Traditional climbing, or Trad climbing, is a style of rock climbing in which a climber or group of climbers places all gear required to protect against falls (pitons, etc.), and removes it when a passage is complete. Characterising climbing as “traditional” distinguishes it from sport climbing in which all protection and anchor points are permanently installed prior to the climb, and “free solo climbing” (a.k.a. “free soloing”), which does not use ropes or gear of any kind.
Before the advent of sport climbing in the United States in the 1980s, and perhaps somewhat earlier in parts of Europe, the usual style of unaided rock climbing was what is now referred to as “traditional”. In trad climbing, a leader ascends a section of rock placing his or her own protective devices while climbing. Before about 1970 these devices were often limited to pitons; today they consist mainly of a combination of chocks and spring loaded camming devices, but may less commonly include pitons which are driven with a hammer, and bolts inserted into a hole drilled into the rock.
Important features of trad climbing are a strong focus on exploration, and a strict dedication to leaving nature unblemished
he term “gear” in climbing generally refers to equipment used during climbs (except harness, shoes, chalk bags, and chalk). Gear or “protection” are mechanical devices that provide safety, either by allowing greater stability in making a move (as in the case of aid climbing) or by dampening force and reducing the distance of a fall. The suitability of individual types of gear depends on the surface and formation of the rock face. “Placing gear” denotes the act of setting a piece of gear into the rock face and then attaching the rope (via carabiner) before ascending higher. In the event of a fall, the gear acts as a catch-point for the rope, thus preventing the climber from hurtling to the ground. Being “run out” refers to the situation where the distance from the climber’s position to the last piece of gear is far enough that the climber will receive little, if any, protection from a fall.
Prior to about 1970 in the United States, climbing relied mainly on pitons; other types of gear such as nuts, Hexcentrics, Tricams and spring-loaded cams were largely unknown or did not exist. As other variants of climbing were not nominally in existence as well, all climbing was in effect “trad climbing” until the early 1980s when sport climbing emerged in Europe.
Since the 1970s, developments in protective gear have made climbing much safer and more dynamic. For example, nuts—removable pieces of metal which could be jammed into cracks to support weight during a fall but could be removed at the end of a climb—helped fuel trad climbing’s growth in popularity and safety.
If a climber is soloing—climbing by him- or herself—the climber removes or “cleans” placed gear while rappelling (”rapping”) back down the climb; if climbing with friends, the second person will clean the gear during his or her ascent up the “pitch”. (For more slang and unique climbing-isms, see the glossary of climbing terms.)
In protecting the lead climber in both “trad” and “sport”: Carabiners and slings are used to connect the protection gear to the climber’s lead rope, so that in the event of a fall, the rope can be used (by the belayer below) to ‘catch’ the falling climber. Modern traditional climbs only occasionally have fixed gear (pitons or bolts), except in the case where cracks are lacking to place adequate removable gear. It is also considered bad style to install new protection bolts or pitons on existing climbs that can be completed without them.
