Squamishrock

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.