Trad climbing protection. This is in contrast to sport climbing, where you rely on .

Trad climbing protection When climbing, you should be familiar with the different types and conditions of protection and slings. Sep 24, 2024 · Traditional Climbing is the art of placing your own protection while rock climbing. Will it Whip??? Stacked Hex and Cam (Wild County)- unconventional trad climbing protection 864 Dislike 26 Follow DMM Graphic Designer Clare on her journey as she learns the Tools of the Trad with AMI instructor Alice Kerr. Read on to learn Oct 25, 2022 · Trad climbing protection can also involve tying off protruding features like flakes, horns, and natural chockstones. Jun 14, 2024 · In the context of understanding the differences between sport and traditional climbing, we can use a mental Venn Diagram to illustrate the shared characteristics of these two disciplines: the style of climbing, lead, and gear requirements – rope, harnesses, quickdraws, belay devices, and locking carabiners. Jul 10, 2024 · Trad climbing differs from the popular pursuit of sport climbing, where the protection is already installed, or bolted, into the rock. Friends who don’t have any trad gear but are solid climbers and willing to follow me up any trad climb are equally as good. Apr 5, 2018 · What’s Trad Climbing? Trad climbing (short for “traditional” climbing) is a type of climbing in which the lead climber uses only hands and feet on natural surfaces of the rock to move upwards, and carries and places all gear necessary (commonly called “protection”) to clip their ropes to, in order to protect against falls. [1] Traditional climbing differs from sport Mar 13, 2024 · For sport climbing, you want full-size, wear-resistant biners on stiff, beefy slings (think Petzl Express or Trango Smooth draw). May 29, 2020 · New to trad climbing? Our Beginner's Guide to Trad Climbing breaks down everything you need to know to get started trad climbing today. In its most recent form—since the introduction and exclusive use of mobile protection—it has also been called "Clean Climbing," emphasizing the low-impact nature of this style, which avoids damaging or leaving Nov 27, 2017 · Here, Coppolillo, an instructor for Climbing’s Intro to Trad online course, explains secondary pulls and how to avoid disaster when a climb begins to zigzag. In short, trad climbing, more formally known as traditional climbing, is a form of rock climbing that requires placing your own gear for protection, rather than solely relying on pre-placed bolts. com. This article teaches you how to place stoppers and cams. Jun 9, 2023 · Jun 9, 2023 Choosing the Right Climbing Friends: A Guide for Trad Climbing Enthusiasts If it's true that when climbing as the first climber falls are an integral part of the "journey", it's also true that when practicing trad climbing you try to test the protections that you've managed to place as little as possible. Learn how to place, remove and rack climbing hexes. We have been climbing for a while, guiding professionally Jun 23, 2024 · Traditional climbing, often referred to as trad climbing, is a style of rock climbing where climbers place their own protection as they ascend a route. Sport climbing is designed to push the athletic envelope of the sport. Trad climbing: short for traditional climbing, it’s a style of rock climbing where climbers place their own protection, such as cams, nuts, and other devices, into natural features of the rock to protect against falls. Each one is hand-assembled by the climber, a custom collection of pieces designed to accompany them on vertical adventures for years to come. 75° cam angle, designed, perfected, and developed by Wild Country and tested in thousands of crack miles since 1977! What equipment do you need to start trad climbing? There’s no denying that trad climbing is an equipment-heavy sport. Here's what you need to know. There are three main types of protection you can use: Active Protection: refers to devices that rely on mechanical Learn about the two main types of active climbing protecction (pro) including the ubiquitous cams and the less common spring-loaded wedges. Feb 25, 2021 · Lead climbing involves clipping a rope into protection while ascending a route from the ground up. Our expert team has a combined 40 years of climbing experience and has field-tested the best climbing gear since the inception of our site Our Intro to Trad Climbing course will teach you how to build anchors, place solid protection, and climb a wide variety of crack sizes. Like many things in the climbing community, preference for passive protection is based on what usually amounts to personal opinion. There will be no or very minimal bolts on traditional climbing routes. , which are inserted into