Climbing It's All About Style

Onsight, Flash, Lead, Readpoint, Solo. All words used to describe the way someone got up a piece of rock. The rampage of ethics and purity have meant that since climbing started it was the way you climbed that was important not what you climbed. The late Royal Robbins famously said 'Getting to the top is nothing, how you do it is everything'. This really resonates with a British climber because as soon as you start climbing outside you are bombarded with opinions on the 'right' way to climb a specific rock. These range from the obvious like not damaging the rock to the absurd e.g not using a crash pad underneath a grit route because it makes it too safe. Although personally I don't want to have to care that much about ethics my love of order and history mean I often feel compelled to follow the ethics. Ethics are essentially made up rules usually laid down by climbers that are superior of feel like they are superior. Some I agree with like no chipping and no pitons in soft rock, others I find stupid like the no crash pad thing. Others I follow but still think are stupid like following exact route descriptions, you end up getting the feeling you may of done something wrong if you don't follow the guidebook religiously.

The meat of this blog is about the style of ascent and this all pretty stupid and my opinion. We'll start with top roping, I understand that this is a valuable tool for learning to climb and practising moves on a route. Top roping will undoubtedly make you a better climber as you can try routes you wouldn't dare lead. But this isn't what I want out of climbing I feel like I don't climb half as well on top rope. Its invaluable for groups and people wanting to push themselves(but to be fair push yourself on a boulder problem but horses for courses). Maybe its because I am young and stupid but I find top roping something you are only getting half the experience. Saying that I enjoyed a session top roping downhill racer as it is unprotected and I wouldn't have wanted to solo something so far above my limit, it is also a valuable tool for new routing (of which I have done little). So maybe as I progress I will start using it as a tool to improve.

Top Roping and Leading in one picture Photo by Rob Kempster

Trad leading is the most common style of ascent I make, usually its onsight but you could argue with guidebooks everything is a flash now(another argument for another day). Its such a rich experience and I don't know whether I prefer it because I've grown up with it and learnt the history. Or whether its the ability to climb something and leave behind nothing but chalk marks, you also only have yourself to rely on to get up, not the guy who was placing bolts. You get the puzzling side of finding gear, the mental control of not getting scared, and the physical aspect of making the move. Some routes would loose some of their charm if they were bolted, 3 pebble slab springs to mind it has such an enigma around it due its spaced protection, bolting it would remove this enigma. I know you say solo it if you want that, its not the point because everyone who's done has had to go through that experience its great to share and revel in that shared experience.

Topping out a trad onsight Photo by Eric Stephani

Sport leading is a useful tool for getting better it means you can push yourself and try physical moves you wouldn't try on trad. I see it as a more engaging form of top roping as the line is laid out for you and the protection is where you want it.  It feels like a transition phase from top roping to trad as you are safer but get a more enthralling experience. Although personally I get more scared on sport climbing but that is due to a big sport climbing fall I had last year. Where I went off route and ended really far from the bolt, I took a huge whipper through a tree, smashing my leg off a ledge on the way down and severely bruising my ego.

Sport Climbing in Scotland Photo by Cindy Lin

Finally we get to what is seen as the most 'pure' style of ascent Free Solo, I don't claim to be a soloist, I dabble(Don't tell Mam) I've soloed a few HVS's and some routes well within my grade. Climbing on the North York Moors and Peak District lends itself to mild soloing being only 10-20m high. I soloed Hari Kiri at Park Nab in The North York Moors, it is HVS 5a only 10m high but still pretty cool, I'd top roped it previously so I knew the moves and when it came to soloing it it was so enjoyable because everything slotted into place, you get a great sense of the movement and you really get in the 'zone'(something I hadn't really experienced before), I onsight soloed the Sphinx Nose Traverse a Severe at the Wainstones. Again in North Yorkshire this isn't hard or especially high, but it's an outstanding route that may have felt less so as a lead or top rope. It's a rising traverse and you get higher and higher up the further you climb, because it was easy I didn't mind going for the onsight. This made it a very full experience not really know what the next holds are like definitely adds something, but they are all big and every move is reversible. You get into an amazing position on the nose of the sphinx where especially soloing where you feel some awesome exposure. People often see soloing as the most pure form of climbing and I agree setting off up face with no safety net is obviously the most clean form of climbing. But there is no way you can push yourself especially onsight soloing, maybe after top roping you can solo at your limit but you wouldn't want to solo something you didn't think you could . That is why it is important to verse yourself in all styles of ascent use sport to get strong, use top ropes to practise and test it all in trad or solo.

Where does scrambling start and soloing end around Severe (This is Tower Ridge a Diff) Photo by Cindy Lin

Back to the point ethics are so important I don't want to be the ethics police I just think somethings make sense. So things I get are top roping a hard route before leading it, obviously this is a good idea to make sure you aren't going to die, once it has being done someone can attempt an onsight but new routing its pretty legit idea to top rope it first. Chalk and Crash pads are useful so I don't care where or how they are used. My opinion is muddy on bolting, I'm unsure, if it is a historic route then don't retro bolt, but if its state of the art and a death route maybe bolt. But it who am I to say. Definitely don't chip and over brush, we need to conserve the rock they aren't making much more gritstone so be careful with it. I know this article has been like a lecture, but I like to talk about ethics. So if you have any opinions let me know. Ethics isn't just the county next to Suthics its a way of life.