When we say climbing, we are referring to free climbing. Free climbing is the
art of using what nature/the routesetter provides to ascend a rock face, or an
indoor route. Free climbing is furthur divided into traditional and sport
climbing. Traditional climbing usually means placing protection on the way up
the route. Sport climbing makes use of permanent anchors drilled into the rock
to safeguard the climber.

The development of climbing equipment has played the largest role in the
climbing’s changes over history. Until fairly recently (after WWII), rope and
other protection equipment used by climbers were unreliable. Thus, the element
of danger limited a climbers’ ability, through psychological barriers of fear.
In the nineteenth century, most climbing protection consisted of only a natural
fiber rope tied to you without a harness, and a pair of nailed boots.
Occasionally, the rope would be tied to rock knobs on the cliff, but the climber
had to always remain wary, as the rope could fray easily. Furthermore, most
climbers did not have the detailed maps which are common today. Climbing
equipment has vastly improved. Climbers now can attempt to climb faces which
were inconceivable barriers a century ago. Equipment today, as you will see in
our Equipment section, provides climbers with a greater physical safety and
psychological peace of mind. However, climbing is still about danger and
adventure. These attributes will stay with climbing no matter how advanced the
equipment becomes, as they define the spirit and energy that is a quintessential
part of the sport of climbing.

It is a common misconception that you have to be young and in superb physical
condition to climb rocks. However, many people start climbing when they are in
their forties, or even later. And while being fit definitely helps a climber, it
is not true that only people with a great deal of strength can climb. Proper
technique, not strength, is what makes a climber most successful. Learning
climbing requires a combination of both mental and physical practice and
control. Clearly, anyone who spends the time to learn the mental and physical
techniques can become a climber. In fact, many people with disabilities are
climbers. El Capitan, one of the longest class 5 climbing challenges, was
climbed by a blind climber. People without natural legs have also shown
themselves to be excellent climbers.