cracks and crevices as they go. . Neil Gresham gives us a masterclass in the basics of placing nuts as Trad climbing protection. A comfortable and well-fitting harness designed for trad, often with more gear loops like some trad harnesses like the Petzl Adjama, is essential for carrying the rack and for comfort during long climbs and at belays. I know this because: I am a chicken shit; I absolutely love trad climbing; and I love it because it let’s me be a chicken shit and climb with less fear. On top of all the sport climbing basics such as rock shoes, a harness, and a belay device, you’ll also need different types of protection to place in the various cracks in the rock to catch your falls. Perhaps try and find some partners who have experience climbing on limestone and get their opinion. Practice!!! May 1, 2022 · Short for traditional climbing, trad climbing is a form of free climbing where the lead climber places temporary protection equipment into cracks and other features of the rock while ascending the climbing route. Three types of trad protection: Passive Active Natural Practice placing gear on the ground first. Climb much easier routes than you are used to climbing in sport. You will learn how to evaluate a good gear placement as well as the rock surrounding it. Getting into leading trad routes? Learn how to choose types of passive protection, such as chocks, nuts and hexes. Apr 4, 2025 · If you plan on trad climbing, cams are essential. Trad Gear and Anchors: An Introduction This hands on, intro course will focus on basic principles, techniques and skills for using traditional climbing protection; cams, nuts, tricams, hexes, natural features, etc. Unlike sport climbing, it requires the leader to place gear. Learn how to place hexes; how to use them passively (like a nut) or actively so they cam into cracks. We have cams, ultra-light cams, tri cams, hexes, aluminum nuts, brassies, bird beaks, and more. Mar 17, 2022 · Trad climbing, or traditional climbing, uses removable gear placed in natural rock features. Jan 24, 2023 · Trad, or traditional climbing, is a whole new ballgame. Learn to trad climb in Squamish, BC. Trad climbers are responsible for bringing and placing their own protection, and they often don’t have pre-placed bolts to clip into along the route. Nov 8, 2024 · Whether you want to fine-tune gear placement, anchors, or crush your first multi-pitch, this comprehensive guide to trad climbing has it all. Learn the skills to stay safe and have confidence when climbing. It was built for protection and stability in demanding terrain where comfort and support matter as much as precision. Nov 29, 2016 · After all, traditional climbing is just rock climbing without bolts. For trad, however, much lighter draws work better—featherweight biners on thin, supple slings to reduce bulk and weight and provide a more flexible attachment to nuts (think Black Diamond Oz). Feb 8, 2020 · Building a Trad Climbing Rack is Expensive, but it doesn’t have to be. Ultimately, your rack will reflect your favorite routes, treasured climbing areas, and unique personal style of climbing. Although trad climbing is often thought of as being at the higher end of the rock climbing Jan 25, 2022 · Trad climbing or ‘traditional’ climbing, is the original style of rock climbing in which the lead climber places all the gear (or protection) required to protect against falls. In this article, we discuss the best cam sets for trad climbing, backed by reviews from the climbing experts and the consensus of the climbing community. Feb 2, 2024 · These origins and the heavily continued use of passive protection in England today, produce some of the best climbing nuts for trad climbing available today. For more on this, check out this Every protection failure that can occur in sport climbing can also occur in traditional climbing. We used each while ascending wind-blown alpine May 3, 2024 · Traditional climbing, also known as trad climbing, is a style of rock climbing where climbers place and remove their own protection as they ascend. I will also describe the gear we use aside from the protection itself. By only needing to invest in and learn how to use one type of protection, users will see reduced cost and more easily achieve participation in trad climbing. Placing nuts are intuitive, they are inexpensive, and will last you a long time. Using advice and expertise from top trad climbers Miranda Oakley, Tim Emmett, and climbing guide Paul Rachele, we created an overview of the different types of pro, the basics of how to place trad gear, and some tips on getting ready for your first trad lead. Friends with full trad racks are the best kinds of friends. For Sep 2, 2022 · The gray cam ripped, unsurprisingly, but Cattell