Rock climbing is one of the extreme types of outdoor activities and sports that involves climbing on natural or artificially created terrain. At the same time, the athlete has the opportunity to use the natural features of rock formations, the tenacity of his fingers, the strength of his arms, legs and the whole body.

The history of rock climbing

The history of rock climbing as a sport goes back to the 19th century. Extremists in those distant times chose three mountainous regions of Europe for unusual spending their free time and self-affirmation: the Dolomites in Italy, the Lake District in England and the Elbe Sandstone Mountains in Germany.

In 1887, climbing was officially recognized as a sport in Italy as a result of the solo climb of the Die Vajolettürme mountain route. Munich schoolboy Georg Winkler, having independently overcome the route, gave impetus to the development of a new sports discipline in Italy.

At the end of the 19th century, rock climbing was also officially recognized as a sport in England. And at the beginning of the 20th century in Germany, about 500 athletes were already overcoming the Sandstone Mountains. By the 30s of the last century, about 200 sports clubs teaching rock climbing.

In world history official competitions rock climbing was carried out in the Western Caucasus region, on the Dombai rocks, in the alpine camp "Lightning" (1947). For the first time, the regulations on the competition, the program, the rules of the competition and the awarding of the winners were spelled out.

At the end of the last century (1987), the UIAA Rock Climbing Commission was created and two types of competitive disciplines were approved: climbing for difficulty and climbing for speed.

In 1988, the first climbing world cup is already taking place.

The 1990 World Cup was held annually and included competitions in 4-6 stages.

In 1991, Germany hosted the first World Cup, and since then it has been held every odd year.

In 1992, the first youth world championship was organized in Switzerland. From this time on youth championship climbers come together annually. In the same year, the first European Championship was held in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Now the competition is being organized a year later.

The International Olympic Committee in 1995 officially recognized the UIAA. The extreme discipline developed rapidly and entered the third millennium as a competitive sport.

In 2007, the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) was created, and 68 countries were immediately included in it.

Types and development of rock climbing

Today rock climbing is gaining more and more popularity, new types of rock climbing are emerging, in some countries of the world it is included in school curricula, and special projects for people with disabilities are being developed.

Majority sporting events rock climbing today is held at rock climbing walls (artificial structures invented by François Savini). Natural rocky tracks are used more for training purposes. It is considered that on the artificial track the participants are in ideally identical conditions, and the influence of the weather is minimized.

Today there are a number of International regulations, according to which competitions in sport climbing are organized, in the following disciplines:

Climbing the difficulty. The main criteria here are: height and difficulty of the ascent. The altitude is considered taken if the climber has reached the end point of the route. There is a special term to define overcoming the height - top. This discipline assumes overcoming the route with lower belay.

Climbing for speed. This is a very spectacular and exciting type of overcoming obstacles, since the main factor here is the speed of overcoming the height. For this type of climbing, the top belay is used. One end of the rope is attached to the extreme, and the other to the belayer. Start and countdown starts at the signal. The winner is the one who did not break down, showed the best time and was the first to touch the finish button at the end of the route.

Bouldering. A type of competition held on low rocks (5-6 m) with gymnastic belay or using crash pads (special safety mats), which are placed in the place of the approximate fall of the extreme. To pass the mountain route requires strength, well-developed coordination, precision and accuracy in movements. According to the rules of bouldering, start and finish require two to three seconds of fixation, the number of attempts made by the climber is also taken into account.

V last years rock climbing became widespread in the sports world, fans of extreme sports began to hold all kinds of rock festivals - one-day, multi-day, in several tours, on natural relief, using various styles and types of rock climbing.

In addition to sport climbing, free climbing presupposes the presence of other types of trail climbing: mountaineering or traditional climbing, bouldering up to 15 m high, derivative types. Of the derived styles, the following are popular today:

ITO- climbing using artificial pivot points. Extreme climbers challenge those routes and tracks that are considered impassable in free climbing.

Ice climbing, mixed climbing and drytool- the youngest sports. Today they have gained popularity throughout the Western world. Extreme climbers from the CIS countries are just beginning to master these new types of rock climbing as an extreme recreation.

Deep Water Solo (Climbing over water). An appropriate rock with a negative slope (usually up to 12 m high) is selected so that, in the event of a fall, the participant falls into the water. Climbing takes place without additional insurance. It is necessary to take into account the depth of the reservoir and the surface of the water bottom, control your posture when immersed in water (ideal is the pose of a "soldier").

Free Solo- the most risky and dangerous of the known types of rock climbing on a natural rock surface without additional insurance. Extreme climbers say that this type of climbing requires iron fingers and iron nerves. But this does not insure against a sad end.

Headpointing- widely distributed in the UK. This is traditional rock climbing, and the leader on the route is determined by repeatedly passing obstacles with top belay. The difference with headpointing is that this style uses a small number of safety points and crash pads.

