What is trad climbing vs rock climbing reddit. I use them bouldering, top-roping, sport lead, trad, indoor, outdoor, every kind of rock, every temperature. I wasn't sure if there was a good rule of thumb about lead climbing adding a certain amount of grades of difficulty or not. Trad climbing standards and practices change over time. Could lead climbing that same route increase its grade in theory? In my gym there are walls where you can climb top rope or lead with the permadraws along the same routes. I climb all over NC, TN, and VA mainly and have gotten off some routes going WTF where these first ascentionists thinking. Even in massive sport areas such as the New and the Red, cracks are left alone and trad ethics are respected. If you want to build some upper body, core, and back strength as well as do some light cardio – climbing as an alternative to lifting can be excellent. 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. I got into climbing this year and have spent a lot of indoor climbing, both top roping and bouldering. If you want something a little nicer get a Misty Mountain Cadillac. From advice on which gym to visit to videos of world cup IFSC climbers, you can find it all here. 8 - 5. What is the best way buy everything? Should I just buy the full set of 7 black diamond C4 cams on amazon? Should I also buy a set of nuts too? Do you think it is better to just buy individual pieces? Any suggestions on what to buy? metolius So if you're comparing new school sport to old school trad grades, the trad climbing is likely to be noticeably harder than the sport climbing before you even start to factor in trad gear management skills. I have a feeling that improving all of these things could be very helpful in mountaineering, especially in higher mountains. Ice climbing is very different from sport climbing. I'm sure having more shoes can be nice, but definitely not required. All brands fit differently as well so maybe offering to purchase one in your budget is a good idea. 6 is a good start if you supplement with sport draws for long pitches. For you this means you need dry if you're a guide or going ice climbing/mountaineering, because normal people and climbing- you just stop climbing when it's wet out. 1. At this point, just get what's cheap and fits. 10b sport outside when I started getting into trad, then kinda had to start over when learning on gear. So although you'd probably be better at super technical individual moves, bouldering doesn't make you better at flowing through easy bits without losing much stamina. Check out the difference between climbing and bouldering grades here. Rock fall, difficulty retreating in bad weather, getting benighted, route finding, dangerous run outs, scary descents, and marginal anchors are all issues I've faced trad climbing. Traditional climbing, or “trad” climbing, refers generally to the predominant style of rock climbing practiced in the United States throughout the 1960’s and 70’s, and, of course, still practiced today by many climbers. Very overwhelmed on where to start. Now I'm on an exchange program to Scotland and there's not much outdoor sports climbing here so learning to trad climb would be ideal I guess. As far as brands go, I absolutely recommend the mammut dyneema slings. The harness becomes a lot more important when you're going to be wearing it all day, loading it down with 15lbs of trad gear, and doing hanging belays in it. Also surprisingly durable for a high performance shoe, lasted 8 months before I resoled them could have probably pushed it another month or 2. New development of sport lines on exclusively or overwhelmingly trad oriented crags is Climbing helmets protect primarily from falling objects, usually but not exclusively rockfall, so if there is a person on the wall, animals in the area or loose rock, the helmet doesn't come off, even if we're taking a break, unless we move away from the wall. Red Rock Sport Vs Trad Grades I asked on MP, but got no responses. I think rock climbing helped me notice some lack of my balance, weak legs, or even foot placement. Been trad climbing with some buddies for a while now and ready to commit and buy my own rack. Or concerned about weight because you're climbing 5. As to trad climbers leaving gear, it is very rare unless you are puting up new lines or adventure climbing. It’s the perfect mixture of adventurous climbing and traditional ethics. 9, but have been wondering lately; Should I stick with top rope, or is it better to "cross train" on bouldering problems? The commitment level and objective dangers are higher with multi pitch trad (and I include aid climbing here). “But what is free climbing?” Generally, trad climbing is less athletic as opposed to gym climb particularly, which is why there is the stereotype of the “trad dad” that’s out of shape and only climbs 5. Bouldering, sport, trad, etc. free climbing: using only your body and the rock's natural features to climb, while having ropes as backup in a fall. I've been using shoes widely considered a multi-pitch trad shoe for everything for years. Until then, BD Momentum is a good default starting point. A thing about trad-climbing is being able to improvise with what you got, in the most efficient and safe manner. Mar 21, 2022 · Trad climbing, or traditional climbing, and sport climbing are both types of free climbing. However, in ice climbing, falling on lead can mean broken ankles, knees, or worse. Top roping, sport climbing, and trad climbing are all forms of free climbing that involve protective gear (a rope, cams, bolts, quickdraws, etc. Normal VS Offset trad gear. Apr 10, 2022 · Bouldering and rock climbing are sometimes used interchangeably but climbers can mean different things. I've also climbed outside a few times. And finally, once you think you are hooked, the variability in the types of climbing, yes, from route to route, or location to location, but mostly top rope climbing to lead climbing to trad climbing to aid climbing to big wall climbing! 