In early America, the cliff-dwelling Anasazi in the 12th century are thought to have been excellent climbers. Early European climbers … See more

In How to Rock Climb, John Long writes that for moderately skilled climbers simply getting to the top of a route is not enough- how one gets to the top matters. Within free climbing, there are several distinctions given to as… See more

Ethics are values of a more general nature that are linked to the activity
• acting in accord with "sportsmanship"
• acting in accord with nature preservation, sustainable, and Leave No Trace (LNT) practices… See more

Most of the climbing done in modern times is considered free climbing—climbing using one's own physical strength, with equipment used solely as protection and not as support—as opposed to aid climbing, the gear-de… See more

Different types of rock require different techniques to successfully climb.
In crack climbing, the climber ascends a rock crack using specific techniques such as jamming, stemming, and laying back. Cracks ca… See more

Climbing communities in many countries and regions have developed their own rating systems for routes. Ratings, or grades, record and communicate consensus appraisals of difficulty. Systems of ratings a… See more