Highball- This is a high bouldering, a feature of which is climbing stones higher than 5 m and more. In highball, falls from the top of boulders are not uncommon, causing severe injuries.

Multi Pitch Climb- multi-rope climbing only with its own safety points or, as in sport climbing, pre-prepared safety places.

Rock climbing is becoming a sporting trend in all countries. Recently, this discipline has even been included in the number of Olympic sports. And now the friends around me keep saying that they would not mind trying. But then questions immediately arise: where to start, where to start and whether it is necessary - maybe it is safer to do fitness? Forget fears and doubts. Climbing is worth it!

What is rock climbing?

Climbing rocks was once an element of mountaineering. The climbers practiced this skill in order to conquer the mountain in one way or another, and at the same time independently chose the level of difficulty for themselves. It's now an independent discipline and you don't have to be a mountaineer to rock.

There are two types of climbing: outdoor and indoor. In the first case, you practice climbing on rocks, that is, on a natural relief, and in the second - on an artificial one, that is, on a climbing wall. The choice depends on your mobility and location. For example, in Moscow you simply will not find rocks - you will have to train on climbing walls.

Outdoor rock climbing.

Within the discipline, subtypes are also distinguished:

- intensive climbing on large boulders or their imitations without the use of safety systems. If you fall, you will be saved by a thick mat below (crashpad).
sport climbing- climbing a vertical wall using special equipment and belay;
solo- climbing alone, often without a rope, also known as “free style”;
- climbing, which is practiced most often on rocks: a group of climbers climbs a traverse - along the slope - following each other through one rope;
multi-pitch- climbing on a prepared track on rocks, divided into "pitches" - fields of various categories of difficulty.

Climbing also includes canyoning - climbing on rocks in canyons with rivers and waterfalls. This sport requires special training and equipment, as the terrain is wet and slippery. More and more people, however, are referring to canyoning as a separate sport.

Canyoning.

What are the benefits of climbing?

To begin with, this is a sport that can be played by any child and adult, regardless of level. physical fitness... It may seem to you that this is very dangerous. Don't worry - safety comes first!

Climbing is very healthy. This is a specific cardio mixed with power loads and plastic. Even muscles that you have never heard of are involved here.

There is a popular belief that climbers need pumped up arms to pull themselves up on the holds. But no! When climbing rocks, both the upper and lower body work, but first of all, real climbers work on the muscles of the legs. However, to become a true climber, you need regular training. Our body does not immediately understand how it is necessary to work, because in order to reach something, we habitually use our hands. But over time, you will feel how the load is transferred to the muscles of the thighs, calves and feet. Climbers find their feet more stable and flexible - while the feet instinctively seek a stable and comfortable position on the toe while climbing, their small muscles develop.

Solo.

The upper body also receives quite a lot of stress. Those who choose this sport lose weight, develop back muscles, and improve posture. But the quickest changes are reflected in the hands. Already during the first workout, you will feel how your forearms, hands and fingers are tense. In the future, they will become more flexible and grippy. Climbers even have a special apparatus called a fingerboard. It plays the role of a kind of horizontal bar for the fingers, although it looks like a large toe with grooves, each of which has its own depth. The first stage of training on this horizontal bar is to master a deep notch. The last one is to learn to hold on to a small depression in which only the fingertips are placed. Your task is simple: you cling to the fingerboard and hang on it for as long as you can. Each time you spend in suspension should increase, and at some point you will move on to pull-ups.

Fingegboard.

In my definition of climbing, I mentioned cardio. On initial stages your heart rate can go up to 160, or even up to 180 beats per minute! Here, of course, adrenaline plays a role, because when you ascend for the first time, everyone is scared: it’s far to the ground, and what if I’ll break? But each time the heart will behave more calmly, which means it will strengthen.

Comparison with power loads is more than appropriate here, since you literally lift your body yourself. And at the same time, you develop the plasticity, which is so necessary in order to reach the farthest holds - often there may not be a single suitable one near you! I personally saw how they sit on the twine on the wall. In short, when climbing, everything tenses and works. Even the gyrus of the brain.

Good for the mind

You see for yourself, rock climbing is not only physical training, but also internal education - mental, strong-willed and moral.

To begin with, climbing develops coordination. Ask, what does it have to do with the mind? The fact is that incorrect orientation in space is more related to psychology and is associated with the inability to concentrate and find the most correct solution. You can pump this skill on the rocks.

At rock climbing competitions, you can notice that before climbing up, athletes stand for a long time near the wall and mentally study it, making hand swings in the air. Thus, they "read" the track, that is, they think in advance where to put their foot or arm. Whose calculation turns out to be more successful, that one will be faster. When I came to the climbing wall, in the first couples I was constantly eager to fight and wanted to quickly overcome the route, but the coach stopped me and said: "First, think about how you will do it." Thinking everything over is vital. In bouldering, for example, there is simply no time to think while climbing, the load is too great. If you don't plan ahead, you are doomed to fail. Deep analysis of the track, vivid imagination, accurate calculation - perhaps climbing is really good for the brain.

