sport climbing

File:Hulkosaure 8b Verdon.jpg the sport climbing route Hulkosaure {{climbing grade|8b}}. Quickdraws have already been attached to the line of pre-drilled bolts that mark the route.]]

Sport climbing is a form of free climbing (i.e. no artificial or mechanical device can be used to aid progression, which is in contrast with aid climbing) that is performed in pairs, where the lead climber clips into pre-drilled permanently fixed bolts for their protection while ascending. The lead climber uses quickdraws to clip into the bolts. The second climber (or belayer), removes the quickdraws as they climb the route after the lead climber has reached the top.{{cite book|title=Sport Climbing: From Toprope to Redpoint, Techniques for Climbing Success|author=Andrew Bisharat|date=6 October 2009|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MI8TCgAAQBAJ&q=climbing+deadpoint+dyno&pg=PT73 | publisher=Mountaineers Books | isbn=978-1594852701|accessdate=23 August 2023 | chapter= Chapter 1: Ethics, Style and Emergence of Sport Climbing}}{{cite book | title=How to Rock Climb | isbn=978-1493056262 | edition=6th | pages=291–310 | chapter=Chapter 11: Sport Climbing | first1=John | last1=Long | first2=Bob | last2=Gaines | author-link=John Long (climber) | publisher=Falcon Guides | date=August 2022}}

Sport climbing differs from traditional climbing which requires the lead climber to find places into which temporary climbing protection equipment can be inserted while as they ascend the route — and thus sport climbing is a safer and less physically demanding way to ascend a climbing route. Additionally, sport climbing differs from free solo climbing where no climbing protection is used whatsoever.{{cite web | magazine=Climber (Magazine) | url=https://www.climbernews.com/what-is-sport-climbing/ | date=6 April 2021 | accessdate=2 March 2023 | title=What Is Sport Climbing? – Everything You Need To Know}}

Confusingly, the sport of competition climbing — which consists of three distinct rock climbing disciplines: lead climbing (the bolted sport climbing element), bouldering (no bolts needed), and speed climbing (also not bolted) — is sometimes referred to as "sport climbing".

Sport climbing developed the redpoint as the definition of what constitutes a first free ascent (FFA), which became the definition of an FFA for all climbing disciplines.{{cite web | magazine=Gripped Magazine | url=https://gripped.com/profiles/redpoint-pinkpoint-and-headpoint-what-do-they-mean/ | title=Redpoint, Pinkpoint, and Headpoint – What Do They Mean? | first=Aaron | last=Pardy | date=5 November 2022 | accessdate=21 December 2022}} Redpointing allows for previously controversial techniques of hangdogging,{{cite web | magazine=Climbing | title=How to Hangdog Sport Climbing | date=21 July 2022 | accessdate=3 March 2023 | first=Laz | last=Haas | url=https://www.climbing.com/skills/how-to-hangdog-sport-climbing/}} headpointing, and pinkpointing (in competition lead climbing — the sport climbing component of competition climbing — and in extreme sport climbing, the quickdraws are pre-clipped to the bolts for simplicity, which is known as pinkpointing).

