Climbing
The ultimate guide to sport climbing
The hype surrounding sport climbing continues unabated! Here you can find out all about the different disciplines of climbing, their history and the types of competitions.
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Sport climbing has been very popular in recent years! More and more bouldering gyms and climbing walls are springing up everywhere, making it much easier for new climbers to get started. The accessibility for a wide audience has led to climbing becoming one of the most popular sports of our time. And that's exactly why we're providing you with the most exciting information and stories about sport climbing in the following article!
01
What is sport climbing?
Climbing is innate to us humans: even as children, we climb trees to get as far up as possible. However, sport climbing does not take place on trees, but goes back to traditional climbing on suitable walls - with the additional factor that there are fixed belays on established routes to guarantee the safety of the climbers.
Despite these safety measures, climbing is anything but easy and requires physical training. Factors such as the size of the holds, the inclination of the wall and the position of the rest points are some of the main factors in the world of sport climbing, which is designed to promote individual mobility and maximise physical and mental fitness. But one component is still missing, of course: risk is what makes climbing what it is -- one of the most complete disciplines in the world of extreme sports.
Alberto Ginés in his natural habitat
© Javi Pec / Red Bull Content Pool
02
What are the origins of climbing?
The first person to scale a wall in the way climbing is understood today was Antoine de Ville on Mont Aiguille in 1492. But if there really is a key date in the history of climbing, it is 8 August 1786, when Michel-Gabriel Paccard, together with Pierre Balmat and Horace-Bénédict de Saussure, became the first person to climb Mont Blanc, marking a turning point in the history of climbing and its practice.
Since then, many people have tried to follow in Paccard's footsteps. At the end of the 19th century, climbing began to develop thanks to the expansion of the use of safety equipment (in particular the rope) and the first schools and clubs were founded in Europe and the USA. The International Union of Mountaineering Associations was founded in 1932 through the merger of several of these associations.
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03
Climbing as a competitive sport
Climbing as a competitive sport was launched in 1985 in Bardonecchia (Italy) at an event called "SportRoccia". A year later, the first competition was organised on an artificial climbing wall in Vaulx-en-Velin in France. In the early 1990s, it was decided that international competitions should only take place on purpose-built infrastructures in order to leave nature untouched and promote environmental protection - one of the core values of climbing.
A new era of modern sport climbing began and the first world championships were held in Frankfurt in 1991. The hype then followed in the last two decades. The development of climbing walls has naturally contributed to the popularity of sport climbing and made it accessible to the general public.
Alberto Ginés is one of the most accomplished climbers of his generation
© Javi Pec / Red Bull Content Pool
04
Climbing disciplines
Although the goal is the same - to get to the top - there are three main disciplines in sport climbing:
Bouldering
Bouldering in the Grampians of Australia
© Reinhard Fichtinger/Red Bull Content Pool
This is a type of climbing in which boulders or small walls (maximum 8 metres) are climbed without conventional safety equipment (rope, harness, belay devices, etc.). The athletes move both upwards and horizontally (traverse), whereby the focus is on so-called "boulder problems" over very short distances. A portable mat, a "crash pad", is usually used for protection. While the climber is scaling the wall, another person (a so-called "spotter") stands under the wall to deflect a potential fall.
In bouldering competitions, athletes climb 4.5 metre high walls without ropes, in a limited time and in as few attempts as possible. The ranking is determined by the number of boulder problems completed.
One of the newest and most exciting bouldering variants is called "Psicobloc" ("Deep Water Soloing"), which involves bouldering over water. This allows higher routes (up to 20 metres) to be climbed without a safety device. Psicobloc originated on the Spanish Mediterranean island of Mallorca.
Lead climbing
Sport climbing requires safety ropes and wall anchors
© Elias Holzknecht
Lead climbing (or lead climbing) is a discipline in which, unlike bouldering, a rope is used.
Athletes climb as high as possible in six minutes with a rope on a wall over 15 metres high without having seen the route beforehand - the ultimate test for body and mind!
The athletes climb as high as possible in six minutes with a rope on a wall over 15 metres high without having seen the route beforehand - the ultimate test for body and mind!
Speed climbing
Speed climbing is about explosive dynamism, so gym work is essential
© Lukasz Nazdraczew/Red Bull Content Pool
Speed climbing is undisputedly the most spectacular type of climbing. As the name suggests, the aim of this discipline is to reach the top as quickly as possible, with climbers being secured with a rope at all times.
