Sport vs. Trad Climbing: The Complete Guide

Sport vs. Trad Climbing: The Complete Guide

Learning to climb requires using a new language. From equipment to slang to basic definitions, there is a lot to take in. Starting off, one of the most important things to understand is sport vs. trad climbing. Sport vs. trad climbing: Difference explained Sport climbing emphasizes physical challenge and uses pre-placed bolts for protection, while…

Sandbagged & Sandbagging Climbing: 2023 Slang Explained

Sandbagged & Sandbagging Climbing: 2023 Slang Explained

Chances are you’ve heard someone talk about sandbagging climbing routes. Something like: It’s a sandbagged 5.9. It’s rated 5.11a, but it’s totally sandbagged. I remember that route. It’s a sandbag, for sure. You’ve seen it in a guidebook, read it on Mountain Project, or heard someone say it at the crag. So what exactly does…

2023 Slab Climbing Guide: 4 Moves Pros Swear By

2023 Slab Climbing Guide: 4 Moves Pros Swear By

Slab climbing is polarizing among climbers. The majority of folks I climb with hate it. After all, slabs often equal rough falls, bad holds, and lots of run out between clips. Other climbers love it for the technical, balancy style of climbing that slabs require. Regardless of how you feel, slab climbing isn’t something you…

Carabiner Orientation on Quickdraws: How Should they Face?

So you’ve got some quickdraws, the quintessential piece of sport climbing gear. Which way should the carabiners on those suckers face? Should they both be facing the same way, or should they face opposite directions? In other words, what should the carabiner gate orientation be? Good questions! My two cents In short, I believe that it’s…

Climbing Gear: Active Protection vs. Passive Protection

Protection in the rock climbing world refers to cams, nuts, hexes, and the like, and the world of protection can be further categorized into active and passive protection. The video below gives an overview of active and passive pro: Pieces of active protection have moving parts. Examples include cams, BallNutz, and Big Bros. Passive protection…

How to Place Nuts When Lead Climbing or Building Anchors

Cams are the sexy darlings of the climbing protection world, but don’t forget about nuts (also known as chocks, stoppers, and rocks, the last two of which are the trademarked names of the nuts made by Black Diamond and Wild Country, respectively). They’re cheap, easy to place, easy to visually inspect, and, when placed properly,…