Rock_Climbing

							HEADLINES
The Sport
Safety & Gear
Types of Rock Climbing
Best Spots
Level of difficulty
Conclusion
WHAT IS ROCK CLIMBING ?




            Mind and body exercise
           More and more practised
              Safer over the years
          SOME DATA
      Early beginnings 1800’s
   1950’s Technology Advances
Nowadays about 400 000 people
  practising around the globe
BUT ROCK CLIMBING IS
NOT MOUNTAINEERING !
Mountain trekking
     Goal : To reach the summit
            In any weather conditions
Rock climbing
      Optimum mental and physical state
      Optimum weather condition
      More intense movements
      Briefer sessions

=> Large effort in a small amount of time
SAFETY REQUIREMENTS
        Good judgment
        Awareness of hazards
        Solid partner
        Appropriate
            training
            experience
            route choice
            equipment
                   GEAR

Harness Quickdraws Rock Boots Chalk Bag Friends




Ropes   Descender Screwgate    Bolts     Nuts




                                       GuideBook
     DIFFERENT TYPES OF
       ROCK CLIMBING
BOULDERING   FREE CLIMBING   BIG WALL
                                        ADVENTURE
                                        CLIMBING
No ropes
     Crashpads used instead
Difficult and technical problems
     Focus on movement
Purposes
     Training
     As an end in itself




                         BOULDERING
FREE CLIMBING (1)
One rope length or less in height
Logistically simple, minimal gear
FREE CLIMBING (2)




Toproping
     Rope anchored at top of climb
     Shorter falls (rope stretch)
Leading
     Climbers place gear as they climb
     Longer, harder falls possible
ADVENTURE CLIMBING
    (Continuous multi pitch)




                               Bottom up approach

                              More than one rope
                                length in height
                       Climbers place and remove
                        Protection as they climb

                Requires more complex systems
                 (anchors, rope handling etc.)
BIG WALL
Multi day routes
         Living in the vertical
Hauling all gear and food
Sleeping on ledges or on portaledges
Human waste management
Often mixed free and aid climbing
  MOST BEAUTIFUL SPOTS
               (Free Climbing)
In South of France :




In the area :
  Turbie (Monaco)
  Gorge du Loup
  Baou de St Jeannet
  Annot
    MOST BEAUTIFUL SPOTS
                   (Bouldering)
Focus on Fontainebleau
      MOST BEAUTIFUL SPOTS
                       (Big Wall)




Focus on Yosemite NP
        RATING DIFFICULTY
                     (level of expertise)

Routes’ rating goes by precise scale of difficulties

But each country uses its own scale
       Can be translated into another scale

In France :
From level 4 to level 8
       Each level divided into 3 sub levels (a,b,c)
For example :
       4b = Easy (big holds)
       6c = Difficult (technical moves)
       8a = Extreme (Where are the holds gone ?)
 TRENDS
   AND
EVOLUTION                        ☺
 (as a conclusion)   Indoor activity
                        Competitions




                     Forbidden spots
                       Hold chipping
WWW LINKS
  www.RockList.com
   www.Climber.net
 www.RockandRoad.com
www.RockandGroove.com