Rock climbers on Valkyrie at The Roaches in Staffordshire, England. The Roaches (from the French les roches - the rocks are a geographical feature situated above Leek and Tittesworth reservoir in the Peak

A competitor in a rope climbing event, at Lyon's Part-Dieu shopping centre. Rope climbing is a sport in which competitors usually men attempt to climb up a suspended vertical rope using only their hands ||-||} Lyon, also known as Lyons in English is a city in east-central France.

Climbing is the activity of using one's hands and feet (or indeed any other part of the body) to ascend a steep object. It is done both for recreation (to reach an inaccessible place, or for its own enjoyment) and professionally, as part of activities such as maintenance of a structure, or military operations.

Climbing activities include:

• Competition Climbing: A formal, competitive sport of recent origins, normally practiced on artificial walls that resemble natural rock formations. The International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) is the official organization governing competition climbing worldwide and is recognized by the IOC and GAISF and is a member of the International World Games Association (IWGA). The International Financial Services Centre ( IFSC) or An Lárionad Seirbhísí Airgeadais Idirnáisiúnta ( LSAI) in Irish is a major financial services The General Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF (Association Générale des Fédérations Internationales des Sports (AGFIS was formed to promote communication and Competition Climbing has three major disciplines: Lead, Bouldering and Speed.
• Mountain climbing (Mountaineering): Ascending mountains for sport or recreation. “Alpinist” redirects here See also Alpinist (magazine Mountaineering is the Sport, Hobby or Profession of It often involves rock and/or ice climbing.
• Rock climbing: Ascending rock formations, often using climbing shoes and a chalk bag. Rock climbing is a Sport in which participants climb up or across natural rock formations or man-made rock walls with the goal of reaching the A wide range of equipment is used during Rock climbing. The most popular types of climbing equipment are briefly described in this article Equipment such as ropes, bolts, nuts, hexes and camming devices are normally employed, either as a safeguard or for artificial aid.
• Ice climbing: Ascending ice or hard snow formations using special equipment designed for the purpose, usually ice axes and crampons. Ice climbing, as the term indicates is the activity of ascending inclined ice formations An ice axe is a multi-purpose Mountaineering tool carried by practically every mountaineer Crampons are outdoor footwear that are made from spikes and are worn on boots to provide traction on snow and Ice. Protective equipment is similar to rock climbing, although protective devices are different (ice screws, snow wedges).
• Bouldering: Ascending boulders or small outcrops, often with climbing shoes and a chalk bag or bucket. Bouldering is a style of Rock climbing undertaken without a rope and normally limited to very short climbs so that a fall will not result in serious injury Usually, instead of using a safety rope from above, injury is avoided using a crash pad (a combination of high and low density foam, within a heavy duty fabric structure, often transported on the back) and a human spotter (to direct a falling climber on to the pad).
• Buildering: Climbing urban structures - usually without equipment - avoiding normal means of ascent like stairs and elevators. Buildering (also known as urban climbing, structuring, or stegophily) is the act of climbing on (usually the outside of buildings and other artificial Aspects of buildering can be seen in the art of movement known as Parkour. Parkour (sometimes abbreviated to PK) or l'art du déplacement (the art of movement is an activity with the aim of moving from one point to another as efficiently
• Tree climbing: Ascending trees without harming them, using ropes and other equipment. Tree climbing is an activity consisting of ascending and moving around in the Canopy of Trees Tree climbing is safe when done with the proper training and This is a less competitive activity than rock climbing.
• Rope climbing: Climbing a short, thick rope for speed. Rope climbing is a sport in which competitors usually men attempt to climb up a suspended vertical rope using only their hands Not to be confused with roped climbing, as in rock or ice climbing.
• Pole climbing (gymnastic): Climbing poles and masts without equipment. Pole climbing may be defined as ascending a pole which one can grip with the hands
• Pole climbing (lumberjack): Lumberjack tree-trimming and competitive tree-trunk or pole climbing for speed using spikes and belts.

Rock, ice, and tree climbing all usually use ropes for safety or for aid. Pole climbing and rope climbing were among the first exercises to be included in the origins of modern gymnastics in the late 18th century and early 19th century.

In popular culture

Climbing has been featured in many popular movies, such as Cliffhanger and Mission: Impossible II, but is often inaccurately portrayed by Hollywood movies and popular media. Cliffhanger is a 1993 Action film directed by Renny Harlin and starring Sylvester Stallone and John Lithgow. Mission Impossible II, or MI-2 as it is also known is a 2000 film directed by John Woo and starring Tom Cruise, Exceptions include the films The Eiger Sanction and Touching the Void. The Eiger Sanction is a 1975 action Thriller film based on a 1972 novel by American author Dr Touching the Void is a 2003 Documentary film based on the book of the same name by Joe Simpson about Simpson's and Simon Yates' disastrous The sport of rock climbing was swept up in the extreme sport craze in the late 1990s which led to images of rock climbers on everything from anti-perspirant and United States Marine Corps commercials, to college promotional materials. Extreme sport (also called action sport and adventure sport) is a media term for certain activities perceived as having a high level of inherent Both pole and rope climbing can be seen in circus performances, such as Cirque du Soleil. Cirque du Soleil (French for "Circus of the Sun" in English sɜrk duː soʊˈleɪ is an entertainment company The sport of rope climbing was once an official gymnastic event in the Olympic Games, but was dropped after 1932. The Czech republic and France have resurrected it and contests are held in public gathering places, such as shopping centers, as well as in gymnasiums. The Czech Republic ( ˈt͡ʃɛskaː ˈrɛpuˌblɪka short form in Česko ˈt͡ʃɛskɔ also called Czechia, This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Pole and mast climbing were popular in the 18th and 19th century in village festivals in certain parts of Europe, and were still part of the physical education curriculum at the United States Naval Academy in the 1960s. The United States Naval Academy is an undergraduate college in Annapolis, Maryland, United States that educates and commissions officers of the United States

An ice climber using ice axes and crampons. An ice axe is a multi-purpose Mountaineering tool carried by practically every mountaineer Crampons are outdoor footwear that are made from spikes and are worn on boots to provide traction on snow and Ice.

See also

• Climbing animals
• List of climbers - Notable rock and ice climbers
• List of climbing topics
• List of climbing areas
• Climbing equipment
• Climbing organisations
• Glossary of climbing terms
• Glossary of knots common in climbing
• Mountaineering
• Outdoor education
• Parkour - French technique of passing obstacles efficiently
• Climbing clubs