Free climbing

Climbing without using aid climbing

For climbing without protection or a partner, see Free solo climbing.

Part of a series on

Climbing

Climber free climbing Sugar Cane Country (E4 6a, in the Hebrides) in traditional climbing style (i.e. with climbing protection equipment).

Lists

* Climbers
* Piolet d'Or winners
* IFSC victories
* Equipment
* Knots
* Historical events
* Grade milestones
* Eight-thousanders
* Terminology

Types of rock climbing

* Aid
* Big wall
* Multi-pitch
* Bouldering
* Highball
* Competition
* Speed
* Free
* Sport
* Traditional
* Solo
* Free solo
* Deep-water solo
* Rope solo
* Top roping

Types of mountaineering

* Alpine
* Mixed
* Via ferrata
* Himalayan
* Alpine style
* Expedition style
* Ice
* Dry-tooling
* Scrambling
* Hillwalking

Other types

* Buildering
* Canyoning
* Crane
* Grass
* Commercial
* Parkour
* Pole
* Rock hopping
* Rooftopping
* Roof hacking
* Slide
* Tree

Key terms

* Abseiling
* Belaying
* First ascent
* Grades
* Leading
* Flashing
* Greenpointing
* Headpointing
* Onsighting
* Pinkpointing
* Redpointing
* Traversing

* v
* t
* e

Free climbing is a form of rock climbing in which the climber can only use climbing equipment for climbing protection, but not as an aid to help in their progression in ascending the route. Free climbing therefore cannot use any of the tools that are used in aid climbing to help overcome the obstacles encountered while ascending a route. The development of free climbing was an important moment in the history of rock climbing, including the concept and definition of what determined a first free ascent (or FFA) of a route by a climber.

## History[edit]

The free climbing movement was an important development in the history of rock climbing.[1] In 1911, Austrian climber Paul Preuss started what became known as the Mauerhakenstreit (or "piton dispute"), by advocating for a transition to "free climbing" via a series of essays and articles in the German Alpine Journal where he defined "artificial aid" and proposed 6 rules of free climbing including the important rule 4: "The piton is an emergency aid and not the basis of a system of mountaineering".[1][2] In 1913, German climber Rudolf Fehrmann published the second edition of Der Bergsteiger in der Sächsischen Schweiz (or The Climber in Saxon Switzerland), which included the first binding rules for climbing in the area to protect the soft sandstone rock. The rules said that only natural holds were allowed, and these "rules for free climbing" are in still use today.[3]

In 1975, German climber Kurt Albert painted his first "Rotpunkt" (or redpoint) on the base of the aid climb Adolf Rott Ged.-Weg (V+/A1), in the Frankenjura, signifying he had "free climbed" it as a redpoint (i.e. after many failed attempts); the redpoint became the accepted definition of what constituted a "first free ascent".[4][5]

### First free ascent[edit]

The first "free climb" of a climbing route, is known as the first free ascent, or FFA, and is chronicled by climbing journals and guide books. They also chronicle whether the "free climb" was done onsight (i.e. first try with no prior information), flashed (i.e. first try but had prior information), or  redpointed (i.e. completed after a first failed attempt).[6][7] FFAs that create new grade milestones, are important events in climbing history.[8]

## Types[edit]

Free climbing means using no forms of artificial or mechanical aid to help progression in ascending a route.[3] Even the act of pulling on the climbing protection equipment (either placed by the climber while climbing or already in situ with pre-placed bolts), is considered aid climbing and carries an aid climbing grade of A0.[9]

Free climbing can be performed in a variety of types of climbing, and most importantly:[10]

* Traditional climbing, where temporary climbing protection equipment is used (placed by the climber as they ascend the route), but not for any form of aid in progression on the climbing route.[10]
* Sport climbing, where pre-placed fixed bolts are used for climbing protection, but again, not for any form of aid in progression on the climbing route.[10]
* Bouldering, as no forms of additional devices are employed in bouldering, it is by definition, free climbing.
* Free solo climbing, as no forms of additional devices are employed in soloing, it is by definition, free climbing.

## Misunderstandings[edit]

Free climbing has been called "rock climbing's most commonly mistaken term", with problems including:[10]

* Incorrectly assuming that "free climbing" always means solo climbing, i.e. that you must always be alone and without any partner. Free climbing in traditional climbing and sport climbing uses a supporting belayer.[10]
* Incorrectly assuming that "free climbing" always means free soloing, i.e. that you must never use any climbing protection equipment. Free climbing in traditional climbing and sport climbing uses climbing protection (but not to aid progression).[10]
* Incorrectly assuming that "free climbing" always means onsighting or flashing, i.e. that you must always climb the route first try. Free climbing in traditional climbing and sport climbing also uses the redpoint as a definition of a first free ascent.[10]

Free climbing is related to, but separate from, the broader climbing topic area of clean climbing; however, clean climbing does not support bolted sport climbing routes on natural rock, and thus external redpointed first free ascents are not advocated.

