Trad Climbing

“I knew the crimp was a bit suspect, but it made the first crux flow better, so I just went for it.”

The line that cemented new tactics, new gear, and a new grade

“I got the pitch dialed but my arms were so pumped that I couldn’t quite put it together.”

Crack gloves may be all the rage. But there's still value in knowing how to tape up like a pro.

Sometimes it’s better to stay on-edge.

Busy life and can't get to the climbing gym or rocks mid-week? Try this quick strength-building workout.

A primer for modern-day climbers on this vanishing—but still necessary—art.

Projecting is intimidating—especially if you’re working this airy route.

Their commitment, at least, deserves high praise.

After quitting climbing to join a Swiss monastery in the early 2000s, Berthod returned to Squamish with two goals.

This one will make your palms sweat.

Although the Gunks are known for spectacular moderates, the most prevalent grade is 5.10, and these seven 5.10s rank among the best.

Here are a few reasons to haul, tips on how to do it, and some cautions gleaned from years of experience.

The secret history and modern rebirth of Western Colorado’s sleepy Unaweep Canyon.

Laybacking cracks works well—until it doesn’t.

And maybe even learning to love them.

He was feeling good but the rock was not—it had rained the day before and the water-streaked wall still held plenty of moisture.

It was a single 2,000-foot corner. Walk-off mandatory. We spent the night in no-man’s land, unable to move up or down.

Just moments before, the climber had been cruising along a section of mellow terrain and hadn’t felt the need to place much pro at all.

Neil Gresham explains the often-baffling British grading system—and why the “eGrader” app can keep it afloat. 

Check out Kevin Corrigan's author page.

Deciphering the cryptic lore of the Sierra Nevada's remote, seldom-visited Citadel.

Moss freed the A4 roof at a bold V11+.

"Exploding pieces of metal hit me like bullets. I’m dropping through swift jerks of ripping gear. All of the protection pulls... except for one wire behind a wobbling spike." (From 2010.)

The story so far of Tom Randall and Pete Whittaker's journey to send The Recovery Drink (5.14c) in Jøssingfjord, Norway.

We haven’t heard this one before.

No hate on the belayer here—just a cautionary tale.

Coaches Justen Sjong and Juan Usubillaga offer tips on how to train on plastic to become better climbers both outside and in.

“Neither of us anticipated that I would fall to the height her head was … and absolutely boot her into the edge of a flake.”

“This route took me longer than any other route or boulder I’ve ever tried,” he says, but he’s nonetheless hesitant to give it a grade.

Internationally certified mountain guide Marc Chauvin shares three tips for climbing more-adventurous routes.

Instead of lowering to the ground, you can often “boink” back up to your last quickdraw by pulling up on the rope, unweighting, and allowing your belayer to quickly take in slack.

I was young, dumb, and ambitious. But I should have known that 5.10 slab wasn’t a great place to start.

Second Choice (5.11) is a striking splitter with its steepest moves near the top.

Each January we post a farewell tribute to those members of our community lost in the year just past. Some of the people you may have heard of, some not. All are part of our community and contributed to climbing.

Don't know how far it is to the next rappel anchor, and/or your rope is too short to make it?

Honnold is famous for (among other things) cramming as much climbing as he can into each day. To do so, he's developed some efficiency tricks that the rest of us can imitate.

For "conquistadors of the useless," climbers sure love getting into bitter disputes about how we enjoy ourselves.

Studies point to stress itself as the culprit for accelerated fatigue; not how hard you grip.

River Barry’s quick thinking resulted in the rescue of a severely injured base jumper—and possibly a new first ascent.

In the Elbe River Valley they were climbing 5.9+ by 1905 and 5.10+/5.11 by 1922. And they were doing this with knotted slings as pro.

Hint: She loves being uncomfortable.  

Back in 1979, tower trips could be serious business. Spring-loaded cams had yet to debut. Falls were rare, but potential air was huge.

“Needless to say I lowered off to check if any icing was taken off the cake.”

"What Beth did in 2008... was way ahead of the times"

Some climbs, we get up out of sheer stubbornness—or stupidity.

Return of the Jedi is found in an abandoned gritstone quarry in the Peak District and is an unmistakable line: a sharpened prow that is intimidatingly tall and “that requires quite a few pads to make safe.”

The filmer breaks down exactly what happened—and what went wrong.

We’ve gathered experience-driven tips and tricks to create a foolproof recipe for success on pumpy layback pitches.

Ever.

'Love as a Weapon' is a stiff new route in Squamish, BC.

Have a kid and life as you know it is over. Retire those kneepads and downturned shoes, welcome to strollers and diapers and poos.

Aid climbing is the one sure-fire way to accelerate the trad climbing learning curve

Although the correct process to cut a rope is very simple, there are two things to keep in mind when you’re done.

Harnden worked Bladerunner (5.14; 3 pitches) for 25 days before sending. Then he returned with a photographer and sent it again.

We climbers love our labels, but figuring out just what type of climber you really are begs defining.

This one's got to hurt.

About as clean as any gear-ripper can be, anyway.

An ice climber, a trad climber, a boulderer, and a sport climbing visit a fortune teller and learn their fates.

"It took me a few attempts of climbing higher and higher above the last two pieces to eventually feel confident to commit to the final runout."

Originally graded 5.15a, it’s still considered one of the world’s hardest trad pitches.

From the first women recorded in mountaineering in the late eighteenth century, to the first 5.15 female ascent by Margo Hayes in 2017.

Terminally pumped? Follow these tips to achieve a restful stance on vertical rock, steep caves, corners, and more.

"Other than almost decking this is a phenomenal route."

A small cam provided a secure catch for five sessions. The #0.2 was bomber, until it wasn't.

Climbers often neglect limbs that can be especially useful for climbing, like the head, shoulder, knee, and hip. These seven tips show the importance of keeping an open mind and using any body part, no matter how ignoble a figure you cut.

Racking them, placing them, threading them, stacking them, trusting them. Here's what you need to know about using nuts.

We hate to lay blame. But it couldn't have hurt...

Learning how to try hard is hard. And it’s so easy to be stupid.

This is a contender for "best whip of the year."

A visiting Brit arrived in this country just as sport climbing did, and witnessed the war between trad and sport.

Upside-down whippers are dangerous but almost always avoidable... so learn to avoid them.

Many climbers settle into a niche discipline in the vast expanse of the climbing universe. Some—for better or worse—get so stuck at their grade that their personalities begin to mimic the rocks and routes they choose to climb. 

When your rope is stuck, you ain’t going nowhere. Here are my hard-won tips for getting your rope unstuck and—even better—preventing it from happening in the first place.

Climbing is a skill sport and resting is a skill. Better learn it.

Progressing from weekend cragging to long alpine routes can be intimidating for anyone, even strong and competent traditional climbers.

Eight tips for climbing safely in loose terrain.

When tackling trad routes, every piece of protection counts. Use this quick, easy hack to reduce the risk of cross-loaded carabiners on your slung cams, keeping your fall as short and safe as possible.

This six-week program will hone you to climb the classics, whether it's a mountain, wall or long free route.

A directional is a piece of gear, be it a bolt or a cam or a nut, that places your climbing rope in the most appropriate location for zigs and zags on a climb.