File:Rock Climbing Verdon.jpg

By the early 1980s, the leading rock climbers were beginning to reach the limits of the existing traditional climbing protection equipment. They looked to climb the blanker face routes that did not have the usual cracks and fissures that are needed in which to place traditional climbing protection.{{cite book | title=The Climbing Dictionary | first=Matt | last=Samet | pages=203–204 | chapter=Sport Climbing | year=2011 | publisher=Mountaineers Books | isbn=978-1594855023}} In France, leading climbers such as Patrick Berhault and Patrick Edlinger began to pre-drill permanent bolts into the pocket-marked limestone walls of Buoux and Verdon Gorge for their protection. These became known as "sport climbing routes" (i.e. there was none of the associated risks of traditional climbing, it was a purely sporting endeavor), with early examples such as Pichenibule {{climbing grade|7b+}} in 1980.{{cite web | website=National Geographic | url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/article/exploring-the-birthplace-of-sport-climbing-in-europes-grandest-canyon#:~:text=But%20the%20Verdon%20is%20perhaps,entirely%2C%20all%2Dbolted%20routes. | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210305011832/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/article/exploring%2Dthe%2Dbirthplace%2Dof%2Dsport%2Dclimbing%2Din%2Deuropes%2Dgrandest%2Dcanyon#%3A%7E%3Atext%3DBut%2520the%2520Verdon%2520is%2520perhaps%2Centirely%252C%2520all%252Dbolted%2520routes. | url-status=dead | archive-date=5 March 2021 | title=Exploring the Birthplace of Sport Climbing in Europe's Grandest Canyon | first=Andrew | last=Bisharat | date=30 July 2015 | accessdate=2 March 2023}} Around the same time at Smith Rock State Park in the United States, American climber Alan Watts also started to place pre-drilled bolts into routes, creating the first American sport climbs of Watts Tot {{climbing grade|5.12b}}, and Chain Reaction {{climbing grade|5.12c}} in 1983.{{cite web | website=PlanetMountain | url=https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/alan-watts-climbing-interview.html | title=Alan Watts climbing interview | first=Nicholas | last=Hobley| date=26 November 2009 | accessdate=2 March 2023}}

Sport climbing was rapidly adopted in Europe, and particularly in France and Germany by the then emerging professional rock climbers such as German climber Wolfgang Güllich and French brothers {{ill| Marc Le Menestrel|fr}} and {{ill|Antoine Le Menestrel|fr}}. The United Kingdom was more reluctant to allow bolting on natural rock surfaces, and early British sport climbers such as Jerry Moffatt and Ben Moon were forced to move to France and Germany. The bolting of external natural rock surfaces was also initially controversial in the US, although American sport climbing pioneer Alan Watts later recounted that American traditional climbers were as much against the "redpointing" techniques of sport climbers (i.e. continually practicing new routes before making the first free ascent), as they were against the use of bolts. Eventually, these sport climbers began to push new grade milestones far above traditional climbing grades, and the use of bolts on natural rock surfaces became more accepted in outdoor climbing areas across America and Europe.

{{main article|Competition climbing#History}}

File:Climbing World Championships 2018 Lead Final Pilz 03.jpg clipping her rope into a pre-bolted quickdraw in the final of the women's lead climbing event at the 2018 World Championships]]

The significantly safer aspect of sport climbing over traditional climbing led to rapid development in competition climbing in the 1980s, where competition lead climbing events were held on bolted routes. Climbing noted the importance of events such as the 1988 International Sport Climbing Championship at Snowbird, Utah, for introducing leading European sport climbers such as Edlinger and Jean-Baptiste Tribout to leading American traditional climbers such as Ron Kauk and John Bachar.{{cite web | magazine=Climbing | url=https://www.climbing.com/people/snowbird-changed-everything/ | title=Purists in the 1980s Thought Comps Wouldn't Last. Snowbird Changed Everything. | first=Alison | last=Osius | date=23 November 2021 | accessdate=2 March 2023}} By the end of the 1990s, the UIAA, and latterly the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC), was regulating and organizing major international climbing competitions, including the annual IFSC Climbing World Cup, and the biennial IFSC Climbing World Championships.{{cite web | magazine=Gripped Magazine | url=https://gripped.com/events/a-history-of-climbing-competitions-since-1985/ | title=A History of Climbing Competitions Since 1985 | date=15 July 2019 | accessdate=24 February 2023}} Competitive climbing includes sport climbing (which is competition lead climbing), and also competition bouldering and competition speed climbing.

