Free climbing is when a rock climber ascends a cliff using only his hands, feet, and body to make upward progress and to support his body in the vertical world. Free climbing is done both with and without a rope, although most climbers use a rope for personal safety and to avoid the dire and fatal effects of gravity. Free climbing done without the use of a safety rope is called free-solo climbing, a dangerous climbing discipline since the consequence of a fall is usually death.

Free Climbing Versus Aid Climbing

When a climber free climbs up a cliff or rock wall, the climbing rope and other climbing equipment like cams, nuts, pitons, and expansion bolts, are not used for body support or to aid the climber to move up. The rope is used by a free climber to protect her from injury during a fall. Aid climbing is opposite to free climbing, since the climber places gear and either grabs it (French Free Climbing Style) or stands with his feet in aiders or small ladders made of webbing, which support his weight and allow him to reach past a blank rock section or to climb a severely overhanging wall.

Free Climbing Is Most Common Climbing Discipline

When free climbing, climbers use ropes and equipment to protect themselves and don’t rely on the gear except for safety. Free climbing is perhaps the highest and most aesthetic expression of the climbing game since it requires strength, ingenuity, skill, and experience to be successful on the most difficult routes. Most climbers ascend routes using free climbing skills, including jamming cracks, grabbing different kinds of handholds, and using a variety of footholds. Free climbing is done on a variety of rock mediums, including boulders, short cliffs, big walls, and indoor climbing walls. Free climbers often go sport climbing, which is often the pursuit of extremely difficult climbing routes that are preprotected by bolts, and trad climbing, which is climbing a rock face and placing climbing gear for protection and belays.

Types of Free Climbing Ascents

Free climbing routes, usually called free climbs, are done in various styles of ascent.