traditional climbing involves carrying and placing protection (chocks, camming devices and so on) rather than clipping into preplaced bolts. Your gear is stronger than most rock you put it in. It's ~40' high with vertical cracks, and lots of voids / bubbles in the face that really eat up my small cam & sky hooks Mostly tiny bat-hook type pockets, but also some flake-like edges where the concrete has spalled. In Aid you sometimes make “body weight placements” these might hold a fall Hell I've made enough of these in regular trad climbing. The grade system grades the level of danger involved. Commiting to a crux 5m above poor wires with solid groundfall potential if they rip feels very different to a crux above some 12mm You could aid climb if you want to do aid climbing. 5-9. What I am wondering, is when previous climbing experience becomes necessary, and is it possible to learn alpine rock climbing (with mountaineering boots and crampons rather than climbing shoes) without learning trad climbing? The reason I ask is because I do not have a lot of money to spend. A lot of this is more specific to multipitch, but trad adds an element as well, and usually trad and multipitch go hand in hand. 2). Small meaning Black diamond 1-4 stoppers or DMM micro wallnuts. A0 is easy aid, includes short pendulums, rappels, or pulling on gear. Learn the key differences to decide which style suits you best. Oct 28, 2022 · You can lead trad for years, place hundreds of pieces, never fall, and learn nothing about your placements. The main complaint with those seem to I’ve been trad climbing for 3 years now and am starting to break into 5. In conclusion, the aid discussion is a joke that probably sprung out of people flexing about how they free things "more free" than other people. In essence, trad rock climbing embodies the essence of adventure and exploration, marrying the natural world with human ingenuity and determination. The male breadwinner model, where a man worked and the woman stayed home is actually only about 200 years old and is specific to the middle and upper classes. Several years is an appropriate time frame. The VAST majority of women in history have always worked. May 29, 2020 · New to trad climbing? Our Beginner's Guide to Trad Climbing breaks down everything you need to know to get started trad climbing today. Probably not the best way to learn but that's what I get for having big wall dream in Chicago. Class 5 is then broken up into decimals for technical difficulty. I own bouldering stuff (two pads); sport climbing stuff (quick draws & rope); traditional climbing gear (sets of cams, nuts, tricams, hexes); aid climbing gear (pitons, hammers, ledge, pigs, bashies, etc); alpine/ice climbing gear (ice tools, mountaineering axe, screws, snargs, crampons, deadman anchors, boots, specialized Trad climbing, short for “traditional” climbing, is considered by many to be the purest form of climbing. If possible, take newbies up routes with bolted anchors for the safety aspect. 12 pitches, and has a 5. This made me think about mountaineering in general. 2 and sometimes the plastic piece that guides the trigger wires can be troublesome in tight places. Jan 28, 2022 · For example, 5. 13- crux. 12+/5. aid climbing is pretty clear. Absolutely don't buy quickdraws of any length for a trad rack! Mar 9, 2022 · In the realm of technical rock climbing, free climbing is defined by using a rope and some means of protection, with the climber only relying on this gear to catch their body weight in the event of a fall. it's dangerous. I do notice the interesting resulting behavior is that in America you might as well try for the on-sight of what you’re trying since consequence of failure is (generally) low. r/tradclimbing Traditional Climbing Traditional climbing: use at your own risk. , sport, trad, ice, etc. You can see it HERE Some examples of potential questions could be; "How do I get stronger?", or "How does aid climbing work?" Prior Weekly Trad Climber Thread posts Ask away! Vs else where (mainly American climbing) once you get above your 1st or second piece, there isn’t much ground fall risk (unless a route is labeled X or R). Something between 9. 1-5. I love TC pros but have always had them sized for comfort and can wear my current size all day on long multipitches and alpine routes. I am considering a sized down TC pro or Took me about three months of trad climbing to fall on my gear. Placing gear will ??? What do you think aid climbing is, just using hooks pins and peckers the whole way? You don’t need to practice falling on your cams and nuts. Aid climbing you test every placement. That setup has worked great for me from Red Rock sandstone to columnar basalt to Yosemite granite. 12 climbing. Learn how gear works and why you use it in some situations and not others. 