File:Moritz Welt Joe Blau 8c+ Oliana Spain.png, in Spain]]

Debates remain about the ethics of attaching permanent metal bolts on natural outdoor rock, which is also related to the broader clean climbing movement. Many climbing areas—particularly in Continental Europe (for example notable crags such as Oliana in Spain, and Ceuse in France)—have become fully bolted. However, many others remain emphatically non-bolted, such as Clogwyn Du'r Arddu in the United Kingdom, where only traditional climbing techniques are allowed, and attempts to make even very dangerous routes a little safer with even singular bolts (e.g. Indian Face) have been undone.{{cite web | magazine=Climbing | url=https://www.climbing.com/people/american-sport-climbings-contentious-beginnings/ | title=American Sport Climbing's Contentious Beginnings | first=Craig | last=Smith | date=22 July 2022 | accessdate=2 March 2023}}

In the United Kingdom, the British Mountaineering Council (BMC) maintains a register of outdoor climbing areas that are suitable for bolting, and those which are to remain bolt free; in addition, the BMC offers guidance on bolting-related ethical climbing issues such as retro-bolting.{{cite web | website=British Mountaineering Council | url=https://www.thebmc.co.uk/fixed-gear-guidance-on-north-west-crags-and-quarries | title=Fixed Gear Guidance on North West Crags and Quarries | first=Tony | last=Ryan | date=8 September 2022 | accessdate=2 March 2023}}{{cite web | website=Climbing | url=https://www.climbing.com/places/32-climbing-experiences-inform-bolting-decisions/ | title=Should We Really Retro-bolt That Dangerous Classic? | date=18 July 2023 | accessdate=12 September 2023 | first=Steve| last=Bordeau}}

{{see also|Rock-climbing equipment}}

File:Setaki.JPG clipped into a quickdraw clipped to a bolt]]

Sport climbing requires far less rock climbing equipment than traditional climbing as the protection is already pre-drilled into the route. Aside from the standard equipment of lead climbing (e.g. a rope, belay device, harness, and climbing shoes), the only important other important pieces of equipment are quickdraws to clip the rope into the bolts without generating friction. On complex sport climbing routes that don't follow a straight line, the alignment and lengths of quickdraws used are important considerations to avoid rope drag.{{cite web | magazine=Climbing | url=https://www.climbing.com/skills/how-to-lead-climb/ | first=Stephen | last=Potter | date=23 August 2022 | accessdate=2 March 2023 | title=A Beginner's Guide to Lead Climbing in Sport Climbing}}

The pre-drilled bolts will degrade over time—particularly in coastal areas due to salt—and eventually, all sport climbs need to be re-fitted after several years.{{cite web | magazine=Climbing | url=https://www.climbing.com/people/built-to-last/ | title=Built to Last? The Hidden Dangers Of Climbing Bolts | first=Jeff | last=Achey | date=23 December 2014 | accessdate=2 March 2023}} The highest quality titanium bolts are too expensive to use regularly, and the next highest quality stainless steel bolts have an expected lifespan of circa 20–25 years (the cheaper plated stainless steel bolts have a shorter span); and in 2015, the American Alpine Club established an "anchor replacement fund" to help replace the bolts on America's estimated 60,000 sport climbing routes.{{cite web | magazine=Outside | url=https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/climbing/what-happens-when-climbing-bolts-go-bad/ | title=What Happens When Climbing Bolts Go Bad? | first=Shelby |last=Carpenter | date=4 November 2015 | accessdate=2 March 2023}}