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b Wilkinson, Freddie (14 March 2019). "Rock climbing: from ancient practice to Olympic sport". National Geographic. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
2. ^ Middendorf, John (1999). "The Mechanical Advantage: Tools for the Wild Vertical". Ascent. Sierra Club: 149–173. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
3. ^ a b Zhu, Beifeng; Chen, Ruizhi; Li, Yuan (9 August 2021). "The Origin and Early Evolution of Rock Climbing". Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research. Atlantis Press. 571: 662–667. doi:10.2991/assehr.k.210806.124.
4. ^ Hobley, Nicholas (29 October 2010). "Kurt Albert is dead. Goodbye to a climbing legend". PlanetMountain. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
5. ^ Hobley, Nicholas (28 September 2020). "Remembering Kurt Albert, German climbing legend and father of the redpoint". PlanetMountain. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
6. ^ Pardy, Aaron (5 November 2022). "Redpoint, Pinkpoint, and Headpoint – What Do They Mean?". Gripped Magazine. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
7. ^ "What Is A Redpoint In Climbing? – Climbing Jargon Explained". Climber. 2 October 2020. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
8. ^ Sanzarro, Francis (22 March 2022). "Who Did It First? Style, Grades and Dispute in First Ascents". Climbing. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
9. ^ Synnott, Mark (2 August 2021). "Climb Long Routes Faster With This Simple Aid Trick". Climbing. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
10. ^ a b c d e f g "What Is Free Climbing? – Rock Climbing's Most Commonly Mistaken Term". Climber. 11 April 2021. Retrieved 8 February 2023.

### Further reading[edit]

* How to Rock Climb, John Long

* v
* t
* e

Climbing

Types|

| Rock climbing|

| Disciplines|

* Aid
* Big wall
* Multi-pitch
* Bouldering
* Highball
* Competition
* Speed
* Free
* Sport
* Traditional
* Solo
* Free solo
* Deep-water solo
* Rope solo
* Top roping

|

Rock types|

* Crack
* Face
* Slab

Mountaineering|

* Alpine
* Via ferrata
* Himalayan
* Alpine style
* Expedition style
* Ice
* Mixed
* Dry-tooling
* Scrambling
* Hillwalking

Other|

* Buildering
* Canyoning
* Crane
* Grass
* Commercial
* Parkour
* Pole
* Rock hopping
* Ropes course
* Rooftopping
* Roof and tunnel hacking
* Slide
* Tree

Lists|

* Alpine clubs
* Climbers
* Piolet d'Or winners
* IFSC World Cup winners
* IFSC World Championships winners
* Ranking by IFSC victories
* Deaths
* Eight-thousanders
* Everest
* Equipment
* Knots
* Historical events
* Grade milestones
* First ascents
* Terminology

Terminology|

| Equipment|

| Rock|

* Anchor
* Ascender
* Petzl Croll
* Belay device
* Belay glasses
* Grigri
* Figure 8
* Revo
* Bolt
* Bouldering mat
* Carabiner
* Maillon
* Climbing rope
* Dynamic rope
* Kernmantle rope
* Static rope
* Chalk
* Harness
* Fifi hook
* Hex
* Nut
* Copperhead
* Piton
* Portaledge
* Protection
* Quickdraw
* Self-locking device
* Sling
* Cam (Friends)
* Camalot
* Shoes
* Tricam
* Wall hammer
* Webbing

|

Ice|

* Alpenstock
* Abalakov thread
* Crampons
* Ice axe
* Ice screw
* Ice tool
* Mountaineering boot
* Snow anchor (fluke)
* Snowshoe

Action|

* Abseiling
* Australian rappel
* Dülfersitz
* Belaying
* Fixed roping
* Front pointing
* Glissading
* Leading
* Flashing
* Headpointing
* Onsighting
* Pinkpointing
* Redpointing
* Roof climbing
* Self-rescuing
* Simul
* Spotting
* Traversing
* Tyrolean traverse

Other|

* Ape index
* Approach shoe
* Bachar ladder
* Beta
* Campus board
* Clean
* Climbing wall
* Chipping
* Exposure
* Fall factor
* Grades
* General
* Bouldering
* Yosemite Decimal System
* Head for heights
* Pitch
* Topo

Media|

| Magazines & Journals|

* Alpine Journal
* Alpinist
* American Alpine Journal
* Canadian Alpine Journal
* Climbing
* Desnivel
* Himalayan Journal
* Planinski Vestnik
* Rock & Ice
* Summit

|

Films & Documentaries|

* El Capitan
* Free Solo
* Hard Grit

Companies|

* Black Diamond
* CAMP
* Cascade Designs
* Deuter
* Early Winters
* Eastern Mountain Sports
* Five Ten
* Frostline Kits
* GERRY Mountain Sports
* Grivel
* Holubar Mountaineering
* JanSport
* Kelty
* La Sportiva
* Lowe Alpine
* Mammut
* Marmot Mountain Works
* Millet
* Mountain Safety Research
* Mountain Equipment Co-op
* Sierra Designs
* The North Face
* Therm-a-Rest
* Outdoor Research
* Petzl
* Rab
* REI
* Wild Country

Organizations|

| National|

* Alpine Club
* Alpine Club of Canada
* American Alpine Club
* Appalachian Mountain Club
* Austrian Alpine Club
* British Mountaineering Council (BMC)
* Club Alpin Français (CAF)
* Club Alpino Italiano
* Federación Española de Deportes de Montaña y Escalada
* Fédération française de la montagne et de l'escalade
* German Alpine Club
* South African National Climbing Federation
* South Tyrol Alpine Club
* Swiss Alpine Club
* USA Climbing

|

International|

* International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC)
* International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation (UIAA)
* Union Internationale des Associations de Guides de Montagnes (UIAGM)
* Union of International Mountain Leader Associations (UIMLA)

* Portal
* Category
* Commons
* WikiProject

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template