Bouldering.

What about developing will and human qualities?

This sport is considered strong-willed. You need to have remarkable determination, willpower and the ability to go all the way. To be honest, few stay in this sport after the first lesson: here you often have to deal with difficulties alone with yourself, and this is a lot of stress, for which not everyone is ready. But if you do not retreat, you will be able to discover new abilities in yourself that will manifest in extreme conditions... At a difficult moment, strength is always taken from somewhere for a new leap - the instinct of self-preservation cannot be fooled.

Via ferrata.

Climbing, however, is not only individual work... Here you work in a team: when your partner insures you from below or from above, you will have to learn to trust him. Especially when it comes to via ferrate, where the success of the whole business depends on everyone in the bundle.

Security

Where, no matter how in this sport, do they care about insurance? Don't worry about her. There is a great variety of gadgets out there ready to insure you every step of the way. All equipment is manufactured according to the established quality standards of the UIAA (World Federation of Mountaineering and Climbing), and each standard has its own number.

When buying equipment, be sure to look for the logo of this organization on the packaging. Before starting to climb, athletes check each other for compliance with safety measures: whether the rope is fastened correctly, whether the carabiner is twisted. These rules are mandatory for everyone - both beginners and real pros.

How and where to start?

Find the closest climbing wall or club to your home or work - there are more of them every day. In the club, training is free, and at the climbing wall you will have to buy a subscription. The advantage of the climbing wall is that there you will find equipment for rent, personal trainer, cafes, shops, and you can also choose any training program for yourself. In the club, you are unlikely to be immediately helped with all the necessary equipment, but there is always a friendly atmosphere.

In any case, it is better to take the first lesson with a trainer who will tell you the basics of technique and teach you how to work with insurance. Then you can practice on your own.

Soon on our blog you will be able to read about climbing gyms that can be visited with a discount using our loyalty card. However, we also cooperate with clubs.

Necessary equipment

For the first time, you can go to training empty-handed - everything you need is on the climbing walls and is available for rent. The first thing you will be offered is to try it on. Climbing in regular sneakers is hazardous to your health. In appearance, the climbing shoes may seem rather strange and terribly uncomfortable to you, but due to their structure, they provide optimal grip on the terrain and allow you to get on even the smallest holds. Thanks to them, you will not injure your toes or slip down. I will warn you right away that this shoe is selected one size or two smaller than its own, since bent toes are a prerequisite for climbing.

Skalniki.

If you decide to go in for sport climbing, you will be offered. It is a harness with slings wrapped around the pelvis and lower leg. There is a loop in the center of its upper part, into which the carabiner is fastened. It should fit snugly, but not too tight. The leg slings should be slightly relaxed so that they do not squeeze the legs during the descent.

When climbing, you may also need a product that dries your palms when they sweat - which is a white powder, like loose chalk. They put it in a special one that can be tied to a belt. By the way, the ideal climbing clothing is one that covers the knees and is made of stretch fabric.

Magnesia bag.

This is enough to start climbing. Now is the time to try your hand. Good luck in your new sport!

Rock climbing as a form of active recreation appeared relatively recently - in the 19th century and quickly became widespread. We will tell you about the main milestones in its history and types of rock climbing.

It sometimes takes many years to find a way of life that combines the development of body, soul and mind. The way of life that brings harmony, joy and happiness, when you get up with the thought of gratitude for today and the feeling of the upcoming adventures that excite the blood, when you breathe in the air deeply and feel its taste, the taste of life!

Harmony of soul and body, courage, strength, enjoyment of nature and its manifestations - this is exactly what real life! Yes, you can go to Tibet and become a monk or live as a hermit in the Siberian taiga in order to experience the true sense of being. Or you can gather your spirit and go on an exciting journey, taking with you reliable friends, equipment and a warm heart! For the one who is keen on rock climbing is keen on life itself!

The very term "Climbing"(in English. Rock climbing) means a sport or outdoor activity that involves climbing natural (rocks) or artificial (climbing wall) terrain. Having originated as a form of mountaineering, rock climbing is now an independent sport.

Rock climbing as overcoming a rocky relief not for the purpose of solving everyday problems (hunting, finding the shortest paths in the mountains, etc.), but for self-affirmation, solving sports problems, that is, as a kind of active recreation and sports, arose in mountainous regions in the 19th century. Climbing in free time became widespread in Europe: rocky regions of Germany (Saxon Switzerland, Zittau mountains, etc.), Austria (Tyrolean Alps), rocks of Scotland, Ireland, Switzerland and other countries. In Russia, more than 150 years ago, climbing on the Krasnoyarsk poles - stolbism - was born in the vicinity of Krasnoyarsk. In the United States, rock climbing began in the early 20th century - rock climbing in Yosemite National Park.