1, 0. this all comes up when googling either one, so I don't really see any additional value of the website. You give up head width, some stability, and taking up more space around the placement which is a bummer if not aid climbing. Placing nuts are intuitive, they are inexpensive, and will last you a long time. The chart typically covers rope diameter, length, and the intended type of climbing (e. 2/0. Because trad climbing relies on placing removable gear, it gives climbers the ability to access inaccessible places without scarring or permanently damaging the rock. Big wall climbing is a science and an art. I wasn’t thrilled with how the Infinity held up, even though I know it’s a favorite. Aid climbing means you're using some sort of gear of your own to help you get up the rock. Logistics play a huge part! If you have experience with trad climbing, it will certainly be easier, but you really have to study the ideas and techniques behind how everything works. 13 votes, 58 comments. Just because you can lead 10c sport doesn't mean you're going to start learning trad at ~10a. For scary trad descents and scrambly approaches I love my Adidas approach shoes. You can share carabiners between your quickdraws and alpine draws and just swap them out depending on if you're trad climbing and sport climbing. Simul climbing easier pitches will save a good amount of time if you're willing to take the risk. But in the meantime, if you're looking for big-wall sport climbing, you should check out El Potrero Chico in Mexico. Looking for trad/aid mentor in Bay Area Earlier this year I moved to Oakland CA for a job and to be closer to family, and I really want to start getting out to the Sierras (especially Yosemite) to refine my trad skills and enter the world of aid climbing. Don't be afraid to *sew up your routes for awhile til you take a few falls and/or have an experienced climber watching your placements. 20+ pitches of soft sport. When you're ready to onsight trad 5. Likely hanging some TR as well and harder multipitch. My question is, if I’ve used all my cams earlier on a climb. It I started climbing before the dedicated PAS gizmos (loops sewn together) became a thing, and people used their daisy chains all the time for single pitch, instead of fiddling with slings. I tend to prefer the friends for the reasons you've mentioned. 1. As far as active equalization, I think you and I have both seen climbers spending time at a belay building a macrame project. Title says it really. The concept of free climbing vs. Discover the differences, and maybe you’ll learn what type of climber you want to be. We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. aid climbing: using ropes and gear to pull yourself up the mountain. ). A thing about trad-climbing is being able to improvise with what you got, in the most efficient and safe manner. Mar 13, 2019 · One of the necessary pieces of equipment for sport climbing outside is a personal anchor system, or PAS. 02 Climbing is expensive. But if you’re new to trad climbing, how do you make sure that you’re getting the best climbing nuts? With climbing experience, you build your own personal preference. . I think trad has ruined sport climbing for me I've been climbing 10 + years, 5 quite seriously, and have clipped bolts all over North America. Not sure what rope to go with and what thickness, would like to venture into large multi pitch routes. Aid climbing, it's all about the problem solving. The slings for alpines are fairly cheap on their own. for when the shit really hits the fan, I have the smallest 4 or so BD Micro nutsand for aid climbing, I have DMM offset brass. We've all made a placement that looked good that probably wasn't but most the time it doesn't get tested. It has a lot of attachment points, zippers that open half way and internally so you don’t drop stuff, and can be hauled with the straps tucked in. It's ~40' high with vertical cracks, and lots of voids / bubbles in the face that really eat up my small cam & sky hooks Mostly tiny bat-hook type pockets, but also some flake-like edges where the concrete has Food for thought. I see some intersections between rock climbing and mountaineering. 20K subscribers in the tradclimbing community. Start with trad and all the knowledge that comes with it. The two main styles, sport climbing vs. Free climbers never pull on the rope or other gear to aid their ascent. In trad climbing it's a combination of physical climbing and problem solving. 64 votes, 26 comments. The gear loops are tiny compared to my dead bird harness. Hi anyone have a recommendation for a climbing harness for mountain trad use? Needs to be fairly packable and light for carrying (about 300-350g) but also reasonably comfortable for multi pitch use and hanging stances etc. You're a superhuman freak if you can do that in two years. free soloing: same as free climbing minus any and all protection. My issue is that the 'traditional' lifestyle they espouse is NOT that traditional. Often a good strategy on easier cracks is to use your hands to stabilize your body while you move your feet up. 9. Being a noob (still Jan 31, 2023 · A trad rack can be a climber's greatest pride. I think rock climbing helped me notice some lack of my balance, weak legs, or even foot placement. There's so much more to rope/system management with big wall climbing than with multipitch that it can likely be the difference between success and failure. Then go for cam hooks, and maybe a cliffhanger hook if you've got the gumption. You now have added a dynamic component to the anchor and this can greatly mitigate the risk of high shock loads on the anchor. In the case of the route you're looking at, it looks like there is a bolt ladder at the top of