said his years of trad climbing indicated that purple Metolius to be bomber. But ice screws? Shoved into sandstone pockets? Traditional Climbing Sport climbing uses permanently fixed protection known as bolts, but traditional ("trad") climbing puts you in charge of placing removable protection and building anchors that will keep you off the ground. This requires a deep understanding of traditional climbing techniques to ensure safety and success on the climb. Want to learn more? Read our climbing jargon explained Learning how to place trad gear is an essential skill as you progress as a climber. In top-rope you have a pre-built anchor at the top and in sport climbing you clip into pre-existing bolts. Jan 8, 2024 · Traditional climbing involves more technical and mental challenges than sport climbing does but also carries greater risks due to the lack of protection available on many traditional routes. Oct 20, 2023 · Stoppers from £6 each? That's nuts! We dive into Kouba's collection of trad climbing stoppers, covering everything from micros to hexes, offsets to Abalaks. The streamlined design keeps the bulk on our harness down compared to large cams, while each size gives us an impressive expansion range. Dec 14, 2017 · Here, trad-climbing expert and professional guide Marc Chauvin, the co-instructor for Climbing’s Intro to Trad Climbing online course, explains how to protect your follower through “fall-line” management—in other words, how to consider and mitigate the trajectory of a potential fall. Sport climbs ascend Roofs and Vertical walls. But if you’re new to trad climbing, how do you make sure that you’re getting the best climbing nuts? With climbing experience, you build your own personal preference. This is a pretty gear-intensive endeavor, and some of what you carry comes down to personal choice Aug 8, 2022 · With no moving parts (hence, “passive protection”), nuts are inexpensive, lightweight, and sturdy. In this post I will describe a standard traditional rock climbing rack. This equipment is also called protection, or “pro,” because it protects you from hitting the ground in a fall. Beyond protection pieces, personal climbing gear is critical for safety and performance in trad climbing. “Passive pro” is a subcategory that includes climbing nuts or stoppers, hexes, and Tricams—basically anything designed to catch you by wedging itself in place in the event of a fall. Remember to check out our selection Jul 24, 2025 · Trad climbing gear is a big investment, so it’s important to know what options are available before you buy. Try all kinds of systems for racking your gear until you find the setup that allows you the most access and agility while climbing. Sport climbing routes have permanent protection: a line of bolts with a set of anchors at the top, secured to the rock in advance. No offense meant, but I wouldn't take this at face value from a self described new trad climber. This course includes learning to place traditional climbing protection like cams and nuts. Chocks, nuts or tapers are common names for passive pro. This can include nuts, hexes, cams, etc. Traditional climbing adds the need to carry a "rack" of temporary and removable passive and active protection devices. You “lead” both sport and trad climbs – but not in the same way. When weighted, the paddle is pulled down while the ball Feb 2, 2024 · Like most other gear for climbing, some tools are made for specific styles of climbing or made for certain situations as well as devices that are designed for general purpose use. Camming devices, or "Friends," are typical names for active pro. [1] Traditional climbing differs from sport A final thought - the whole sport of trad climbing is to build an adequate and appropriate protection system alongside the climb. Sep 12, 2024 · Complete Guide to Trad Climbing Gear Trad climbing is one of the most historical forms of climbing, shaped over the years by different approaches, gear, and ethical guidelines. It’s no surprise, then, that so many climbers continue to pursue trad climbing. This article explains how to use slings for protection, how to rack them and more. Instead, trad climbing involves placing protection into cracks to mitigate the risk of a large fall. Traditional climbers use both active and passive gear for protection. Nov 18, 2016 · The trickiest—and most important—parts of multi-pitch trad climbing are placing solid gear and building safe anchors fast. Climb a trad route on top rope while placing your gear as you ascend. The important thing to remember is that these features are weaknesses in the rock. A climber should be just as concerned about faulty equipment, clipping hazards, fixed hardware, and making informed choices in a traditional environment as at a sport