File:Ainhize Belar eskalatzen.jpg

As sport climbing removes the danger of a route by using bolts, sport routes are graded solely for their technical difficulty (i.e. how hard are the physical movements to ascend the route), and unlike traditional climbing routes, do not require an additional grade to reflect risk. The most dominant systems for grading sport climbing routes are the French system (e.g. ... 6b, 6c, 7a, 7b, 7c, ...), which is also called French sport grading, and the American system (e.g. ... 5.9, 5.10a, 5.10b, 5.10c, 5.10d, 5.11a, ...). The UIAA system (e.g. ... VII, VIII, IX, X, ...) is popular in Germany and central Europe. The Australian (or Ewbank) system (e.g. ... , 23, 24, 25, 26, ...) is also used.{{cite web | website=Rockfax Publishing | url=https://rockfax.com/climbing-guides/grades/ | title=Grade Conversions: Alpine Grading System | accessdate=4 May 2023}}{{cite journal | journal=American Alpine Journal | date=2013 | title=International Grade Comparison Chart | accessdate=1 May 2023 | url= https://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/13201212386/International-Grade-Comparison-Chart}}{{cite book | first1=Gabriele |last1=Mandelli |first2=A |last2=Angriman | date=2016 | title=Scales of Difficulty in Mountaineering | publisher=Central School of Mountaineering, Italy |s2cid=53358088 }}

Even though the grading of sport-routes is simpler than traditional routes, there is the issue of how to compare a short route with one very hard move, with a longer route with a sustained sequence of slightly easier moves. Most of the above grading systems are based on the "overall" difficulty of the route, and thus both routes could have the same sport grade.{{cite web | magazine=Gripped Magazine | title=Understanding Rock Climbing Grades | url=https://gripped.com/profiles/lets-talk-about-grades/ | first=Bonnie | last=Bruijn | date=23 March 2023 | accessdate=2 July 2023}} As a result of this, it has become common for the advanced sport climbing routes (e.g. Realization, La Dura Dura, and La Rambla) to describe the hardest moves by their bouldering grade, which is either the French "Font" system (e.g. ..., 7B, 7C, 8A, 8B, ...) or the American "V-scale" system (e.g. ..., V9, V10, V11, V12, ...). French sport-grades can be confused with French "Font" boulder grades, the only difference being 'capitalization'.

As an example of how sport and boulder grades are used on sport climbing routes, this is Adam Ondra describing his 2017 redpoint of Silence, the first-ever sport climb with a sport-grade of 9c (French), which is the same as 5.15d (American) or XII+ (UIAA):

{{blockquote|The climb is about 45m long, the first 20m are about 8b [French sport] climbing with a couple of really really good knee-bars. Then comes the crux boulder problem, 10 moves of 8C [French boulder]. And when I say 8C boulder problem, I really mean it. ... I reckon just linking 8C [French boulder] into 8B [French boulder] into 7C [French boulder] is a 9b+ [French] sport climb, I'm pretty sure about that.|author=Adam Ondra in an interview with PlanetMountain (2017).{{cite web | website=PlanetMountain | date=26 June 2017 | accessdate=2 July 2023 | first=Nicholas |last=Hobley | url=https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/adam-ondra-climbing-towards-the-worlds-first-9c.html | title=Adam Ondra climbing towards the world's first 9c}}}}

{{main|List of grade milestones in rock climbing#Redpointed by Men|List of grade milestones in rock climbing#Redpointed by Women}}

{{Multiple image|perrow=3|total_width=440

| image1 = Bild auf dem Gedenkstein fuer Guellich (retuschiert).jpg

| image2 = Chris Sharma - 1.jpg

| image3 = Adam Ondra by PAVEL BLAZEK 2.jpg

| footer = Some of the strongest-ever male sport climbers in history: Wolfgang Güllich (1980s), Chris Sharma (2000s), and Adam Ondra (2010s)

