The Culture of Sport Climbing in the Rock Climbing Community

Rock Climbing is not only a sport but a community with its own rules, traditions, and language. Rock climbing has many forms including sport climbing, traditional climbing, bouldering, and ice climbing. Our focus is on sport climbing. Sport climbing involves being in a harness while tied to a rope while another person, the belayer, tightens the rope as a climber goes up the route. There are many traditions, attitudes, and vernacular that is a part of the climbing community. The sport climbing community is a folk group that comes together over a love of risk and reward. Welcome!

 

"Climbing, to me, became a measuring instrument that really made me think through life . . . you use your whole body and mind . . . it’s communication, vulnerability, humility, courage. And you have to know yourself in relation to the climbing. You have to know what you’re doing. You have to know where you are in relation to what you’re doing there and then. If not, I think it could end pretty badly." (Rock Climbing, Risk, and Recognition byTommy Langseth & Øyvind Salvesen)