There's different types of climbing out there. They all have a different name and everyone has their own preference. In the upcoming Olympics climbers have to perform in three categories: boulder, lead & speed. Which is interesting as runners are not asked to run three different distances, for example. Nevertheless, it's awesome that climbing as a sport is growing. In this article I'll tell you all about the different kinds of climbing and how to go about them.
Bouldering

If you're reading this on my website, you probably already know what bouldering is. It's ropeless climbing a rock or wall. Indoors, the walls are a maximum of 4,5 meters high and there's solid mattresses to catch your fall. Outdoors, boulders can be a lot higher and you have bring your own mattress, called a crashpad. Looking for badass rolemodels?
I'll highlight the best boulderers of the world in my next article.
Tip: If you want to boulder outdoors, go to Fontainebleau.
It's close to Paris and one of the best places to go bouldering within Europe.
Note: Please respect rocks and nature while being there and keep to the rules of the Fontainebleau Forest Protection.
Toproping
If you want to do sportsclimbing, you start with toproping. This means that you're being belayed and the rope is coming from above you (top-rope). The rope is attached to your harness. It's a great, safe way to learn how to climb routes. Almost every city has a gym for toproping so you never have to travel far. The routes are usually more straight forward and less tricky or funky compared to bouldering. But the challenges are in other elements like stamina. Tip: If you are mainly bouldering, try toproping a few times as a change of scenery and/or to train your long-route reading or fear of falling.
Lead Climbing

The 'real' sportsclimbing. Instead of being secured by a toprope, the climber takes the rope with them. The rope hangs from the harness and the belayer hands out more rope as the climber gets higher on the wall. The climber clicks the rope into clips on the wall to make sure they are belayed when they fall. You need to be trained in this type of climbing if you want to climb walls and mountains outdoors as there are no ropes hanging around in nature. Tip: practice falls as climber as well as while belaying. This will help you climb and belay with confidence because you get to know the slack in the rope.
Speed climbing
This type of climbing has little to do with technique or balance. It's all about speed.
In a competition, climbers face identical routes. When the buzzer goes, both climbers start simultaneously on each their own wall. They try to climb their route as fast as possible. On top of the route is a big red button. When they push this, their time stops. The fastest climber wins. You can imagine this takes tremendous amounts of explosive power, fast route reading and condition.
Tip: some gyms have a speed wall. give it a try to get a feeling of this type of climbing
Free solo
The most dangerous types of all climbing. This is where a climber sends a route without using a rope or any other kind of belay or security. Needless to say: when the climber falls, he or she will most likely die. The most famous Free Solo climbers are Alex Honnold and Brad Gobright. Some free solo climbers are ending their climb with a parachute jump. Which gives them a bit more security.
Bouldering is actually a bit like free solo climbing, but with minimal heights and risks.
Tip: don't.
Deep water free solo
Free solo above the water. Still dangerous, but less lethal. Nonetheless a very kickass trait of climbing. The climber climbs tall walls above the sea. So, when he or she falls, they will fall into the water. You might have climbed some rocks to jump off into the water when you were on holiday as a kid. These climbers never stopped and lifted it up to an extreme sport. Imagine combining sunshine, swimming and climbing. Tip: If you want to try this. go to Mallorca. Chances are big you'll run into Chris Sharma, who is currently the most famous DWFS climber.

Crack Climbing
This is a very specific type of climbing. You don't use holds. That's right. You just use cracks in the wall and jam body parts into them to stay on the wall. Hand- and fistjams, kneebars, bodyjams, etc. Whereas their fingertips might be okay, the rest of the skin of these climbers is being used a lot more. You can imagine that this type of climbing is all about body tension and being creative. Tip: some gyms have practice boards for crack climbing. Give it a go and see what kind of jams you manage to pull off.
Trad Climbing
This is climbing like they did until the sixties of the previous century. Climbers practicing this kind of climbing are called traditionalists. They take all gear with them on the wall. Like bolts to secure their rope-clips on. It's heavy and slow, but also very adventurous as these climber typically explore unchartered territory. Tip: watch a documentary (or two) to understand the roots of climbing and appreciate even more where it is now.
Ice climbing
With this type of climbing, it's all about using the ice to stay on the wall. Climber use shoes with steel spikes and they chop steel hooks into the frozen wall instead of climbing with their fingers. These climbers usually have great skills in working with all typed of gear to conquer the ice.
Tip: although we don't have mountains nor icy winters, there's a few gyms where you can try this kind of climbing.
I hope this article gave you some insight to the world of climbing and it maybe even inspired you to try different kinds of climbing. Click the button below to see a map of all the indoor climbing facilities in our country. As always: be kind to yourself and others, be safe and have fun!
Keep climbing!
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