}}

Since the development of sport climbing in the early 1980s, all of the subsequent grade milestones (i.e. the next levels of hardest technical difficulty) in rock climbing have been set by sport climbers. German climber Wolfgang Güllich raised sport climbing grades from {{climbing grade|8b}} in 1984 with Kanal im Rücken to {{climbing grade|9a}} in 1991 with Action Directe.{{cite web | website=PlanetMountain.com | url=https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/the-evolution-of-free-climbing.html | title=The evolution of free climbing | date=23 December 2012 | first=Maurizio | last=Oviglia | access-date=4 January 2022}} American climber Chris Sharma dominated sport climbing development in the decade after his ground-breaking ascent of Realization/Biographie at {{climbing grade|9a+}} in 2001 and Jumbo Love at {{climbing grade |9b}} in 2008. Czech climber Adam Ondra took the mantle of the world's strongest sport climber from Sharma by freeing {{ill|Change (climb)|lt=Change|fr|Change (escalade)}} in 2012 and La Dura Dura in 2013, both at {{climbing grade|9b+}}.{{cite magazine | url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/article/adam-ondra | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210723145125/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/article/adam-ondra | url-status=dead | archive-date=23 July 2021 | date=13 November 2013 | accessdate=21 June 2022 | magazine=National Geographic | title=Adventurers of the Year: Climber Adam Ondra | first=Fitz | last=Cahall}} In 2017, Ondra freed Silence, the first-ever sport climb at {{climbing grade |9c}}.

{{Multiple image|perrow=3|total_width=440

| image1 = Lynn hill 2006 cropped.jpg

| image2 = Josune Bereziartu 2012.jpg

| image3 = Angela Eiter - Tag des Sports 2013 Wien 1.jpg

| footer = Some of the strongest-ever female sport climbers in history: Lynn Hill (1980s), Josune Bereziartu (2000s), and Angela Eiter (2010s)

}}

Female sport climbing was dominated in the 1980s by American climber Lynn Hill and French climber Catherine Destivelle who set new female grade milestones and also competed against each other in the first climbing competitions. Spanish climber Josune Bereziartu dominated the setting of new grade milestones in female sport climbing in the late 1990s and early 2000s; her 2005 redpoint of Bimbaluna at {{climbing grade|9a/9a+}} was only a half-notch behind the highest male sport climbing route at the time, which was Realization/Biographie at 9a+. By 2017, Austrian climber Angela Eiter had broken into the {{climbing grade|9b}} grade with La Planta de Shiva, and in 2020 made the first female free ascent of a {{climbing grade|9b}} with Madame Ching. In 2020–21, Laura Rogora and Julia Chanourdie also climbed {{climbing grade|9b}} sport routes; when only a handful of male climbers have climbed at {{climbing grade|9b+}}, and only Adam Ondra at {{climbing grade|9c}}.

Some of the strongest-ever sport climbers were also some of the strongest-ever competition climbers, such as Adam Ondra, Lynn Hill, and Angela Eiter. However, some of the other strongest-ever sport climbers either largely ignored competition climbing, or retired early from it to focus on non-competition sport climbing, such as Wolfgang Gullich,{{cite book | title=Vantage Point: 50 Years of the Best Climbing Stories Ever Told | pages=76–84 | isbn=978-1493034772 | publisher=Falcon Guides | first=Beth | last=Wald | date=November 2018 | chapter=Interview with Wolfgang Gullich (June 1987) | chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JlpgDwAAQBAJ&dq=%22wolfgang+gullich%22+%22biographie%22&pg=PA76 | accessdate=22 June 2022}} Chris Sharma,{{cite book | publisher=Falcon Guides Publishing | date=November 2018 | accessdate=18 June 2022 | first=Jeff | last=Achey | page=202 | url=https://www.climbing.com/news/half-life/ | title=Vantage Point: 50 Years of the Best Climbing Stories Ever Told | isbn=978-1493034772 | chapter=Half Life: Chris Sharma Interview (February 2011, Issue 292)}} and Josune Bereziartu.{{cite web | website=PlanetMountain.com | title=Josune Bereziartu, interview after Noia 8c+ at Andonno | date=31 October 2001 | accessdate=20 January 2022 | url=https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/interviews/josune-bereziartu-interview-after-noia-8c-at-andonno.html}}