In speed climbing, there are races against the clock in single elimination rounds that require maximum precision and explosiveness. The wall is 15 metres high and has an incline of five degrees.
The men's world record is 5.00 seconds (Kiromal Katibin, Indonesia) and the women's world record is 6.53 (Aleksandra Miroslaw, Poland).
In speed climbing, there are races against the clock in single elimination rounds that require maximum precision and explosiveness. The wall is 15 metres high and has an incline of five degrees.
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Mixed climbing
Mixed climbing is still a very young discipline in which the different climbing styles - speed, lead climbing and bouldering - are combined. Here, too, there is a ranking list and a final with a maximum of 6 climbers. In competitions, athletes must compete in all three disciplines in both the qualifying round and the final. At the end, the results are combined and whoever has the lowest score wins.
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05
Alberto Ginés - climbing star
AlbertoGinés is currently one of the most exciting figures in the spectacular world of climbing. The man from the Spanish region of Extremadura is one of the most promising and accomplished climbers of his generation. At the age of just 18, he surprised everyone when he won the first ever gold medal in sport climbing at the Tokyo Games. He took on the world's most accomplished professionals and, against all odds, managed to secure a place at the top and make history.
He had to overcome many hurdles on his way to the European Championship title and World Cup victory -- and it paid off! Last year, he dominated the spectacular Red Bull Dual Ascent.
Alberto Ginés López
© Stefan Voitl/Red Bull Content Pool
06
I want to climb, what do I need?
There are many different types of climbing equipment. Depending on which discipline you choose, you will need different things. Here are the most important ones:
Climbing shoes
Climbing shoes are by far the most important gadget you need to get right from the start if you want to take the exciting world of climbing by storm. And when it comes to climbing shoes, you're spoilt for choice. Make sure you have the right shoes for your style and fit them to your foot shape. As far as size is concerned, climbing shoes are generally worn smaller than standard street shoes. The aim is to get as much "toe-tip feeling" as possible on the wall through the shoes. It is normal for your toes to hurt a little at first, but don't worry, this will pass.
Climbing harness
As with climbing shoes, the choice of climbing harnesses is very wide and depends a little on what you are planning to do. To start with, it's best to choose a comfortable harness that allows you to belay or hold on for a long time without feeling like the harness is cutting into your thighs or hips. Another factor to consider is whether you want a harness with adjustable leg loops. They have the advantage that you can adjust them depending on the clothes you're wearing (or if you want to lend them to a friend).
Magnesium bag (or chalk bag)
Magnesium bags are usually attached to the hip (or clipped to the harness) for sport climbing, whereas they are left on the ground for bouldering. They are filled with fine magnesium carbonate powder, which is used as a drying agent to combat perspiration. The powder is usually bought in plastic bags.
Rope
All climbing disciplines except bouldering (and free soloing) require a rope for belaying. There are three main types of ropes: Single ropes, half ropes and twin ropes. As a rule (with exceptions), single ropes are used for single-pitch routes, while half or twin ropes are used for climbing multi-pitch routes, as they ensure additional safety and offer the possibility to abseil down the entire length of the rope.
Helmet
An essential item for beginners to protect themselves from possible rock falls or head injuries that can occur in the event of a fall on the rock. It is recommended for both climbing and belaying.
Quickdraws
Quickdraws consist of two carabiners connected by webbing and are used to guide your rope through pre-installed belays. Quickdraws are mainly used for sport climbing. Often the textile webbing is fitted with a small elastic band that fixes one of the carabiners to make it easier to pass the rope through, while the other carabiner can move freely. There are quickdraws in different shapes, sizes and colours and with different lengths of webbing to suit different climbing requirements. In the beginning, one set of quickdraws is sufficient (depending on the climbing area and the height of the routes, you will need between 10 and 15), which you can supplement with other types and models over time.
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07
Advantages of sport climbing
Climbing is one of the best sports for body and mind, which not only takes your fitness to a new level, but also includes exciting factors such as risk. Would you like to know the real benefits of climbing? With sport climbing, you benefit from the following advantages:
- It improves coordination, body awareness and balance.
- It improves your general physical condition, tones your muscles and trains strength and elasticity.
- Climbing is an anaerobic sport that burns a lot of calories.
- It helps you to feel strong and agile. No matter how little you climb or scramble, you always have to assume that you could fall at any moment, and this helps to increase your mental strength. Climbing creates an addictive adrenaline rush. See for yourself!
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