1. Climbing You should be climbing with someone, and splitting gear costs really really helps make sport climbing and trad climbing more accessible. Dedicated to increasing all our knowledge about how to better improve at our sport. I started trad climbing before I ever sport climbed (Mid-Atlantic here, similar situation where great trad climbing is much closer than great sport climbing). This made me think about mountaineering in general. We must admit that climbing a wall with no fixed gear and only the equipment on your harness is a special feeling. 11's in short order. Hello! I've been climbing for about 2 years now, but over the past 3 months have been going on a regular basis and getting more serious about it. He and his friends would pile into a van and drive thousands of miles from the east coast to climb big routes out west. 26 votes, 114 comments. Reply reply More repliesMore replies [deleted] • It stretches out, but not back while wet. In sport climbing you constantly push yourself to your physical limit, fall again and again, and finally send your project. 3M subscribers in the climbing community. Bouldering is short, intense climbing. It He's the classic "trad dad", started climbing in the early 80s. I can generally tell which of the two styles I'm climbing or have just climbed, but I really want to know how to articulate the distinction Trad belaying usually requires "hard" catches rather than soft sport catches. Quickdraws have no place on a trad rack. Otherwise, it's just like any other trad climb, albeit with slightly more route finding, slightly more vegetation, slightly colder, and more exhausting due to the elevation. Not to mention they are probably addicted to crack climbing. Sport or Lead climbing is when you attach your rope, using quick draws, to fixed anchors in the wall as you go up. Aid climbing, however, is a whole different beast—climbers use gear not just for protection but for upward progress. Feb 21, 2025 · Bouldering and top rope climbing are two popular forms of rock climbing. I climb mostly in Utah in rock canyon and Ibex with the occasional moab trip. 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). Would you guys say the grades of sport and trad routes at RR are pretty on par, or should I drop down a couple grades for trad? Edit: did a 5. At what point do you need to use rope? If I was buying a rope for just traditional climbing, I would choose the rope with the lowest impact force. 3K votes, 260 comments. Traditional climbing involves carrying and placing protection (chocks, camming devices and so on) rather than clipping into preplaced bolts. 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 clothing, etc Oct 12, 2020 · The grades at outdoor climbing areas can vary based on the type of rock, who set the first ascent of the climbs, and how old or established the climbing area is. Oct 28, 2016 · To learn more trad climbing skills, see the rest of our series, Learn to Climb Trad: A Complete Beginner’s Guide. Never use one in the gym as there is no danger of rock fall. You give a soft catch in sport to stop violent swings into the wall, but in trad when it isn't usually as steep (unless you are nails), its better to just stop a falling climber asap, because theres usually a lumpy rock or ledge or something nasty you want to stop In other words if you were to spend an hour climbing (sport lets say) or an hour driving a car, which one is more likely to kill you? I've a friend that finds the idea of rock climbing very dangerous but I suspect it might not be any more dangerous than driving to work. 14+. Trad opens up more adventure-style climbing, tackling big walls and being out there on the wall for hours. Trad climbing 101 Learn everything you’ve ever wanted to know about trad climbing including the skills, gear, and popular destinations. The home of Climbing on reddit. 74 votes, 60 comments. Jun 13, 2021 · The main difference between trad climbing vs. 54 votes, 56 comments. Nov 4, 2024 · What’s the difference between types of climbing like sport climbing, trad climbing, and free soloing? Sport climbing uses pre-placed anchors, while trad climbing requires placing your own protection. Should I get comfortable lead climbing indoors and outdoors first before hopping onto trad, or can I go Trad and sport harnesses can be different with the padding and gear loop layouts. Bouldering is the practice of climbing short and challenging routes without the use of ropes or other safety equipment. 6K votes, 210 comments. I have been strictly top rope so far and have gotten up to 5. They do soften a lot over time though, but you can always buy a new pair. They're also scrappy as hell. A subreddit for the indoor bouldering community. Trad gear (placing, bouncing, falling) absolutely damages sandstone, and other rock to a lesser degree, but it’s only a contention because those cracks are also used for hand/foot placement, whereas in sport climbing the holds aren’t affected by the protection. Dry treatment is a good upgrade for your first rope, especially dry sheath, it'll stay nicer, longer. Traditional climbing-- where you place your own protection as you climb using metal pieces and such-- instead of pre-drilled bolts. Build the anchor and tether yourself using the climbing rope with a clove hitch to the master point. The solution is still my favorite sport climbing shoe that I have tried, precise and makes me feel confident on even the smallest feet. 