crag. Traditional Routes follow Cracks and Slabs. In this update, we purchased 7 of the best sets and slid them into cracks of all sizes across the United States. At GearLab, our roots are in rock climbing, as the website started as an offshoot of SuperTopo. Flexcams feature class leading range and are among the lightest 4-cams available. Trad Climbing (aka. This is in contrast to sport climbing, where you rely on Nov 27, 2020 · Traditional or “trad” climbing is a style of climbing whereby a leader free climbs up a rockface placing various pieces of metal equipment (known as protection or gear) into the natural cracks and slots in the rock. We will discuss trad lead climbing strategy as well as crack climbing movement. The high cut design adds protection around the ankles, which makes it easier to jam into cracks without feeling sharp edges or rough surfaces. The thumb loop is comfortable and offers more versatil What is trad climbing? What is trad gear? How do you learn trad climbing? Find out the basics about becoming a trad climber from an AMGA-certified Rock Guide. As opposed to sport climbing, there are no pre-drilled holes or fixed anchor points in trad climbing. Gear Guru says: The decision depends as much on your confidence level as it does math and physics. The challenge and skills involved in installing protection, finding the optimum line and juggling this with the actual act of climbing makes trad climbing so enthralling. Rather than relying on fixed bolts and anchors, trad routes require climbers to place their own protection at different points in the Protection or "pro" is the mainstay of trad climbing. Jan 21, 2021 · Trad climbing requires a lot of gear. Multi-pitch climbing, and the related big wall climbing, adds devices to assist in ascending and descending static fixed ropes. Bolts, trad climbing gear, slings and quickdraws, alongside belay devices with carabiners, are used for the protection of your climbing partner and for setting up belay stations. In essence, trad rock climbing embodies the essence of adventure and exploration, marrying the natural world with human ingenuity and determination. Plus, when wedged, these tube chocks resist pull from any direction, increasing our peace of mind. Jan 31, 2023 · What is Trad Climbing? Trad climbing, short for traditional climbing, is a style of free climbing that does not rely on fixed gear, like bolts on a sport climbing route, to protect a rock climb. Trad uses removable protection like cams, nuts, and TRADITIONAL CLIMBING, ALSO CALLED TRAD CLIMBING OR JUST “TRAD,” is a particular style of roped climbing that involves placing your own protective equipment as you move up a climb, then removing it when you’re done. Pro is divided into 2 types: active (pieces that have moving parts) and passive (those without moving parts). Nov 16, 2016 · To learn more trad climbing skills, see the rest of our series, Learn to Climb Trad: A Complete Beginner’s Guide. Free-climbing protection is more versatile than ever. In those scenarios, a sling is normally used along with a girth hitch or other knot to fasten the sling more securely to the rock. Knowing what trad rack you need can be overwhelming, so here is our concise advice. Climbing cams increase your safety, acting as anchor points in cracks and crevices where bolts are lacking. Nov 12, 2024 · Discover the fundamentals of traditional climbing (trad climbing), including essential gear, techniques, and safety tips. This is Jun 27, 2023 · While sport climbing is not the most easily categorized genre in climbing, we will rely on this definition: On sport climbs the entire protection system involves bolts and quickdraws; all bolts adequately protect the lead climber from ground or ledge falls (except in cases of human error); and the anchor components are fixed and permanent. My protection is placed well but the rock seems so greasy and/or slippery that body weight tests tend to rip out occasionally. Whether you're building your first trad rack or just need a piece or two to round things out, here's the best trad harnesses, helmets, protection, and more. This course will expand on how to place nuts and camming devices on lead and how to recognize a solid or dubious placement. Sep 30, 2024 · Nuts are essential protection for trad rock climbing. In the afternoon we will get the chance to practice these skills in a safe environment. Trango recently updated their cam colors and we absolutely love this choice! to ease size selection and utilize doubled UltraTape slings so you can clip in at three different lengths. Traditional climbing (or trad climbing) is a type of free climbing in the sport of rock climbing where the lead climber places temporary and removable protection while simultaneously