With the development of rock climbing in the world, new areas were developed. There are currently over 2,500 climbing areas in the world.

In the second half of the 20th century, rock climbing became a worldwide recognized sport, which is regularly held international competitions... In February 2010 - climbing was recognized Olympic view sports. And the International Federation of Climbing (IFSC) is recognized by the International Olympic Committee. July 2011 - International Olympic Committee included rock climbing in the list of sports applying for inclusion in the 2020 Olympic Games.

The history of the development of sports competitions in rock climbing in Russia.

In the summer of 1947 on the rocks of Dombai (Western Caucasus), the head of the training unit of the mountaineering camp "Lightning" Ivan Antonovich held the world's first official rock climbing competition with a program, regulations, rules and prizes. The competition was dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the USSR. The first step in the history of Russian rock climbing has been made! In 1948, competitions were held between alpine camps in various gorges of the Caucasus, and already in 1949 the rules of the competition were approved and a seminar for judges was held.

In 1955 the first USSR Championship was held on Mount Alim (Crimea).

Since 1963 to the present time in Krasnoyarsk an annual climbing competition "Prize named after Evgeny Abalakov" is held. This is the only competition of the year where participants compete in four disciplines (bouldering, difficulty, reference speed and classic speed). Evgeny Mikhailovich Abalakov is an honored master of sports in mountaineering and an outstanding Soviet sculptor. Many of Abalakov's works are devoted to mountains and mountaineering topics. His sculptural group"Mountaineer and Mountaineer" is installed at the stadium in Luzhniki in Moscow, and his "Mountaineer" is in the Evpatoria park.
The peak of 6446 m in the Pamirs, mountain peaks in the Tien Shan, "Abalakovskaya crack" on Kommunar, "Abalakovsky circus" on Takmak are named after Evgeny Abalakov.

In 1976 in Gagra, in the Yupshara gorge, the first international rock climbing competitions were held, held according to Soviet rules by the USSR State Committee for Sports. Athletes from 8 countries took part in the competition. Among them: Austria, Japan, France, Romania, Poland, East Germany, USSR, West Germany. This gave a powerful impetus to the development of sport climbing in the world.

In 1986 our country - the ancestor of rock climbing as a world sport - was honored as the organizer of the first European Cup in rock climbing, which took place in Yalta with the participation of athletes from 14 countries.

In 1987 The UIAA, the governing body for all types of mountaineering and climbing, established the Rock Climbing Commission (CEC) and the Competition Organization Committee (CICE) to guide and develop sport climbing as an independent discipline. Frenchman Paul Brasset was elected president of the rock climbing commission, and professor from Moscow Yuri Skurlatov was elected vice president. Later in the French city of Chalen, at the General Assembly of the International Union of Mountaineering Associations, it was decided to hold competitions in two disciplines - speed climbing, where the time spent on the ascent along the established route determines the participant's place, and climbing the difficulty - here the participant's place is determined by the achieved on the route high.

In 1988 the first official stages of the first climbing World Cup took place. The final stage took place in Yalta. Kairat Rakhmetov and Natalya Kosmacheva won in speed climbing. The French athletes won the difficulty climbing.

Since 1990 the World Cup is held annually, which includes 4-6 stages.

Since 1991(Germany, Frankfurt am Main) World Championships are regularly held.

June 1992 Russian Climbing Federation was formed.

In 1999 took place the first World Cup in the form of bouldering.

In 2001 bouldering is included in the World Championship program.

And a little about bouldering ...

This type of rock climbing was invented in the state of Colorado, in the town of Boulder, where in the suburbs there are many boulders with an average height of 3-6 meters. It is the festivals for the passage of a huge number of invented routes that have grown into modern bouldering competitions.

So bouldering is a series of short, problematic tracks. Each track is given a few minutes (as a rule, 4 minutes - and an unlimited number of attempts. The track may have an intermediate finish - "bonus". Gymnastic belay and special mats are used.

For the development of this species, high walls are not required, a height of 4-5 meters is sufficient. In terms of popularity in the world, bouldering successfully competes with difficulty climbing. The proximity of the performers (in comparison with other types of rock climbing) allows spectators to better see the emotions of athletes, to be charged with their energy.

The following types of climbing competitions are no less popular:

Classic:

Difficulty

Speed

Modern:

For all types of competitions, two conditions can be met: the athlete must not see the performances of other participants before his performance and must not see their results until the end of the competition.

The emergence of climbing walls in Russia

The first wooden climbing wall in Russia (and possibly in Mir) was built during Soviet times by Ukrainians in Georgia (in Svaneti)

Sobenko Petr Timofeevich

While studying with young climbers, junior mountaineering instructor Pyotr Timofeevich Sobenko came to the conclusion back in the pre-war years that the period of stay of a beginner in the mountains is very short and therefore it is necessary to conduct mountaineering classes and trainings in the city and during the off-season period. As with any other sport, the climber needs regular and persistent training regardless of the season. It was necessary to develop special gymnastics for climbers, to design specific sports equipment and structures.