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 Assuming you are what I would consider an advanced boulder (v8+ on real rock?) you should be able to transition really easily to trad climbing and be busting out 5. sport climbing is that the latter is a bit more focused on the physical climb, whereas trad climbing asks you to be more mentally prepared, using technical climbing skills and more. You usually do it on boulder formations or artificial climbing walls. The rope runs from the climber’s Jul 10, 2024 · Trad climbing differs from the popular pursuit of sport climbing, where the protection is already installed, or bolted, into the rock. Does anyone know of the data to compute such an answer? I'd also be curious to compare different types of climbing I would say trad climbing at the crag or a regular multipitch isn't alpinism, but if I were to climb a mountain via the south face or south facing ridge/pillar/buttress in summer (so basically only rock), so basically a trad multipitch that brings me to the top of a mountain and that required a glacial approach, than yes I would call it alpinism. it's dangerous. Climbing rocks is climbing rocks. I personally dont like using sport draws for trad climbing so I carry 10 regular shoulder length slings and 2 double length slings on longer stuff, all racked with 2 carabiners on my harness. 4, they were super easy, I think I’ve got my bearing for difficulty. Was wondering what my ideal trad rack would be if money wasn't an issue. Absolutely don't buy quickdraws of any length for a trad rack! Me and my sister are getting into trad climbing, right now we just sport climb. That is basically trad Vs. Mar 9, 2022 · In climbers’ lingo, these are called trad climbing and sport climbing. Learn the key differences between sport rock climbing and trad climbing—from gear to safety, difficulty, and risk. 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. But, I owned a dozen draws, and one of them didn't own a single one. A better breakdown would be: Snow climbing Ice climbing Rock climbing Mixed climbing (two or more of the above three on the same route) The term ‘alpine-style’ was introduced in contrast to ‘expedition-style’ to describe fast ascents of mountains without relying heavily on fixed ropes or seige tactics, and generally not using oxygen. Traditional climbing: use at your own risk. Climbing very obviously means different things to different people, and just like there is a difference between mountaineering and climbing, there’s a difference between climbing for the exposure / risk, and climbing for the physical/difficulty asked. ) "Mountain climber" could be anything. 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. I was leading up to about 5. Let's say a route is set at a certain difficulty for top rope. I didn't own a rope for a long time because I was climbing with two people that had ropes, and three ropes for three people was overkill. I've been trying to figure out what the differences actually are between competition and traditional style. 10 trad climber. 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. 5. 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. Best thing you can do is regularly check your gear, not get complacent, and stay sharp out there. It's amazingly liberating. Trad climbing IS more than just placing gear in the sense that it is also: understanding the micro and macro structure of the rock, reading for good rests and spots where it is comfortable to place, gear management, very often anchor building, very often crack climbing (jam it up!), and a whole bunch of knowledge about different knots and some See full list on thewanderingclimber. The main difference between the two is that in trad climbing, you place your own gear (such as cams and nuts) into cracks and spaces in the rock to hold your rope, thus establishing the route as you climb. Scratching your way up some grassy and turf-covered slab while 30 feet runout is considered "classic". 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. Hey man, Bouldering is climbing without a rope and you do not climb nearly as high. MembersOnline • Dino_smore ADMIN MOD So a trad climb (hand-placed protection only) in the UK might be graded E1 4c, meaning that it's too serious for beginners (the E1 bit) but the hardest move isn't too hard (the 4c bit) - hence the seriousness comes from the lack of protection or exposure. 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. 20K subscribers in the tradclimbing community. I have friends who say that they have been climbing for a decade but refuse to learn new things and change their systems. But this is predominantly a historic development. Reddit's rock climbing training community. Mixed use sport-trad crags do exist, sometimes with two routes of different ethics sharing intersecting lines (it's generally held you can't claim to have climbed the trad route if you used any of the fixed protection on the sport route during the ascent). There's lots of other places where bolted anchors and some bolt protection are common for trad climbs. I prefer rope for swapping leads, and just use slings other times so I don't have to carry a cordelette. The main difference is Route climbing demands you to move efficiently through the easy bits with efficient technique to allow as much energy as possible for the crux sections. You should try on shoes that are intended for multipitch trad climbing. Want more in-depth training? Internationally certified mountain guides Rob Coppolillo and Marc Chauvin will teach you the fundamentals of trad climbing in our Intro to Trad 8-week online course. The line between what is a scramble and what is a climb. 