The sport of
rock climbing can trace its
origins to the late 19th-century, and has since developed into several major sub-disciplines. Single-pitch and multi-pitch (and big-wall) climbing can be performed in varying styles (including aid, sport, traditional, free solo, and top-roping), while the standalone discipline of
bouldering (or boulder climbing) is, by definition, performed in a free-solo format. •
Single pitch climbing refers to routes that are one rope length (up to 50 metres).
Multi-pitch climbing (and
big wall climbing) refers to
routes that are many rope-lengths (even up to 1,000-metres). These two rock climbing sub-disciplines can be conducted in one of several ways: :*
Sport climbing is a form of rock climbing that uses no artificial aids (which is known as
free climbing), but does rely on permanent fixed
bolts (or
pitons), for use as
protection while climbing (but not as aid); was started in the 1980s in France and now makes up the world's
hardest climbs (e.g.
Silence). :*
Traditional climbing is a form of rock climbing that uses no artificial aids (and is thus free climbing) but unlike sport climbing, the climbers place removable protection such as
SCLDs and
nuts while ascending that are removed by the second climber; has many famous routes (e.g.
Indian Face,
Cobra Crack). :*
Free soloing is a form of rock climbing that uses no artificial aids (and is thus also free climbing) and where the climber uses no protection (neither sport nor traditional); thus any fall while free soloing could be fatal;
deep-water soloing is a form of free soloing where a fall will result in landing into safe water. The 2017 free solo of
Freerider became the Oscar-winning film,
Free Solo. :*
Top rope climbing is a form of rock climbing that uses no artificial aids but as the sole form of protection, uses a pre-fixed rope secured to the top of the route (i.e. is used on single-pitches), and thus should the climber fall, they simply hang off the rope with no risk of any injury; it is not regarded as free climbing but is a popular and safe way to introduce people to free climbing (and common on
climbing walls). •
Bouldering: means ascending boulders or small outcrops with no artificial aids (free climbing) and due to the lower height, with no protection (making bouldering a form of free soloing); very tall boulders where a fall could be serious (i.e. up to 10 metres) are known as
highball bouldering. Many
milestones in bouldering (e.g.
Midnight Lightning,
Dreamtime and
Burden of Dreams) were created by practitioners of bouldering and free climbing. ==Mountain-based==