The method proposed by Sobenko was approved scientific conference Ukrainian Institute physical culture back in 1940, and only the outbreak of war prevented its implementation into practice. Only in 1949 Sobenko, with the support of the head of the camp, managed to build on the site of the Nakra mountaineering camp the main of the shells he developed - an assault wall for training with climbers.

Sobenko's idea continues to live and develop - in November 1993, one of the best climbing gyms in Russia was built in the Children's Sports Palace in Moscow, the opening of which was the holding of the Russian Championship.

In May 1994, an international competition was held at the DDS climbing wall - the World Cup stage. The winners in difficulty climbing were François Legrand and Robin Herbesfield. Evgeny Krivosheitsev and Elena Ovchinnikova won in speed climbing.

Nowadays, most climbing competitions are held at climbing walls. This creates equal conditions for all participants, helps to attract spectators, sponsors, representatives of the media, solves the problem of preserving the natural environment, and also significantly reduces the impact of weather conditions. However, modern rock climbing does not deny the use of "live" rock massifs in training process... And in climbing for difficulty, often only by combining classes on the rocks and on the climbing walls, you can achieve outstanding results, since one complements the other.

Modern climbing walls are complex engineering structures. As a rule, these are modular structures made of specially processed plywood or fiberglass sheets, which are attached to a metal load-bearing frame. Computer simulation and modern composite materials allow you to create rock walls of truly fantastic shapes and textures.

Manufacturers of artificial holds are not lagging behind - the choice in this market is colossal - from holds that imitate rocky terrain to the most abstract forms or objects and animals.

About the types of insurance

To equip the top belay at the top of the cliff, permanent belay points are organized using hooks, bolts or loops made of climbing rope or steel cable fixed to trees or rock ledges.

For the organization of the lower belay, rocky hooks, bolts are pre-hammered on the rock, into which guys are snapped in with the help of carabiners. The climber with the rope attached to him, as he climbs, clamps the rope into the lower carabiner of the guy-line, which serves as a belay point. The belayer, who is at the bottom of the cliff, gives the rope to the climbing climber. In the event of a fall, it holds the rope, preventing the fallen climber from falling to the base of the rock.

About equipment

Climbing equipment can be conditionally divided into safety equipment and individual equipment. The harness includes: harness, rope, harness and carabiner, as well as a set of guy wires different lengths... Modern sports harness systems are made of light, but durable materials, do not impede movement and at the same time perfectly cope with their main task.

Rope arrangement has not fundamentally changed for many years, but modern materials and processing methods have made it possible to achieve minimum diameters without loss of bearing properties. For example, at the moment, ropes with a diameter of 9.1 - 9.4 mm are especially popular, since with a low weight such ropes are quite convenient to work with and glide better through the relief than ropes of large diameters. Thanks to special impregnation and processing, the ropes resist wetting, which negatively affects the load-bearing properties of any rope.

Carbines , as well as ropes, have not undergone significant changes, although new models of various types appear, such as special safety carabiners or carabiners with a new type of latches.

And here belay devices have stepped far ahead and classic belay devices such as "Eight" or "Basket" today share the market with sophisticated automatic and semi-automatic devices.

Set guy wires usually consists of 10-12 pieces. The choice of such equipment at the moment is so diverse that it allows you to select guys not only by weight or length, but even by color.

The basis of individual equipment is climbing shoes... Climbing pioneers climbed the routes in the usual sports shoes with good rubber, as well as in galoshes.

Rubber galoshes are the ancestor of modern climbing shoes. The first to use galoshes were domestic climbers of Krasnoyarsk Stolby at the beginning of the 20th century. The Krasnoyarsk columnists used galoshes for 100 years before rock shoes appeared. And today you can still find a climber in galoshes on the Pillars!

The Pillars themselves are about 80 groups of rocks up to 100 meters high, composed of crystalline rock, close to granite.

Stolbists are people who formed a separate movement, climbing the rocks of Stolbov.

The first Stolbyists appeared about 150 years ago - they climbed the tops of the rocks, came up with new routes called lazes or passages, passed separate sections of rocks - sly.

In the understanding of Stolbist, a gap, a move or a trick was considered passed if no insurance or other devices were used. People of completely different social strata, from intellectuals to laborers, became stolbists; they were united by one thing - the passion for rock climbing.

Thanks to the climbing traditions of Stolby and Stolbizmu, climbing school Krasnoyarsk is still one of the strongest in Russia and in the world.

The school has raised such outstanding climbers as Olga Bibik, Tatiana Ruyga, Evgeny Ovchinnikov, Yulia Levochkina, Anna Tsyganova.

