Rock Climbing is the activity of using one's hands and/or one's feet to ascend a steep object. It is pursued both recreationally, either to get to a destination otherwise inaccessible, or for its own enjoyment, and also professionally, as part of activities such as maintenance of a structure, or military operations.

Climbing activities include the following:
• Rock climbing : Ascending rock formations, often with climbing shoes and a chalk bag. Equipment such as ropes, bolts, nuts, hexes and camming devices are normally employed, either as a safeguard or for artificial aid.

• Bouldering : Ascending boulders or small outcrops, often with climbing shoes and a chalk bag or bucket. Usually, a safety rope from above is not employed - instead, a crash pad (a combination of high and low density foam, within a heavy duty fabric structure, often transported on the back) and a human spotter (to direct a falling climber on to the pad) are used to avoid injury.

• Rope climbing : Climbing a short, thick rope for speed. Not to be confused with roped climbing, as in rock or ice climbing.

• Rock, ice, and tree climbing have a common feature: all three normally employ ropes for either safety or aid. Pole climbing and rope climbing were among the first exercises to be included in the origins of modern gymnastics in the late 18th century and early 19th century. The sport of Mountaineering usually requires rock and/or ice climbing.

Rock Climbing
Rock climbing, broadly speaking, is the act of ascending steep rock formations. Normally, climbers use gear and safety equipment specifically designed for the purpose. Strength, endurance, and mental control are required to cope with tough, dangerous physical challenges, and knowledge of climbing techniques and the use of essential pieces of gear and equipment are crucial.

Rock climbing basics
Climbers usually work in pairs, with one climbing and the other belaying. The belayer feeds rope to the lead climber through a belay device. The Leader climbs up, places protection, climbs higher and places protection until the top is reached. The belayer is ready to "lock off" the rope if the leader falls.

Both climbers attach the rope to their climbing harness, usually tying into their harness with a figure-eight knot or double bowline knot. The leader either places protection or clips into permanent protection already secured to the rock. In traditional climbing, the protection is removable. Usually nuts or spring loaded camming devices are set in cracks in the rock (although pitons are sometimes used). In sport climbing the protection is metal loops called hangers. Hangers are secured to the rock with either expanding masonry bolts taken from the construction industry, or by placing (generally safer) glue-in bolt systems. In ice climbing the protection is Ice_screw or similar devices hammered or screwed into the ice by the leader, and removed by the second climber.

The lead climber connects the rope to the protection with carabiner. If the lead climber falls, he will fall twice the length of the rope out from the last protection point, plus rope stretch (typically 5% to 8% of the rope out), plus slack. If any of the gear breaks or pulls out of the rock or if the belayer fails to lock off the belay device immediately, the fall will be significantly longer. Thus if a climber is 5 feet above the last protection he will fall 5 feet to the protection, 5 feet below the protection, plus slack and rope stretch, for a total fall of over 10 feet.

If the leader falls, the belayer arrests the rope. This is achieved by running the rope through a belay device attached to the belayer's harness. The belay device runs the rope through a series of sharp curves that, when operated properly, greatly increase the friction and stop the rope from running. Some of the more popular types of belay devices are the ATC Belay Device the Figure 8 Belay Device and various auto-locking belay devices such as the Petzl Gri-Gri

At the top of the pitch, the leader sets up a secure anchor or belay from where he can belay as his partner climbs. The second climber removes the gear from the rock (traditional climbing) or removes the carabiner from the bolted hanger (sport climbing). Both climbers are now at the top of the pitch with all their equipment. Note that the second is protected from above while climbing, but the leader is not, so being the leader is more challenging and dangerous - very dangerous for new climbers.

Some climbers engage occasionally in a dangerous but speedy technique called simul-climbing, in which both leader and second move at the same time. The leader - approximately a rope length above the second - usually places multiple pieces of protection as he climbs so that the weight of the second climber might arrest a possible leader's fall. Should it be the second climber to fall, however, the leader may be pulled from his holds, with very unpleasant results.

Types of rock climbing
Rock climbing may be divided into two broad categories: free climbing and aid climbing. Free climbing requires the climber use only natural features of the rock formation. Aid climbing involves using artificial devices placed in the rock to support all or part of the climber's body weight, and is normally practised on rock formations that lack necessary natural features suitable for free climbing.

Free climbing may be further subdivided as follows:
Traditional lead climbing, or "Trad lead climbing", uses mostly removable protection, but also may employ fixed bolts if these were put in on the lead. The climbing team begins at the bottom of a climb and ascends to the top, with the leader placing protective devices in the rock as he or she climbs. If the climber falls, he/she does not rest on the rope and instead lowers to a stance or the ground to start over. This approach of protection and climbing progress emphasizes the exploratory aspect of the sport and requires a certain amount of boldness. Trad leading is considered by many to be the cleanest style, as the climber to follow the leader, called the cleaner, removes the protective devices (except any fixed bolts put in on lead) and leaves but marginal traces (if any at all) of their passage.

Sport lead climbing involves the use of pre-placed, permanent bolts for protection. This frees the leader from carrying excessive gear - he/she merely clips in to the bolts with quickdraws. However, permanent protective devices, like bolts and fixed pitons, are subject to dislodgment or decay over time and thus may become an insidious hazard for a leader. In case of a fall, sport climbers often rest on the rope before beginning again. Hard sport climbs often entail many falls and rests before being completed without falls and rests. In contrast, traditional style employs no rests on the rope, starting over after falls without rope tension and generally a minimal number of falls.

Top rope climbing, or top-roping, involves suspending a rope from an anchor located at the top of a short climb. The climber is then safeguarded by his belayer who holds the rope either at the top of the route or at the base of the climb.

Bouldering may be described as climbing short, severe routes on boulders or small outcrops. While safety ropes from above are occasionally used, most boulderers feel that the most ethical form of protection is a bouldering mat or pad similar to those used by gymnasts. In addition, other climbers standing on the ground may "spot" the boulderer, to help break his fall.

Indoor climbing is a form of climbing that can involve bouldering, top roping, and leading in an indoor environment on wood or plastic holds. For most it will be the easiest way to begin the sport.

Free solo climbing: Usually describes free climbing without a rope or other protective gear. Free solo climbing is distinguished from solo climbing where a climber progressing alone uses a rope and protection devices including a self belay system.

Free climbing is a style of climbing in which the climber uses no artificial aids to make progress upwards, but just hands, feet and other parts of the body. Equipment is used only for protection against the consequences of a fall. The term is used in contrast to aid climbing, in which equipment is used directly to make progress. Styles of free climbing include traditional climbing, sport climbing, some forms of solo climbing and bouldering. Free soloing is a type of free climbing where no rope is used for protection and falls would be disastrous.