Sport Climbing - Basics

Basics

On a sport climbing route, pre-placed bolts follow a 'line' up a rock face. Sport climbs can vary in length from a few metres to a full 60 metre rope length for multi-pitch climbs. The climbs might be equipped with just a few bolts or many.

Sport climbing can be undertaken with relatively little equipment. Equipment used in sport climbing includes:

• A dynamic rope
• Quickdraws
• A belay device
• Climbing harnesses for belayer and climber
• Climbing Shoes and chalk bag are normally used, although not technically necessary

To lead a sport climb means to ascend a route with a rope tied to the climber's harness, and with the loose end of the rope handled by a belayer. As each bolt is reached along the route, the climber attaches a quickdraw to the bolt, and then clips the rope through the hanging end of the quickdraw. This bolt is now protecting the climber in the event of a fall. At the top of sport routes, there is typically a two-bolt anchor that can be used to return the climber to the ground or previous rappel point.

Because sport routes do not require placing protection, the climber can concentrate on the difficulty of the moves rather than placing protection or the consequences of a fall.

Sport climbing differs from traditional climbing with respect to the type and placement of protection. Traditional climbing uses mostly removable protection (such as cams or nuts), and tends to minimize the usage of pre-placed protection. Sport climbing typically involves single pitch routes but can have multi-pitch routes. El Potrero Chico is a well known multi-pitch sport climbing area. Long multi-pitch routes may lack pre-placed anchors due to economical, logistical or ethical reasons.

Rock types that produce good sport climbs include limestone, granite and quartzite, though sport climbs can be found on almost all rock types.