Nowadays there are many models of special footwear with different rubber, pads of varying degrees of aggressiveness, high or low, with laces or Velcro, made of natural or artificial leather, or a combination of these. The main difference between climbing shoes is a special last, which fixes the foot in a certain way, which allows you to use even the smallest unevenness of the terrain. And, of course, there is a special, "high-friction" rubber, the recipe of which each manufacturer keeps in the strictest confidence.

Another important element personal gear is magnesium, which is necessary to absorb moisture and create additional friction between the fingers and the relief. At the moment, ordinary magnesia is available, in the form of a powder, as well as “ liquid magnesium»- a special alcohol-based suspension that allows you to clean your hands and distribute the magnesia optimally over the surface of your palms.

About the routes of passage

During the development of climbing, many different route grading systems and their complexity have been created. In 1894, the Austrian Fritz Benesch introduced the first known grading system for rocky routes. The Benes scale had 7 difficulty levels - the level VII routes were the easiest, and the level I routes were the most difficult. Soon, however, even more difficult routes were passed, which, at first, were designated by difficulty levels 0 and 00. In 1923, German Willo Welzenbach squeezed the scale and turned it around: level 00 became level IV-V. In 1935, this "Welzenbach scale" was widely used by French climbers to mark routes in the Western Alps. Finally, in 1947 in Chamonix, the Welzenbach scale was adopted by the International Organization of Mountaineering Associations (UIAA).
The list of the most difficult climbing routes in the world on prepared routes as of January 2014 includes 3 routes of difficulty 9b + (5.15c), 15 routes of difficulty 9b (5.15b), 47 routes of difficulty 9a + (5.15a).

Routes of difficulty 9b +

Climbing levels.

Fifth category - beginners
- Sixth category - confident climbing rock climbers
- Seventh category - Pro-level
- Eighth category - Top climbers
- Ninth category - World Class Climbers. Today there are about 70 such people on the planet.

Training technique

To practice rock climbing, you must first of all train the strength of the fingers.

During rock climbing, the muscles of the forearm, which are responsible for flexion-extension of the fingers and movements of the shoulders and hands, “clog up” rather quickly, especially among beginners. The strength and endurance of the rest of the muscles in the body is also very important. You should try to transfer the main load to your feet as much as possible.
Anaerobic training - strength training and sprint running. The mechanism of muscle nutrition under a large and sharp load can only be developed with the help of anaerobic training.

When moving over the terrain, the optimal tactic is to hang on as little as possible. bent arms; you need to hang on outstretched arms, distributing the load on large muscles, and leaning on bent legs.

In the positions of stops and pauses in movement, for stability, you can choose such hooks on the wall and poses so that the body has at least three points of support, and the center of gravity can "hang" between or under them. This provides the ability to transfer the fourth limb to the next hold, simultaneously giving it a rest. In dynamics, the center of gravity can be "thrown" from one stable state to another using inertia.

What is the main difference between rock climbing and its parent Mountaineering? In mountaineering, to achieve the main goal - to climb to the top, all means are good. And the terrain is not very friendly, so to speak. As a result, climbing is replaced by movement on rocky terrain. In rock climbing, cleanliness comes first.

In the United States, at the beginning of the 20th century, rock climbing in Yosemite National Park was born and began to confidently develop.

With the development of rock climbing in the world, new areas were developed. There are currently over 2,500 climbing areas in the world

In the second half of the 20th century, rock climbing became a worldwide recognized sport, in which international competitions are regularly held.

The history of the development of sports competitions in rock climbing

Though climbing practice was an important element in the development of mountaineering in the European Alps, it is believed that both sport climbing began to flourish in the last quarter of the 19th century in at least three geographic locations: the Elbe Sandstone Mountains in Saxony near Dresden, the Lake District in England, and the Dolomites in Italy. At first, simply an integral part of life in the mountains, climbing in these three areas has developed harmoniously into an athletic sport discipline. The presence of three cradles in rock climbing does not allow historians to talk about any separate specific person who would have stood at the origins of rock climbing as a sport. However, in the history of sport climbing in Europe, the following three facts are beyond doubt:

Inspired by the early efforts of late 19th century "climbing pioneers" such as Oscar Schuster ( Falkenstein, Schusterweg 1892), by 1903 there were about 500 climbers in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains, including the well-known two-piece Rudolf Fermann and the American Oliver Perry-Smith. Their passage of the route Teufelsturm in 1906 established new standard difficulty (VIIb). By the 1930s. there were about 200 climbing clubs in the region.

During the development of climbing, many different route grading systems and their complexity have been created. In 1894, the Austrian Fritz Beneš introduced the first known grading system for rocky routes. The Benes scale had 7 difficulty levels - the level VII routes were the easiest, and the level I routes were the most difficult. Soon, however, even more difficult routes were passed, which, at first, were designated by difficulty levels 0 and 00. In 1923, German Willo Welzenbach squeezed the scale and turned it around: level 00 became level IV-V. In 1935, this "Welzenbach scale" was widely used by French climbers such as Lucien Devi, Pierre Allain and Armand Charlet to mark routes in the Western Alps. Finally, in 1947 in Chamonix, the Welzenbach scale was adopted by the International Union of Mountaineering Associations (UIAA).

