Free climbing

History

The free climbing movement was an important development in the history of rock climbing. 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 those "rules for free climbing" are in still use today.

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".

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). FFAs that create new grade milestones are important events in climbing history.

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.

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.

Types

Free climbing means using no form of artificial or mechanical aid to help progression in ascending a route.

Free climbing can be performed in a variety of types of climbing, most importantly:

• Traditional climbing, where temporary climbing protection equipment is used and placed by the climber as they ascend the route, but it is not for any form of artificial aid in upward progression on the climbing route.
• 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.
• Bouldering, where no forms of mechanical devices are used (even for protection).
• Free solo climbing, where, as with bouldering, no forms of mechanical devices are used.

Misunderstandings

Free climbing has been called "rock climbing's most commonly mistaken term", with problems including the following:

• 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.
• 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).
• 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.

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 so redpointed first free ascents on bolted routes are not advocated.

References

References

1. (2023). "Free climbing".
2. (2023). "Free climbing".
3. Wilkinson, Freddie. (14 March 2019). "Rock climbing: from ancient practice to Olympic sport".
4. Middendorf, John. (1999). "The Mechanical Advantage: Tools for the Wild Vertical". [[Sierra Club]].
5. (9 August 2021). "The Origin and Early Evolution of Rock Climbing". Atlantis Press.
6. Hobley, Nicholas. (29 October 2010). "Kurt Albert is dead. Goodbye to a climbing legend".
7. Hobley, Nicholas. (28 September 2020). "Remembering Kurt Albert, German climbing legend and father of the redpoint".
8. Pardy, Aaron. (5 November 2022). "Redpoint, Pinkpoint, and Headpoint – What Do They Mean?".
9. (2 October 2020). "What Is A Redpoint In Climbing? – Climbing Jargon Explained".
10. Sanzarro, Francis. (22 March 2022). "Who Did It First? Style, Grades and Dispute in First Ascents".
11. (12 April 2021). "What is French free climbing".
12. Synnott, Mark. (2 August 2021). "Climb Long Routes Faster With This Simple Aid Trick".
13. (11 April 2021). "What Is Free Climbing? – Rock Climbing's Most Commonly Mistaken Term".