Rock Climbing Styles | Sport, Mountaineering, Indoor, Bouldering

Rock Climbing comes in different styles and variations. Two common styles are Traditional Rock Climbing and Sport Climbing. However, there are other types, too. In this section, we will give a summary of the different Styles of Climbing.

To know more about the different climbing variations, check out our Mountaineering site. This is for everybody who loves to reach mountain tops and would like to know more about famous mountains and different routes to climb.

Traditional Rock Climbing

A traditional rock climber is more often called 'Trad climber’. He or she is assigned to any roped climber who ascends a piece of rock placing Passive Protection, like nuts and hexes, as he or she goes to ensure his or her safety. The protection, also called ‘Pro’, is placed in the rocks' weak points such as a crack or a rock spur. The Climbing Rope you carry is attached to you through a Sit Harness you are wearing and the other end of the rope is attached to your climbing partner. As you climb up, your partner feeds out the rope as you need it through a Belay Device.

Sport Climbing

Sport Climbing is very similar to Traditional Rock Climbing, except for the difference in the gear. You still have the same rope technique but the protection is already in place in the form of bolts. Instead of using "nuts" and "friends", you have Quickdraws. It is a short Sling with a Carabiner on each end. Sport Climbing is mostly face climbing and tends to stay not much longer than two pitches or rope lengths. In addition, with the danger element removed, emphasis can be placed on technique and doing hard moves.

Bouldering

If you go bouldering, your feet may never get more than a few feet off the ground. You do not have a rope attached to you or any other form of protection (except maybe a mat to fall on!). Bouldering is a very explosive Type of Climbing. When doing this, you do what are called "Boulder Challenges". The solution to these challenges is a series of moves and you can do them over and over again until you get it without hurting yourself as you are just a few feet off the ground. Since this is the case, you can try insane moves that you would most likely not try on a climb when you are 50-60 feet off the ground.

Solo Climbing

Soloing is the freest form of Climbing in the sense that you have only you up there with the birds and the breeze. It is a kind of extended form of Bouldering, but then it is totally different. Instead of focusing on your moves, the Solo Climber is totally committed to reach the summit. Moreover,just to stress out, you have no ropes or any other gear! Therefore, if the Solo Climber is to fall, it would mean that he would most likely be injured.

Mountaineering

Mountaineering involves the thrill to reach mountain tops. It requires a combination of skills. For example, to reach the peak of the Kilimanjaro (the highest mountain on the African continent), you will start in the jungle under hot and humid conditions. Then it quickly gets steeper and colder, making you use you rock climbing and ice climbing skills to the fullest.

Ice Climbing

Using ice tools as efficiently as possible, a climber will be able to climb vertical ice, like frozen waterfalls. Ice Axes and Crampons are the main tools the climber uses in Ice Climbing. In addition to the difference in equipment, the nature of the medium that is to be climbed differs greatly as well. While the quality of rock varies little over the year, ice, on the other hand, exhibits daily and even hourly mutations.

Indoor Climbing

Indoor climbing came from people wanting to train year round or during adverse conditions. At present, however, it is much more than that. Competitions are done on Indoor Climbing walls which are sometimes moved outside. Indoor Climbing provides a great opportunity to learn to climb in a very controlled environment. There are even people today who have been climbing for years and never tried it on real rock.


These are the different Climbing Styles. There are many other styles out there that many climbers enjoy. Each offers a different kind of challenge and climbing experience. Just take note that before trying a Climbing Style, make sure to know its nature, features, and requirements.