In the summer of 1947, on the rocks of Dombai (Western Caucasus), the head of the training unit of the mountaineering camp "Lightning" Ivan Iosifovich Antonovich held the world's first official rock climbing competition with a program, regulations, rules and prizes. The competition was dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the USSR. The first step in the history of rock climbing in the USSR was taken, and then the active development of this most interesting and extreme kind sports. The earliest and longest-running organizers of the competition were the trade union DSO. In the same 1947, in Dombai, intercamp competitions (championship of the Dombai region) were held, dedicated to the 800th anniversary of Moscow. V next year the competitions were held between alpine camps in various gorges of the Caucasus, and already in 1949 the rules of the competition were approved and a seminar for judges was held.

In 1987, a Rock Climbing Commission was created under the UIAA (President - Jeff Lemon (France), Vice President - Yuri Skurlatov (USSR). The types of competitions - Difficulty climbing and Speed climbing were defined.

In 1988, the first official stages of the first climbing World Cup took place. The final stage took place in Yalta. In speed climbing, Kairat Rakhmetov and Natalya Kosmacheva won, who became the first Muscovite to fulfill the MSMK norms. The French athletes won the difficulty climbing.

At the beginning of 1989, the Union of Mountaineers and Rock Climbers of Russia was formed, and Anatoly Bychkov became its president. In November, at the reporting and election Plenum of the USSR Mountaineering Federation, taking into account high level development of rock climbing and a large volume of independent international activities, it was decided to form the Presidium of the Federation of Mountaineering and Rock Climbing. The last stage of the World Cup on the rocks in the history of sport climbing was organized in Yalta. Decision International Federation all subsequent competitions of the highest rank are held indoors on artificial terrain, on climbing walls. The main reasons for this decision were weather factors, the desire to create equal and comfortable conditions for participants, spectators, the media, as well as the problem of protection the environment when preparing trails. In the same 1989, Nadezhda Vershinina, Alexey Chertov and Salavat Rakhmetov fulfilled the standards of the USSR Master of Sports of international class. Nadezhda Vershinina became the first woman in the USSR to receive this title. In the same year, the first international rating of climbers appeared, and the first seminar of piste preparers was held on the Dovbush rocks.

Since 1990, the World Cup has been held annually, which includes 4-6 stages.

In 1991, the first world championship took place in Frankfurt am Main (Germany). Since that time, it takes place once every two years in odd years.

In 1992, the first youth world championship took place in Basel (Switzerland) (since then it has been held once a year) and the first European championship in Frankfurt am Main (since that time it has been held once every two years). In June of the same year, the Russian Climbing Federation was formed. Alexander Khoroshikh was elected the first president.

By November 1993, one of the best climbing gyms in Russia was built at the Children's Sports Palace (DDS) in Moscow, the opening of which was the holding of the Russian Championship.

In May 1994, an international competition was held at the DDS climbing wall - the World Cup stage. In difficulty climbing, François Legrand and Robin Herbesfield became the winners. Evgeny Krivosheitsev and Elena Ovchinnikova won in speed climbing. In the same year, the first youth stage of the Russian Cup "Elbrus-94"

In 1996, for the first time in Russia, the youth world championship was held, it took place in Moscow in the DDS.

In 1997, the UIAA created the International Council for Climbing Competition (ICC) (President - Pascal Mouche (France), Vice President - Alexander Piratinsky (Russia). The youth tournament "Elbrus-97" gathered over 300 young climbers from more than 50 cities in Russia.

Climbing types

To organize the top belay at the top of the cliff, permanent belay points are organized with the help of hooks, bolts or loops made of climbing rope or steel cable, fixed on trees or rock ledges.

To organize the lower belay, rocky hooks and bolts are pre-hammered on the rock, into which the guy wires are snapped in with the help of carabiners. A climber with a rope attached to it, as he climbs, clicks the rope into the lower carabiner of the guy line, which serves as a belay point. The belayer, who is at the bottom of the cliff, gives the rope to the climbing climber. In the event of a fall, he holds the rope, preventing the fallen climber from falling to the base of the rock.

The list of the most difficult climbing routes in the world on prepared routes as of January 2014 includes 3 routes of difficulty 9b + (5.15c), 15 routes of difficulty 9b (5.15b), 47 routes of difficulty 9a + (5.15a)

Modern rock climbing on natural terrain along prepared tracks is available not only to athletes and older amateurs, but more and more we are surprised by the passage of very young rock climbers and children.

Climbing on natural terrain on unprepared pistes

This type of rock climbing is essentially a kind of mountaineering. All rock climbing and belaying techniques used in mountaineering are used here. When climbing to a great height, that is, to a height exceeding the length of the rope, climbers climb the rock in bundles, organizing alternate belay.

