UKC

A recent post about the current Dawn Wall climb made the statement 'Climbing has no rules' and this got me thinking. Setting competition aside which is governed by rules (And thus a sport?) I think I agree with that statement. We do however have a set of ethics - shared beliefs in what is acceptable - that guide the best way to conduct ourselves in the game called climbing.
I do think that the visionary article 'Games Climbers Play' by Lito Tejada-Flores makes a good starting point for understanding our activities on climbs. A thread a few months ago concluded that it was still valid today, though possibly nowadays more complex than its original form with more sub-divisions of the original seven games.
Level 1 of the games is the bouldering game (This includes solo climbing applied to other game levels) and in many ways this is seen as the purest form of ascent. It is a human being using only their body to climb a piece of rock (Winter climbing which uses tools will have to be set aside at the moment - lets stick to rock only).
I think one aspect of LTF's analysis deserves more thought and that is the risk factor. If we accept that climbing should not result in death/serious injury then climbers choose to minimise the risks with safety systems - mats for bouldering, protection on lead climbs or food caches & bolt stations on big wall climbs.
These aspects are independent of the skill/ability of the climber and so some developments in climbing have come by climbers getting better without any change in the acceptable safety aspects of a climb where others have come from more skilled climbers tackling earlier climbs by eschewing earlier safety systems. I don't think anyone would suggest that just because a climb has been soloed then that style becomes the ethical way to approach it - leading it with protection is still acceptable. Also climbing a route using less protection is not considered a purer form as this is seperate to safety. However if a climb was originally climbed with aid but later freed then it is considered poor style/unethical to repeat it with the original aid because this is a skill aspect.

So over the years a constant theme in climbing ethics has been that of improvement and I would argue that this is the only rule. On a personal level when I first try a new climb on the wall at the limit of my ability I might have to resort to a rest or an extra hold but on the next encounter I should try to avoid that 'aid'. When outdoors and leading I aim to complete a climb at least in the style of the original - no aid, no rests - backing off is better than cheating. On Dawn Wall ( Warren Harding's 1970 Wall of early morning light) the aim is to complete a climb not only without the aid that was originally needed to complete it but also with the aim of starting from the bottom and finishing at the top. This is the current level of improvement. Perhaps one day Super Ondra, Super Megos or Super Honnold will solo it just as Lynn Hill soloed Warren Harding's Nose - the improvement arrow of time will move forward. Until then let us applaud the improvement increment (Sounds small but is actually large) that Tommy Caldwell & Kevin Jorgeson will have achieved on their ascent of Dawn Wall.

In reply to keith-ratcliffe:

There are different climbing styles and each has its own rules. For a free ascent the rules include no pulling or resting on gear. For a redpoint style you have to clip all the gear from bottom to top and if you fall you have pull the rope and start again.

I consider climbing is a sport but its just a rather anarchic one compared to most sports and competition is indirect and more with oneself.



Well not necessarily. The vast number of ascents of the Nose are going to include some aid despite the fact it was free climbed 20 years ago. The key thing is to not claim you've done something you haven't: claim you've climbed it free when you pulled or rested on some gear for instance.

I certainly agree with applauding TC and KJ though. A truly outstanding achievement.

In reply to keith-ratcliffe:

The only authority is yourself.

In reply to keith-ratcliffe:

Really well thought out post and I couldn't agree more. All the people 'moaning' about the various tactics and styles adopted by tommy and kevin piss me off. Until they or someone else can do better they should honestly stfu

In reply to Pylon King Against Capit@lism:

How am I supposed to rebel against myself in my old age? For a large number of us the whole point of climbing is the lack of authority and rules.

In reply to leland stamper:


very true.

In reply to keith-ratcliffe:
Very interesting distinction between improvement in technique and improvement in safety, and correspondingly improvements in form/style of ascent being improvements in technique rather than improvements in safety.

On the basis of this distinction, why is top roping considered a poorer form of ascent than leading/soloing when top roping provides no aid in technique, only an aid in safety?

My initial answer would be that it takes something away from the ascent by making it super-safe, but that doesn't fit with the distinction and corresponding style of ascent criteria that you give.

In reply to leland stamper:

I think there are rules but they aren't applied externally as they are in most sports (I'm not considering competitions).
The contest is between the climber and the rock; the climber knows what she has done to ascend the rock and ultimately only she knows how 'good' the ascent was.

In reply to keith-ratcliffe:
When did Lynn Hill solo The Nose?

In reply to Tony & Sarah:

Never

In reply to Tony & Sarah:
Quite right - got muddled on that one - freeing the route in a day was her contribution to El Cap history. I don't think that it has been soloed.

In reply to keith-ratcliffe:

It actually took many years for Lynn to redpoint The Nose, out of interest we believe her first partner was Simon Nadin. After several years and several partners she redpointed The Nose over several days and later still redpointed in oneday.
The Nose of course has been soloed many times solo/aid, Dean Potter's ascent being quite memorable.
As for your rules. Who did the first free ascent of Astroman.
Hopefully Ian Parsons will be along in a minute to make everything clear.

Tony & Sarah in the rain in Vallouise

In reply to Tony & Sarah:

Thanks very much, Charlie; and what's that bulge in your cheek? One does one's best - although clarity frequently ends up as a casualty. Gives us more to ramble on about, I suppose...