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Free climbing is a form of rock climbing in which the climber can only use climbing equipment for climbing protection but not as an artificial aid to help them in ascending the route.^[1]^[2] Free climbing, therefore, cannot use any of the tools that are used in aid climbing to help overcome the obstacles encountered while ascending a route. The development of free climbing was an important moment in the history of rock climbing, including the concept and definition of what determined a first free ascent (or FFA) of a route by a climber.

Free climbing can be performed in several formats depending on the type of climbing protection used, including traditional climbing (uses temporary removable protection), sport climbing (uses permanently fixed in-situ protection), and bouldering and free solo climbing (uses no protection whatsoever).

History

The free climbing movement was an important development in the history of rock climbing.^[3] In 1911, Austrian climber Paul Preuss started what became known as the Mauerhakenstreit (or "piton dispute"), by advocating for a transition to "free climbing" via a series of essays and articles in the German Alpine Journal where he defined "artificial aid" and proposed 6 rules of free climbing including the important rule 4: "The piton is an emergency aid and not the basis of a system of mountaineering".^[3]^[4] In 1913, German climber Rudolf Fehrmann published the second edition of Der Bergsteiger in der Sächsischen Schweiz (or The Climber in Saxon Switzerland), which included the first binding rules for climbing in the area to protect the soft sandstone rock. The rules said that only natural holds were allowed, and these "rules for free climbing" are in still use today.^[5]

In 1975, German climber Kurt Albert painted his first "Rotpunkt" (or redpoint) on the base of the aid climb Adolf Rott Ged.-Weg (V+/A1), in the Frankenjura, signifying he had "free climbed" it as a redpoint (i.e. after many failed attempts); the redpoint became the accepted definition of what constituted a "first free ascent".^[6]^[7]

First free ascent

The first "free climb" of a climbing route is known as the first free ascent, or FFA, and is chronicled by climbing journals and guide books. They also chronicle whether the "free climb" was done onsight (i.e. first try without any prior information), flashed (i.e. first try with prior information), or redpointed (i.e. completed after a first failed attempt).^[8]^[9] FFAs that create new grade milestones are important events in climbing history.^[10]

French free climbing

The derived term French free climbing, refers to the French lead climbing technique of "pulling upward" on pieces of in-situ climbing protection equipment (e.g. quickdraws on bolted routes or SLCDs on traditional climbing routes), as a source of aid in ascending the climbing route.^[11] It is equivalent to an A0-graded aid climbing technique and is typically used on longer big wall climbing or alpine climbing routes where it is important that the climber(s) progress efficiently and not get overly delayed on a specific section.^[11]

Despite the name, 'French free climbing' is not considered 'free climbing' per se, and a climber that uses the technique could not claim a 'first free ascent' of a new route.^[11]

Types

Various forms of free climbing

Leading a sport climb

Leading a traditional climb

Free solo climbing

Bouldering

Free climbing means using no form of artificial or mechanical aid to help progression in ascending a route.^[5] Even the act of pulling on the climbing protection equipment as employed in 'French free climbing' (either placed by the climber while climbing or already in situ with pre-placed bolts) is considered aid climbing and carries an aid climbing grade of A0.^[12]

Free climbing can be performed in a variety of types of climbing, and most importantly:^[13]

Traditional climbing, where temporary climbing protection equipment is used, and placed by the climber as they ascend the route, but which is not for any form of artificial aid in upward progression on the climbing route.^[13]
Sport climbing, where pre-placed fixed bolts are used for climbing protection, but again, not for any form of aid in upward progression on the climbing route.^[13]
Bouldering, as no forms of mechanical devices are employed in bouldering (not even for protection), it is by definition, free climbing.
Free solo climbing, as with bouldering, as no forms of mechanical devices are employed in free solo climbing, it is by definition, free climbing.

Misunderstandings

Free climbing has been called "rock climbing's most commonly mistaken term", with problems including:^[13]

Incorrectly assuming that "free climbing" always means solo climbing, i.e. that you must always be alone and without any partner. Free climbing in traditional climbing and sport climbing uses a supporting belayer.^[13]
Incorrectly assuming that "free climbing" always means free soloing, i.e. that you must never use any climbing protection equipment. Free climbing in traditional climbing and sport climbing uses climbing protection (but not to aid progression).^[13]
Incorrectly assuming that "free climbing" always means onsighting or flashing, i.e. that you must always climb the route first try. Free climbing in traditional climbing and sport climbing also uses the 'redpoint' as a definition of a first free ascent.^[13]

Free climbing is related to — but separate from — the broader climbing topic area of clean climbing; however, clean climbing does not support the use of bolted sport climbing routes on external natural rock, and thus redpointed first free ascents on bolted routes are not advocated.

References

^ "Free climbing". Cambridge Dictionary. 2023. Retrieved 25 September 2023. the sport of climbing on rocks, up mountains, or up walls or buildings using no equipment to help you to climb, only ropes or other safety devices that prevent falling
^ "Free climbing". Collins English Dictionary. 2023. Retrieved 2 October 2023. climbing without using pitons, étriers, etc, as direct aids to ascent, but using ropes, belays, etc, at discretion for security
^ ^a ^b Wilkinson, Freddie (14 March 2019). "Rock climbing: from ancient practice to Olympic sport". National Geographic. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
^ Middendorf, John (1999). "The Mechanical Advantage: Tools for the Wild Vertical". Ascent. Sierra Club: 149–173. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
^ ^a ^b Zhu, Beifeng; Chen, Ruizhi; Li, Yuan (9 August 2021). "The Origin and Early Evolution of Rock Climbing". Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research. Proceedings of the 2021 5th International Seminar on Education, Management and Social Sciences (ISEMSS 2021). 571. Atlantis Press: 662–667. doi:10.2991/assehr.k.210806.124. ISBN 978-94-6239-414-8.
^ Hobley, Nicholas (29 October 2010). "Kurt Albert is dead. Goodbye to a climbing legend". PlanetMountain. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
^ Hobley, Nicholas (28 September 2020). "Remembering Kurt Albert, German climbing legend and father of the redpoint". PlanetMountain. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
^ Pardy, Aaron (5 November 2022). "Redpoint, Pinkpoint, and Headpoint – What Do They Mean?". Gripped Magazine. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
^ "What Is A Redpoint In Climbing? – Climbing Jargon Explained". Climber. 2 October 2020. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
^ Sanzarro, Francis (22 March 2022). "Who Did It First? Style, Grades and Dispute in First Ascents". Climbing. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
^ ^a ^b ^c "What is French free climbing". Climber. 12 April 2021. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
^ Synnott, Mark (2 August 2021). "Climb Long Routes Faster With This Simple Aid Trick". Climbing. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g "What Is Free Climbing? – Rock Climbing's Most Commonly Mistaken Term". Climber. 11 April 2021. Retrieved 8 February 2023.