pitch 3 to bypass some 5. Mess around with hooks and cam hooks on Anyone recommend a rope? I am a relative beginer (7 months fairly solid). In short, trad climbing, more formally known as traditional climbing, is a form of rock climbing that requires placing your own gear for protection, rather than solely relying on pre-placed bolts. Jul 16, 2025 · Climbing nuts are one of the first pieces of trad protection climbers will purchase. The skillets aren't exactly the same (trad is more endurance, and sport is more power endurance), but if you get good at one, you get good at the other. After that the difference isn’t as pronounced, but they are truly far better - particularly in places like Squamish or Yosemite where you’re constantly plugging gear in old pin scars. Popular examples of these PAS climbing safety systems include the Metolius PAS, the Petzl Connect Adjust, the Camp Swing, and the Kong Slyde. And yes we are scared of falling. Al's has totems on sale for $71 bucks a pop right now. 27M subscribers in the videos community. 7, but it took so long to get here that it feels like I’ll never be a 5. e. Climbers climbing established routes will have an intended descent route and that typically does not require to leave any gear behind. There's sport climbing, trad climbing, aid climbing, free solo, bouldering, Did you just Trad climbing isnt big wall climbing. They are nice the adventure climbing sort of thing with some of the farther approaches due to the ankle support, but the caveat is weight. Pitch 7 sounds like the crux of the route (the 5. 23 votes, 51 comments. 5. 4M subscribers in the climbing community. The main difference is In addition, there are separate grading systems for ice climbing, mixed climbing, drytooling, aid climbing, scrambling, bouldering and so on - it's a mess. I taught myself Aid by climbing trees, learned hauling on my doorframe with a few hooks, and I'm heading to Yosemite in a month. Very appealing as a 6mm cordalette bomb is quite a bit more compact than it's 7mm equivalent, but seems a lot weaker (8. Mentors can be useful, but a bad mentor is worse than no mentor, especially in the age of quality free online resources. 9 were not sufficient , so the decision was made to go up to 5. You get a placement that I would rather fall onto pretty much every time imo. Specifically thinking about free climbing and understand the placements would easily blow in a whip but Do you consider aid climbing to be more or less physical than free climbing in regards to pumping you out? I'm under the assumption that it's going to more gear problem solving and less physical, which would be better for my elbows. Aid climbing provides immediate feedback. The other side of climbing is aid climbing. I think the best advice I ever heard is focus 100 percent on the placements when your placing, then 100 percent on the climbing. Two years ago, though, I got into trad and haven't looked back. As a consequence, the pro I place is marginal, at best. There's also a massive overhead roof that you could make it much simpler. Lets take the free Nose climbs as an example: Lynn Hill - Swapped leads/followed, all pitches free with her partner, and lead Jun 13, 2025 · Trad, sport, and aid climbing, while just climbing rocks, are vastly different from one another. 2. Moses makes really good aid gear, check them out. Trad climbing is often thought of as a more dangerous form of climbing because the gear placements aren’t permanent. Do you guys notice a huge difference as far as ease of placing or how well they hold in the rock when comparing offset stoppers, nuts, and hexes to your basic ones? Would you choose to use one exclusively over the other or a mix of both? Cheers. I wish I would have aid climbed first as many people since have told me that learning to climb aid will give you more faith in good placement, and more ability to spot bad, when you're first climbing on gear. Now I’m comfy to around 5. Jan 6, 2024 · When you start climbing, one of the trickiest things to grasp is the abundance of grading systems for different types of climbing. In this article we explain sport climbing and trad climbing in detail, focusing on their similarities and differences, as well as the skills, knowledge, and equipment required for each. It's often laughed at by the majority of the climbing community, but you can't really compare it to free climbing. See full list on climbinghouse. In this article, we’ll review the need for a personal anchor system while climbing, alternative options to these products, and review each of these Jul 24, 2025 · They're an essential part of any climber's trad rack, but what makes the best climbing nuts? There's many different styles and brands to choose from when deciding on which ones you're going to buy. Un-roped falls can result in severe injury or death. Adventure climbing without a walkoff will require leaving gear behind but those are not The only time I do the single carabiner sling is on alpine climbs and I'll put the sling trad draw style using the racking carabiner directly on the cam. 2 days ago · Since 1970, Climbing Magazine has been the voice of the climbing world, publishing climbing news, interviews, features, opinions, and advice.
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