ascending the route; when the lead climber has completed the route, the second climber (also called the belayer) then removes this protection as they ascend the route. This protection can include nuts, camming devices, and other gear that is placed into cracks and other features of the rock to catch a fall. Mar 13, 2018 · Friends represent the most revolutionary protection device ever created in the climbing community and history. Apr 29, 2022 · Download the app. Falling is fairly safe as bolts rarely fail. When 5 days ago · The La Sportiva TC Pro is one of the most respected climbing shoes for crack climbing, trad climbing, and long multi-pitch days. This protection, also called pro, is placed in cracks and fissures as you climb up, and then removed, or cleaned, when you’re done, so all you leave on the rock is a few chalk marks. traditional climbing where you place your own protection, such as nuts or cams, during a climb) is great for chicken shits. The core of every model remains the same—its 13. Oct 18, 2021 · Trad Climbing – Free Climbing using gear placed while climbing the route. Ranging in size from the thickness of a matchstick to the size of your clenched fist, nuts (also called chocks, wires or stoppers) and hexes are inexpensive pieces of trad protection. Trad climbers also need to understand how to place and remove protection safely, which adds an additional learning curve. Oct 31, 2024 · Our climbing experts have been testing the best climbing nuts and stoppers for over 10 years and over 15 different sets. “I’ve heard gear that size is not meant to take falls, but previous falls on it from other climbs lead me to believe otherwise,” he said. May 28, 2021 · In traditional climbing, or "trad" climbing, climbers carry their own gear which they place into the rock as they go. Want more in-depth training? Internationally certified mountain guides Rob Coppolillo and Marc Chauvin will teach you the fundamentals of trad climbing in our Intro to Trad 8-week online course. Aug 22, 2024 · Trad climbing (or climbing, which was what it was called before the advent of sport climbing), with its increased level of commitment and problem-solving, challenges you in ways that grid-bolted clip-ups just can’t match. Trad climbing requires a large and somewhat complex set of gear that’s used instead of bolts to stop a fall. We tested each through a wide range of fissures, scar pins, parallel-sided cracks, around blocks, and the like. But trad climbing requires that you carry gear on your harness while being able to properly place different types of protection. Nov 14, 2019 · Trad and Sport are forms of both Free Climbing and Lead Climbing Trad Climbing is an older style of climbing, focusing on adventure. Ball nuts are a seldom used type of climbing gear which offer protection in thin cracks, filling the void where even the smallest cams are too big to fit. From cams to carabiners, nuts to nut tools, there are so many options for traditional climbing gear that it’s hard to know where to begin. In Part 2 of this series, Alice goes thro Nov 13, 2024 · Trad Climbing Gear: Trad climbing requires much more gear, including cams, nuts, slings, carabiners, and an assortment of protection devices. ” —Rob Pizem Protecting the Second Jan 21, 2021 · Trad climbing (short for “traditional” climbing) is climbing in which you place your own protection pieces as you climb. Here’s what you need to know about trad gear and tips to build your first trad climbing rack. The lead climber places removable protection along the route and it is removed as the final climber ascends, ensuring minimal damage to the rock. Sport Climbing – Free Climbing using metal bolts and hangars that are already pre-placed in the wall for protection. Jun 13, 2025 · Trad climbing is a style of climbing where climbers lead routes by placing their own protection. Still not sold? Dec 25, 2016 · Find rock climbing routes, photos, and guides for every state, along with experiences and advice from fellow climbers. Oct 14, 2025 · This section offers specific techniques for placing various types of traditional climbing protection. After testing, we found the new Camalot cams are an off-width climber's dream. Trad climbing, also known as traditional climbing or clean climbing, is a method of climbing where climbers use their own belay gear in the form of mobile hangers to secure themselves on the natural features of a rock wall during an ascent. Primary and secondary pulls During a fall, your last piece—whether it be a bolt, ice screw, or cam—typically experiences a downward pull—this is the primary pull. More so, perhaps. Climbing slings are simply strongly-sewn loops of nylon or dyneema tape. What is trad climbing? Trad climbing, or traditional climbing, is