What is aid?

[Ricky]

Okay, please bear with me....I'm new at this. But What exactly is aid climbing. Is it climbing a course that requires you to use slings and jumars to get up the course? Or is it climbing a large face with two people taking turns belaying eachother on the same rope? Or none of the above?

And what is trad climbing?

Okay. That's all for now.
Thanks in advance.

[skinsk]

Aid climbing is the old style bridge between mountaineering and rock climbing. The "aid" is that you can weeight your gear (while gyms make hang-dogging de rigeur, in sport (and trad) climbing you are only supposed to use gear for protection if you fall:) Aid can include pitons (which are hammered in and usually hammered out), out of favor these days because of quicker lighter pro that doesn't scar the rock (pitons leave scars once removed, which ironically make free-climbing old aid routes often possible these days), trad gear in cracks and bolts on faces. Some shear faces are bolted every meter or so and termed "bolt ladders". The sewn weebbing slings that have 3-4 "steps" in them are aiders, which clip into pro so yoou can stand or almost "walk up". . . in aid one also finds "hooks" which are hooks gently placed on rocks and gingerly weighted.

. . .climbing a large face with two people taking turns belaying eachother on the same rope. . .
This is multi-pitch climbing. A pitch is a climb from ground (or belay ledge) to an anchor (top or belay ledge), whether you are climbing aid, faces/sport or cracks/trad (or some combination), whether you swing (or swap) leads or if the same person leads every pitch.

Trad(itional) climbing refers to climbing (usually) cracks (because nuts, cams, hexes, etc can easily be placed in them), placing one's own protection which the second usually removes. Bolting sport routes was initially a way to climb faces, but has caught on because of the considerrably lighter, cheaper rack, relative safety and the onslaught of climbing gyms. Experience counts for more when you have to place your own gear, as badly placed gear=no protection! You have to assess the rock quality and save enough pro for anchors, etc. Creativity is necessary (slinging chicken-heads, threading holes, improvising anchors, rappels. . . so it's good to have a "bag of tricks" to pull from. Sport climbing is easy-- tie in, clip draw, clip rope, and has allowed people to train in gyms and send vastly overhanging and agro routes!

[Ricky]

Thanks for clearing that up for me. So many things to learn. I actually practiced some aid techniques over the last few weeks. I'm taking climbing school, but of course it's all in Korean. Actually last weekend I climbed the highest face at Halmae Bawi. I had to change ropes mid-way because the rope wasn't long enough. It was really scary. And I learned to use a Jumar. And to tie some funky knots. And to belay from the top using a figure eight, and to repel. Ya, lots of fun stuff. You guys can totally count on me for a belay, but only on a figure eight and a Gri-Gri. I still haven't learned to use any of those other belay devices. And I should have a huge list of new terms for our "standardized" climbing calls list.

So ya. Thanks again.

[ricardo]

You guys can totally count on me for a belay
ricky, did someone hack into your account or did you actually write this?? ;) i'll take you up on that offer having been refused for so long.
congrat's on your multipitch!!! that's hella fun isn't it? a little nerve-wracking but opens up a whole other door eh? i've only done one so far and can't wait for another opportunity. i'd like to hear what your club taught you too...
cheers!
-r