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. Jun 13, 2025 · Trad (short for traditional) climbing leans on natural features and self-placed protection. Different shoe types for rock and indoor climbing? I'm still kinda new to climbing, started about a year ago with bouldering, since 4 months im really into climbing and recently i started wit outdoor climbing. Any suggestions on what a good “starter pack” would look like as far different cam/nut sizes? and then I can experiment and add to it based on need from there. Been trad climbing for a while now, and have slowly built up a decent trad rack. Sport climbing relies on pre-placed bolts drilled into the rock. The challenge and skills involved in installing protection, finding the optimum line and juggling this with the actual act of climbing makes trad climbing so enthralling. The dome is basically a cheaper version of the misty cadillac. There is also trad climbing where you do not use anchors, but put your own gear into the wall. What Do “Trad Climbing” and “Sport Climbing” Mean? 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. 4M subscribers in the climbing community. 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. Rope climbing is long, steady climbing at a much "lower" V grade equivalent that take insane amounts of endurance and strategy to get through in one shot. 7, but it took so long to get here that it feels like I’ll never be a 5. 3 and 5. Oct 21, 2021 · Rock Climbing Vs Gym Whether rock climbing helps more than a normal gym is really down to what you want from the gym or a workout. If you can find it, the singing rock dome harness is excellent for trad. Established routes will usually have some sort of walk off or rap stations, even remote and low traffic climbs. Top rope climbing, on the other hand, involves ascending a route while being secured by a rope. Here are our pros and cons for the two. ), but, again, none of it directly helps the climber up the wall. This will make sense shortly. Jan 31, 2023 · For some climbers, trad climbing is the crown jewel of all the rock climbing disciplines. Trad climbing is approached much like mountaineering, where it draws its roots. Gear failing does happen and yes people can die rock climbing due to some freak accident. Now I’m comfy to around 5. Jul 13, 2016 · However, most styles of climbing that are considered free climbing do use some sort of protection in case of a fall. com In the simplest terms, sport climbing focuses almost entirely on physical challenges, while trad climbing involves a mental game as well. We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. Or wearing it over lots of layers while ice climbing. Nov 8, 2023 · Some of the main types of rock climbing include top rope, sport climbing, trad climbing, alpine climbing, deep water soloing, ice climbing, and free soloing. Comparing them is like trying to compare BMX biking and touring the country on a road bike. However, the elephant in the room is obvious (and Traditional climbing was scary as fuck and oftentimes by modern standards batshit insane. Counter to this, the primary objective of trad climbing is adventurous - exploring the rock, flirting with risk, finding the summit. And yes we are scared of falling. are all just different styles of climbing with differing skill sets required for each. Limited rock and a long history of purism means that fixed hardware is shunned. You now have added a dynamic component to the anchor and this can greatly mitigate the risk of high shock loads on the anchor. We are looking to go all out and buy everything we need all in one go. A good next step for you would be to top rope a bunch in Peterskill etc first so you can start understanding systems a bit, make some connections in the community, and build a solid foundation of outdoor movement skills. Sport climbing isn’t it? Hopefully most people try to minimize their impact when out climbing or developing areas. Anything related to indoor (and outdoor) goes. The trad ethic, especially in my current home of North Carolina, is so strong that trad climbing is here to stay as the primary mode of climbing (at least in NC) for a long time. The best shoe is the one that fits your foot and meets your needs. Why spend 100 dollars a new pair pants a shirt when you can get a new cam or two. Trad climbing with quickdraws is not ideal, but it works if you bring a few alpines as well for strategic extensions. Two years ago, though, I got into trad and haven't looked back. Kinda curious about what everyone else has in mind for their own dream rack. It has 7 gear loops, very wide waist padding, and big leg loops so it's very comfy on hanging belays and projecting routes. 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. For climbing I use the north face route rocket 18 and it’s amazing. Less impact on the gear means more longevity and a greater chance for a marginal placement to hold a fall. . It's definitely more technical than ice climbing and probably always will be. free soloing: same as free climbing minus any and all protection. 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. One of the reasons I like mythos for crack climbing is the thick, stiff toebox. As skiiers like to say, run what you brung. I see some intersections between rock climbing and mountaineering. I’ve been climbing about 8 years, leading trad consistently for maybe 3. tzchu mxgt rgsy fbtgu psbg ekec jml ijpu sap tionr

What is trad climbing vs rock climbing reddit. Ice climbing is very different from sport climbing.