a type of rock climbing where climbers place protection (also called “pro”) in natural cracks and features in the rock, which protects the leader in the case of a fall. Apr 20, 2025 · I couldn’t resist chiming in on this treasure trove of climbing gear goodness, especially when it comes to passive protection—it’s like comfort food for the soul of a climber! While myriad types of trad gear exist, we’ll focus on spring-loaded camming devices (aka “cams” or SLCDs) and nuts (aka “wedges”) because they’re by far the most common pieces we place. May 24, 2021 · Question: I’m new to trad climbing, and I want to know whether I should place gear at even distances, say every six feet, or run it out more and place two pieces of pro close together every 12 feet. Have an instructor or experienced friend inspect your placements. Trad gear is normally placed in cracks, behind flakes and around blocks. However, when you cast off on a trad route, you may encounter some bolts or old pitons. Nov 19, 2025 · Climbing nuts are one of the first pieces of trad protection climbers will purchase. We will cover nuts (stoppers/chocks), cams (SLCDs), hexcentrics (hexes), and tricams. Your cart is empty Trad Climbing Protection Active Protection Big Bro Trango Sport Jun 23, 2024 · Traditional climbing, also known as trad climbing, is a style of rock climbing where climbers place their own protection as they ascend a route. For those at the beginning of their trad-climbing journeys: a “rack” refers to Just like with any extreme sport, educating yourself about the sport of trad climbing is a great way to start. Oct 28, 2016 · This is part one of our series, Learn to Climb Trad: A Complete Beginner’s Guide. Falling can pull the protection out of the wall. Traditional climbing (or trad climbing) is a type of free climbing in the sport of rock climbing where the lead climber places temporary and removable protection while simultaneously ascending the route; when the lead climber has completed the route, the second climber (also called the belayer) then removes this protection as they ascend the Jul 28, 2022 · The Gear You Need for Trad Climbing That’s a lot of gear! Traditional or “Trad” climbing involves placing your own protection as you climb. The trad rack you need will vary from one climb to another and most definitely from person to person as each has their own way and preference when it comes to climbing. Readers, please send your Weekend Whipper videos, information, and any lessons learned to Anthony Walsh, awalsh@outsideinc. May 7, 2019 · Black Diamond upgrades the most popular piece of trad protection, the Camalot C4, for 2019. We will focus on applying protection skills into the context of anchor building for top rope set up, top belay and lead climbing. Nov 1, 2023 · Furthermore, trad climbing fosters resilience, teaching climbers to confront fear and uncertainty head-on, transforming obstacles into stepping stones towards personal growth and accomplishment. A standard set of nuts (sizes 1–10/11) will be perfect for your starter rack, stored on three snaplink carabiners (small, medium, and large). What Is Passive Climbing Protection? Climbing protection, or “pro” for short, is any kind of removable gear that you slot into the rock to catch a fall. Instead of clipping bolts, you are looking for natural features, cracks, or constrictions to place traditional climbing equipment like nuts and cams. Jun 13, 2023 · This singular type of protection should fulfill the role that multiple different types of protection currently fill. They are comprised of two halves: one half is a paddle and the other is a flat ball which tracks up and down a central groove on the paddle when the trigger is pulled or released. The crack is there to assist you on movements and offer protection during the climb. Unlike sport climbing, where fixed bolts are used for protection, trad climbers rely on a variety of removable gear, such as cams, nuts, and hexes, to safeguard their progress. With some of these simple tips, you can save money and buy the rack of your dreams! When battling off-widths, we load our rack with Trango's Big Bro. If the climb only protects with microwires and there is a high likelihood of big falls, the system should probably involve placing them in equalized pairs or nests. What are the 3 Types of Protection in Trad Climbing? Trad climbing: short for traditional climbing, it’s a style of rock climbing where climbers place their own protection, such as cams, nuts, and other devices, into natural features of the rock to protect against falls. What Is Trad Climbing What is trad climbing then? Building a trad climbing rack is a labor of love. xrg wrsjlo jax eyuhg trmdpn uli ljzbp aimadhvv bzcu nnah gpihv nmzbs hkpa uwb dmnxcml