The one who goes first in the bundle, as he ascends, organizes intermediate belay points by hammering in the hooks and / or using tabs into which the carabiner is snapped into with a rope tied into it. The participant of the ligament, who is at the bottom, belays the first participant in the ligament through intermediate belay points, which are hooks and / or tabs, with carabiners stitched into them.

Bouldering on natural terrain

Climbing on low rocks is called bouldering, when the climber is insured by means of gymnastic belaying or with the help of special mats - crash pads, which fit into the place of a possible fall of the climber under the rock.

On-site, redpoint, flash

This type of route passing: involves climbing the route on the first attempt without first reviewing and discussing the route with other participants, with the ability only to look at the route from below and touch the starting holds. If the first attempt fails, only a redpoint can be counted. Climbing a track in the presence of information about it is called a flush. In bouldering, there can only be a flush, as many holds are accessible from the ground.

Multipitch

A type of rock climbing in bundles on long rocky routes. A pitch is a part of the route from one intermediate safety station (base) to another. Each pitch usually has its own. Thus, a multi-pitch is a sequence of pitches. Usually at the stations there is a change of the leading participant in the bunch. Also, at the stations, the transfer of intermediate tabs and hooks collected by the walking second in a bunch of intermediate tabs and hooks left by the first in the bunch is carried out.

Popular rock routes in the areas of rock climbing are “punched out” in advance, that is, they organize stations, hammering in there reliable hooks for belaying.

To date (2014) the most difficult multi-pitch " Zembrocal " classified by the category of difficulty 8c +. It is located on Reunion Island. In general, by 2014 there are only 12 multipitch routes in the world with a difficulty category of 8c / +

Solo

Solo - climbing on natural terrain without a partner.

The insurance is carried out directly by the climber himself. It is often used for wall climbing (the so-called Big Wall or Big Walls).

There are also varieties of solos - Free Solo (FS) and Deep Water Solo (DWS).

Free Solo (free solo climbing) - climbing in which the belay is not applied. The famous free solo climber is Alex Honnold. Of the dead, Dean Potter and Dan Osman are known.

Deep Water Solo is actually a variant of Free Solo. Climbing takes place on rocks located above the water. In the event of a fall, the climber falls into the water. Famous climber Chris Sharma laid the line Es pontas high grade of difficulty (F9a), which climbs exclusively in the DWS style.

Jumping

This type of rock climbing involves jumping from one (one) holds (hold) on a climbing wall or rock to other (other) holds (hold). Jumping climbs with gymnastic belay with crash pads.

Climbing route classification

Classification of the difficulty of climbing routes

YDS (USA)	British (UK) Tech / Adj		French	UIAA (Central Europe)	Saxon (East Germany; Czech Republic)	Ewbank (Australia, New Zealand, South Africa)	Finnish	Norwegian	Brazilian

5.2			1	I	I				Isup
5.3			2	II	II	11			II
5.4			3	III	III	12		3	IIsup
5.5	4a	VD	4	IV	IV	12		4	III
5.6		S	5a	V +	V	13	5−	5−	IIIsup
5.7	4b	Hs	5b	VI-	VI	14	5	5	IV
	4c					15
5.8		VS	5c	VI	VIIa	16	5+	5+	IVsup
5.9	5a	HVS	6a	VI +	VIIb	17		6−	V
5.10a		E1	6a +	VII-	VIIc	18	6−	6−/6	VI
5.10b	5b		6b	Vii		19		6	VI / VI +
5.10c		E2	6b +	VII +	VIIIa	20	6	6+	VIsup / VI +
5.10d	5c		6c		VIIIb	21		7-	VIsup
5.11a		E3	6c +	VIII−	VIIIc	22	6+	7	7a
5.11b			6c +	VIII-		23			7b
5.11c	6a	E4	7a	VIII	IXa	24	7−	7+	7c
5.11d			7a	VIII	IXb				7c
5.12a		E5	7a +	VIII +	IXc	25	7+	7+/8−	8a
5.12b	6b		7b			26	8−	8-	8b
5.12c		E6	7b +	IX−	Xa	27	8	8	8c
5.12d	6c		7c	IX	Xb	28	8+	8/8+	9a
5.13a		E7	7c +	IX +	Xc	29	9−	8+	9b
5.13b			8a				9	9-	9c
5.13c	7a		8a +	X−		30	9+	9−/9	10a
5.13d		E8	8b	X		31	10−	9	10b
5.14a			8b +	X +		32	10	9/9+	10c
5.14b	7b		8c			33	10+	9+	11a
5.14c		E9	8c +	XI−		34	11−	10−	11b
5.14d	7c		9a	XI		35	11	10	11c
5.15a			9a +	XI +					12a
5.15b			9b						12b
5.15c