If all you knew about rock climbing and mountaineering was from looking at magazines or reading books like ‘Into Thin Air’ or ‘Freedom of the Hills’, you might conclude that all climbers are crazy! The reality is that many sane, relatively fit people go climbing and mountaineering every year. Their goals can vary greatly, but chances are they have one thing in common: the desire to enjoy themselves and get home safely at the end of the day.

Climbing is the process of moving, generally upward, on rock, ice or mountains. Beyond this basic definition, it becomes more specific depending on the style, the objective, and the size of rock being climbed. It can be confusing for beginners, so we’re unpacking this often mysterious sport by outlining each climbing discipline and equipment required below.

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1. Bouldering
2. Indoor (Gym) Climbing
3. Sport Climbing
4. Traditional Climbing
5. Aid Climbing
6. Ice Climbing & Mixed Climbing
7. Mountaineering

What are the different types of climbing?

There are many different types of climbing. Some can be performed both indoor and outdoor, while others are only possible in certain parts of the country (or indeed the world!).

1. Bouldering

Bouldering can be performed both outdoor and indoor on rock faces, boulders, buildings (buildering), and other surfaces close to the ground. It is extremely popular with all levels of climbers for a number of reasons. It allows you to focus all your strength and technique on climbing a particular boulder problem, usually without the fear of falling far or dealing with climbing ropes or rock protection, which can sap your strength and concentration.

Bouldering doesn’t require much climbing gear (climbing shoes, chalk bag, and a crash pad), so you can push yourself or learn new climbing techniques in relative safety. Although you are usually close to the ground, the risk of injury is still present, so it can be useful to have a couple of climbing friends who can act as spotters through more awkward sections or dangerous landings.

2. Indoor (Gym) Climbing

Much of the boom in climbing's popularity over the last few decades is thanks to an increase in artificial climbing walls and gyms built around a series of these walls. Indoor rock climbing is a great way to get started as a climber - all you need is a harness, chalk bag and a pair of climbing shoes.

Reputable rock gyms go to great lengths to make things fun, safe, and easy for beginners. Climbing walls feature "top-rope" set-ups to minimise risk and have a variety of climbing routes to choose from, making it easy for you to progress at your own speed. Most climbing gyms also have instructional courses, and before they let you use the facilities, first-timers must pass a simple belay test. 

Some climbers will never venture outside the gym, whilst other climbers will often use climbing gyms to hone their strength and skills for outdoor climbs.

3. Sport Climbing

Sport climbing is a type of outdoor climbing that focuses more on the gymnastic movement required to complete a climb and less on placing protective pieces to prevent a fall. This type of rock climbing involves climbing routes that already have anchors affixed to the rock (either ring bolts or carrot bolts), to which you can attach your rope to.

Sport climbing will require you to carry lightweight snap gate carabiners with nylon connectors called quickdraws. Quickdraws are clipped through the ring bolts or bolt plates (which you will also need to take with you in the case of carrot bolts) at one end and the rope is clipped through the other. This, in conjunction with an effective belay, protects you from falling too far.

Sport climbs can range from easy routes which give the indoor climbers a feel for the exposure of climbing on real rock, without the inherent difficulty of placing protection, to unbelievably difficult "problems" where incredible effort, strength, and technique is necessary to move from one improbable hold to the next.

4. Traditional Climbing

Traditional, or “trad” climbing predates both climbing gyms and sport climbs. This climbing category requires you to carry a rope and quick-draws, as well as special gear called "rock protection" or "pro". These (usually) metallic devices expand, twist, or wedge into cracks or holes in the rock, and, provided they are securely placed in sound rock, are fed through carabiners or slings attached to the climbing rope. The combination of rope and protection will "catch" a lead climber in the event of a fall.

Traditional climbing is more adventurous than sport climbing. You cannot simply follow a line of bolts to the top - you must find and follow the route, seeking places to put protection as you go. Although routes may vary in technical difficulty, (generally, easier trad routes are more prolific than easier sport routes) a greater level of experience, protection and knowledge of how to safely place effective protection is required. The climber places his or her own protection, so it is definitely more gear intensive, and therefore more expensive.

