Different types of climbing explained

Trad, sport or bouldering? Single-pitch or solo?

There are many different activities that come under the climbing, hill walking and mountaineering umbrella. Many are outdoor activities, whilst others take place on indoor climbing walls. Some activities are carried out with ropes to help manage the risks, whilst others, such as bouldering and hill walking, are invariably done without ropes.

Here's a quick-fire guide to help you get your head around it all...

What are the main kinds of climbing?

Rock climbing

This is a broad term that covers a few different bases. Put simply, rock climbing with ropes can be done indoors or outdoors and usually involves two people, but it can be done in a group. The person climbing is tied to a rope controlled by another person for safety. Controlling the rope is called belaying and the person controlling the rope is the belayer. Now, it gets a little more complicated...

Trad (traditional) climbing is where the first climber (the 'lead') places their own protection on their way up the rock face and their partner (the 'second') removes the protection while they are 'seconding' the route - that is, following the lead to the top. The lead belays the second from above, having built their own belay using gear to ensure both are safe in the event of a fall.

Sport climbing is where fixed protection (primarily bolts) is already placed in the rock for climbers to clip into as they ascend. It works similarly to trad, but the gear is effectively already placed for the lead, who will attach a quickdraw to the bolt, then clipping the rope into the quickdraw. Sport climbing is more commonly a single-pitch activity (though multi-pitch sport routes do exist) and usually the lead will attach their rope to a fixed anchor point at the top of the route in order to be lowered down by the belayer.

Bouldering is a form of climbing usually practised on small rocks and boulders, or at indoor walls. As the climber doesn't go very high it is often possible to jump back down. Boulderers usually use padded mats to jump down (or fall) onto to reduce impact on landing and to protect the ground from erosion. Bouldering routes are called boulder problems.

Soloing is where people climb on their own and usually without a rope. This high-risk style of climbing should only be undertaken by experienced climbers who are competent and confident moving on rock without protection and understand the risks.

Highballing is where bouldering meets soloing. Is it a big boulder problem or a short route? Highballing usually involves strategically placed boulder pads and a good team of spotters. Though again, this is one of the higher-risk climbing activities and requires a solid skill level and confidence.

Ice climbing involves climbing on snow or (you guessed it) ice. It is most often done outdoors using ropes and protection systems similar to rock climbing. There are now some specialist indoor venues for this form of climbing. Specialist equipment required includes mountaineering boots, warm clothing, ice axes, crampons, harness and rope.

Competition climbing is a competitive form of climbing or paraclimbing done on artificial structures and climbing walls. This ranges from comps down your local wall that are open to any level of experience (get stuck in - it's a great way to meet people), right up to the Olympic and Paralympic games.

Hillwalking and mountaineering

Hill walking involves walking over mountainous terrain and venturing through exhilarating landscapes with fabulous views. Specialist skills needed include map reading, terrain judgment and navigation. Boots, warm and waterproof clothing are required as the weather in hills and mountains can be inclement and sometimes difficult to predict accurately.

Scrambling involves elements of both hill walking and rock climbing. Some scrambles up steep ridges can be very exposed. The steeper the rock, the harder the scramble and obviously the more skills and equipment required. Scrambling can involve using a 'confidence rope' or not, depending on the difficulty of the terrain and experience level of the scramblers.

Mountaineering usually involves a combination of walking and scrambling as well as rock and ice climbing in mountainous areas. The BMC Winter Essentials DVD gives useful insights into aspects of hill walking and mountaineering. Mountaineering can be done in Scotland during the British winter and pretty much all year round in the Alps. The Himalayas is also a popular place for mountaineering, where there are still hundreds of unclimbed mountains.

Still puzzled? The BMC TV YouTube channel has plenty of how-to's, explainers and inspiring videos to help you get a handle on all things climbing.