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j_freak
Mar 25, 2002, 3:07 AM
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Registered: Mar 23, 2002
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i've been a backpacker for a long time, and i just started to boulder and climb. there are some terms that are used that i don't know. i'm just beginning and everywhere i look and read they are there. can someone please help me? Thanks.
-'V' grade
-pitch
-trad climbing
-Big Wall
-aid climbing
-sport climbing
[ This Message was edited by: j_freak on 2002-03-24 19:10 ]
[ This Message was edited by: j_freak on 2002-03-24 19:17 ]
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pianomahnn
Mar 25, 2002, 3:31 AM
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Josh,
First and foremost, welcome to the site and climbing!!
Now, on to your questions.
For general lingo you can check the Rockclimbing.com climbing dictionary.
The V grade is in refernce to grading bouldering climbs. You can compare grades with the Rockclimbing.com grade chart.
A pitch, as quoted from this sites definition is Generally a ropelength between belay stations on a multi-pitch climb.
Trad (Traditional) climbing involves using protection, pieces of safety gear, placed into the rock for protection in case of a fall. There are many types of pieces of protection one can use, cams, hexes, nuts, to name a few. Check out the Trad forum if you have more in depth questions.
Big wall climbing is stuff that just smacks me on my butt because I'm too dang scared! It involves many pitches like in cases of climbs in Yosemite. Wicked hardcore!
Aid climbing is for a whole different breed of climber. A little on the crazy side, I'd like to think. It involves not really using your hands to climb on the rock, but placing gear on the rock, and ascending the rock that way. It's not so much physically exausting (so I've been told) as it is mentally exausting. Talk to Dr Piton for more, he's a wealth of information.
Sport climbing seems more directed towards climbers who want to climb really difficult climbs without the risk of serious injury due to protection popping. Its lead climbing where there are bolts drilled into the rock and one places a quickdraw in these bolts as they climb. It takes a significant less amount of technical knowledge to sport climb compared to other forms of roped climbing, but is by no means a game where the head can just wander off. Serious injury or death can, and does occur. I like sport climbing.
Yeah, that's about all I got for you (hope I said everything correctly...).
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apollodorus
Mar 25, 2002, 3:32 AM
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Registered: Feb 18, 2002
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There is a glossary of terms in the left menu of the RC.COM website.
-'V' grade EITHER EUROPEAN FREE CLIMBING DIFFICULTY, OR AMERICAN OVERALL DIFFICULTY OF A CLIMB (see grade chart on left menu)
-pitch DISTANCE BETWEEN BELAY STANCES. ONE ROPE LENGTH, OR LESS. THE LEADER LEADS THE PITCH, THEN BRINGS THE BELAYER UP.
-trad climbing USING STOPPERS, CAMS, ETC. AS PROTECTION AS YOU ASCEND. REQUIRES SKILL AT PLACING PROTECTION ANCHORS AS THE LEADER CLIMBS, WHICH CAN DRAIN ENERGY ON STRENUOUS ROUTES. A TRAD CLIMB GENERALLY HAS LITTLE FIXED GEAR. BYOG.
-Big Wall A LONG, STEEP CLIMB THAT TAKES AT LEAST TWO DAYS. GENERALLY INVOLVES LOTS OF AID CLIMBING, HAULING WATER AND SUPPLIES UP WITH YOU, AND PORTALEDGE COTS HUNG FROM THE WALL TO SLEEP ON. EL CAPITAN HAS THE QUINTESSENTIAL BIG WALL CLIMBS.
-aid climbing CLIMBING TOO SEVERE FOR JUST HANDS AND FEET. REQUIRES THAT YOU HANG FROM PIECES PLACED IN THE ROCK. GENERALLY DONE WITH SHORT ROPE LADDERS, AIDERS, THAT ALLOW YOU TO GAIN 3 FEET PER PIECE, OR SO. EASY AID MEANS YOU CAN'T CLIMB THE 5.11 CRACK, SO YOU HANG ON STOPPERS. HARD AID MEANS THERE IS A TENUOUS FISSURE THAT WILL BARELY ACCEPT METAL PLACEMENTS THAT WILL BARELY HOLD YOUR WEIGHT.
-sport climbing CLIMBING ON ROUTES THAT HAVE ALL THE PROTECTION IN PLACE, EITHER DRILLED ANCHORS (BOLTS) OR FIXED PITONS OR OTHER GEAR. ONLY REQUIRES QUICKDRAWS FOR LEADER PROTECTION. NO SKILL AT PLACING STOPPERS OR CAMS REQUIRED. NORMALLY FOUND ON SMOOTH FACES WITH NO CRACKS.
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j_freak
Mar 25, 2002, 3:37 AM
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Registered: Mar 23, 2002
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yeh. . . thanks for all those who helped. . . i found the dictionary thing on the site. so thanks a lot. i think that's all the help i need for now.
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