5. Aid Climbing

Aid climbing is one of the earliest types of rock climbing. Aid climbing is an integral part of big wall climbing (climbs that take more than a day), meaning that climbers need to either sleep on natural ledges or haul a portable ledge up the wall. Big wall routes are usually long, gruelling, and very risky. Because they cannot be top-roped, climbers must bring large amounts of climbing gear with them to anchor themselves to the rock as they climb.

Because of the scarring, cost, and effort caused by continual hammering and removal of pitons, this climbing discipline has more recently evolved into “clean aid”. Clean aid avoids the use of hammers and pitons, lessening impact on the rock. 

Although aid climbing is suited to more experienced climbers, difficulty and gear requirements will differ depending on the route. Aid climbing requires the standard equipment of the rock climber’s rack, as well as some specialised aid climbing gear. Giant, multi-pitch wall climbs require strength, endurance, mental toughness, and expert rope skills, as well as a tremendous amount of specialised equipment.

6. Ice Climbing & Mixed Climbing

For many, the changeable nature of snow and icy conditions makes the thrill of climbing even more exciting, not to mention more challenging. When heading out in such environments, mountaineers and sport climbers can enjoy everything from moderate-angel walks up glaciers, to the vertical challenge of frozen waterfalls and fierce, wind-whipped, snow-covered faces.

Because ice is extremely slippery and cold to the touch, ice climbing requires a completely different set of gear and technique to rock climbing. Ice climbers use sharply pointed ice tools and crampons, which become extensions of the climber's hands and feet. Because of the temperature and dangers associated with ice, warm clothing and a helmet are essential. Footwear should be warm, stiff, and comfortable, and can vary from alpine touring ski boots to plastic or leather mountaineering boots

Rope systems, carabiners and slings can be the same as those used for rock climbing, but the main difference is that the climb is protected using ice screws, which are hollow metal tubes screwed into the ice. Recently, the pursuit of harder ice routes has led to climbs that are barely formed or do not make a continuous path to the top of the pitch.

Rather than abandoning them and tackling more well-formed climbs, climbers ascend mixed climbs of startling difficulty, climbing long sections of rock using crampons and ice tools (dry tooling), then performing gymnastic and often dangerous lunges and moves to pull up sections of vertical or overhanging ice. These climbs are protected on the rock and ice by whatever means possible: screws, pitons, cams, and nuts can all be used.

7. Mountaineering

The types of climbing we’ve outlined above often exist in isolation from each other. However, mountaineering might require you to use all of these skills on a single expedition or climb. 

Often considered the pinnacle of the climbing pyramid, mountaineering is the story of challenging routes on distant peaks. A mountaineering expedition can take a month or two to complete because of the severity of weather and objective hazards encountered en route. These expeditions not only involve climbing skills, but they also test teamwork, camping skills, navigational ability, first aid experience, and even survival instincts.

Mountaineering is generally classified into two seasons, with winter mountaineering the most risky. Winter travel on skis or snowshoes is often fraught with avalanche danger, inclement and fast-changing weather, short days, and frigid temperatures. At this time of year, a high degree of self-reliance, fitness, and competence is essential, and when starting out, it’s wise to set modest objectives and choose experienced partners to climb with. Summer mountaineering still comes with a degree of avalanche danger and fast-changing weather, but the days are slightly longer and the temperature can be kinder. Depending on the nature of the climb, any routes with snow and ice can often be harder in the summer. 

The variable nature of mountaineering requires climbers to carry a variety of equipment, from a walking axe to crevasse rescue equipment, the standard array of which includes two prusik cords or jumars, a pulley or two, as well as anchors such as a snow stake. Footwear depends on both the altitude and the season, with leather mountaineering boots or plastics essential, though the extreme temperatures encountered at high altitudes require a careful choice with respect to their insulation. Some people also prefer to use a lightweight boot, particularly if there is a substantial amount of hiking to get to the objective. And of course, one of the most important pieces of gear for any type of climb is a helmet.

Always be prepared with climbing equipment from Paddy Pallin

No matter the type of climb you decide to undertake, it’s essential that you have the right climbing equipment. At Paddy Pallin, we stock a range of high-quality gear for all climbing disciplines, from hobby bouldering to extended alpine expeditions. Explore our range today.

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