• Statement of Youth, a 2019 documentary film about the birth of sport climbing in Britain in the 1980s featuring Jerry Moffatt and Ben Moon.{{cite web | magazine=Climbing | date=27 May 2020 | first=Cameron | last=Burns | accessdate=2 October 2023 | url=https://www.climbing.com/gear/13-great-climbing-films-you-might-not-be-familiar-with-and-5-of-the-worst/ | title=13 Great Climbing Films You Might Not Be Familiar With | quote=Statement of Youth: The Birth of British Sport Climbing}}{{cite web | website=PlanetMountain | title=The Birth of British Sport Climbing in Statement of Youth | date=May 2019 | accessdate=2 October 2023 | url=https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/the-birth-of-british-sport-climbing-in-statement-of-youth.html}}
• Reel Rock 7, the 2012 edition of the Reel Rock series with Chris Sharma and Adam Ondra's famous collaboration on La Dura Dura {{climbing grade|9b+}}.{{cite web | magazine=Outside | url=https://www.outsideonline.com/culture/books-media/best-climbing-mountaineering-films-of-all-time/?scope=anon | title=The 20 Best Climbing Films of All Time | first=Andrew | last=Bisharat | date=6 September 2022 | accessdate=28 September 2023}}{{cite web | website=UKClimbing | url=https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2020/04/lockdown_-_free_sport_climbing_films_to_get_you_through_isolation-72269?fbclid=IwAR00QjDz5Io6cQR9JXSLZNHvdnolRUNkEOd3WfV7Mx3AdIUM7Sy2t_Fc3SY | title=Lockdown – Sport Climbing films to get you through isolation | date=8 April 2020 | accessdate=2 October 2023 | first=Nick | last=Brown}}
• Dosage Volume I, the 2002 edition of Dosage Series with Chris Sharma's historic first free ascent of Realization/Biographie {{climbing grade|9a+}}.

{{Commons category|Sport climbing}}

• Aid climbing
• Free solo climbing
• Traditional climbing

{{Reflist}}

• {{cite book | title=How to Rock Climb | isbn=978-1493056262 | edition=6th | pages=291–310 | chapter=Chapter 11: Sport Climbing | first1=John | last1=Long | first2=Bob | last2=Gaines | author-link=John Long (climber) | publisher=Falcon Guides | date=August 2022}}
• {{cite book|title=Sport Climbing Basics: Single and Multi-Pitch Bolted Routes | isbn=978-1796923278 | date=June 2019 | first=Neil | last=Chelton | publisher=VDiffClimbing}}
• {{cite book | title=Climbing: From Toproping to Sport Climbing | first1=Nate |last1=Fitch | first2=Ron | last2=Funderburke | isbn=978-1493016396 | publisher=Falcon Guides | edition=illustrated | date=July 2016}}
• {{cite book|title=SPORT CLIMBING: Techniques for climbing bolted routes|first=Pete | last=Hill |date=2010| publisher=Cicerone Press | isbn=9781852845285 | edition=2nd}}
• {{cite book|title=Sport Climbing: From Toprope to Redpoint|first=Andrew | last=Bisharat|date=6 October 2009| publisher=Mountaineers Books | isbn=978-1594852701}}

{{Wiktionary}}

• [https://www.99boulders.com/sport-climbing Sport Climbing 101: The Complete Beginner’s Guide], 99boulders (2021)
• [https://hardclimbs.info/hardest-sport-climbs/ The Hardest Sport Climbs in the World], HardClimbs (2023)
• [https://www.climbing.com/places/americas-100-best-sport-climbing-routes/ America’s 100 Best Sport Climbing Routes], Climbing (2023)
• [https://gripped.com/video/watch-adam-ondra-make-history-and-flash-5-15/ Watch Adam Ondra Make History and Flash 5.15 sport climb], Gripped Magazine (July 2021)
• [https://gripped.com/gear/outdoor/may-15-is-5-15-day-almost-impossible/ An exploration of the world's most impossible sport climbs and the new standards that they set], Gripped Magazine (May 2020)

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