Redpoint (climbing)

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Kurt Albert climbing at the "Streitberger Schild" near Streitberg, Frankenjura, Germany, where the first Rotpunkt was made in 1975. Kurt Albert 01.jpg
Kurt Albert climbing at the "Streitberger Schild" near Streitberg, Frankenjura, Germany, where the first Rotpunkt was made in 1975.

In rock climbing, a redpoint is the free-climb of a route by lead climbing where the climber never used the rope, or any other artificial aids such as their climbing protection, to hold any of their weight during the climb (i.e. if they fall, they must never weight the rope), while having attempted the route previously. The climber is allowed to have practiced the route many times beforehand — such as by headpointing or by top roping — and/or to have failed on numerous previous attempts. [2]

Contents

Climbers will try to redpoint a route after having failed to onsight the route, which means to free-climb a route on the first attempt with no falls and no prior beta, or to flash the route, which means to free-climb the route on the first attempt with no falls but with prior beta. [3] The first successful redpoint of a climbing route, in the absence of any prior onsight or flash, is recorded as the first free ascent (FFA) of that route. [4]

Description

When a climber attempts a to redpoint a climbing route, it doesn't matter how many times that they have previously failed on the route, and/or whether they have practised any or all of the individual movements the route, and/or whether they conducted any prior inspections of the route (e.g. by abseil). [5]

If the climber falls during an attempted redpoint ascent, and thus ends up in a position of hanging from their rope (i.e. their bodyweight is being held — even partly — by the rope), then they must return to the bottom of the climbing route, pull their rope free of the route (i.e. free it from any climbing protection), and completely re-start their ascent from scratch. The process of pulling the rope free before re-starting is also known as "climbing a route clean", but it should not be confused with the broader topic of clean climbing. [5] [3]

Climbers can pause and rest during a redpoint ascent but they cannot use the rope, or any other artificial aids, to hold their bodyweight while they rest — completely unaided techniques such as the kneebar and the bat hang are allowed. [4] The term "hangdoging" is where the climber rests on the rope after falling but then restarts climbing without returning to the ground, which is not a redpoint. [4] The first climber to redpoint a route, in the absence of any prior onsight or flash of a route, has made the first free ascent (FFA) of that route. [4]

Where quickdraws are pre-placed into the fixed protection bolts on sport climbing routes, so that climber is just clipping the rope into the quickdraws as they ascend, it is called a "pinkpoint"; in practice, most ascents of extreme sport climbing routes are done as pinkpoints, as are ascents in modern competition climbing, so the term "pinkpoint" is no longer used in sport or competition climbing. [4] [2] [6] However, due to additional significant challenge of placing climbing protection while ascending traditional climbing routes, traditional climbers continue to typically differentiate on whether their first ascent was a pinkpoint (e.g. as Swiss traditional climber Didier Berthod did on making the first ascent of The Crack of Destiny in 2023). [7]

Comparisons

The unlimited practicing that is allowed before making a redpoint ascent contrasts with the historical aversion to "headpointing" (i.e. practicing the route on a toprope beforehand) in traditional climbing. In the early 1980s, redpointing was therefore a term largely exclusive to sport climbing. [2] [4] While headpointing was then considered a lesser form of first free ascent in traditional climbing (and an FFA that was headpointed would be asterisked as such), [8] leading traditional climbers eventually followed the redpointing practices of the sport climbers, and by the 2000s, had largely dispensed with the stigma associated with headpointing. [9]

From about the 2010s, traditional climbers were using the derived term "greenpoint" (or the Grünpunkt, as a play on the Rotpunkt), to describe climbing a pre-bolted sport-climb, but only using "traditional protection" (i.e. climbing protection that is not permanently fixed via pre-placed bolts or pitons); as with redpointing, the climber may have repeatedly practiced falling on the “traditional protection” before making their greenpoint ascent. [10] [11] Notable examples include Austrian climber Beat Kammerlander  [ de ]'s greenpoint of Prinzip Hoffnung (5.14a R, 2009) in Bürs in Austria, and Canadian Sonnie Trotter's greenpoint of The Path (5.14a R, 2007) in Lake Louise, Alberta, [12] [13] and of East Face (Monkey Face) (5.13d R, 2004) at Smith Rocks. [14] [15]

Projecting

Repeatedly attempting a redpoint can take place over any length of time, from hours to years (i.e. any time, once the initial onsight or flash has failed). Climbers use the term projecting to denote a longer-term project to complete the FFA, or their own personal first ascent, of a route that is at the limit of their abilities. [16] [17] The redpoint FFA of many of contemporary sport climbing routes, particularly those that involved breaking new grade milestones, took years, and even decades, to project (e.g. Realization , La Dura Dura , and Jumbo Love ).

Bouldering climbers also use the terms onsight and flash in relation to ascents of boulder problems, they mostly use the term projecting — instead of the term redpointing — when discussing longer-term attempts of FFAs or personal first ascents. [18]

Etymology

The English term "redpoint" is a loan translation of the German Rotpunkt that was coined by Kurt Albert in the mid-1970s at Frankenjura. Albert would paint a red "X" on any fixed metal pitons on a rock climbing route so that he could avoid using them while climbing, thus not using any artificial aid. Once Albert was able to free-climb the entire route, and avoid all the red "X"s, he would then paint a red "dot" (the "Roter Punkt") at the base of the route. His first Rotpunkt was the aid climbing route Adolf-Rott-Gedächtnis-Weg (V+/A1) at the Streitberger Schild crag in the Frankenjura, which he freed at 6a+  (5.10b) in 1975. [1] Albert got the idea for the "red dot" from the logo and name of a brand of German coffee and kettle maker. [1] To achieve a Rotpunkt, Albert additionally defined that if a climber fell during the ascent, they had to return to the base, pull the rope free, and re-start the climb from scratch (i.e. as if the climber had only just approached it). [19] [20]

The connotation spread of a "redpoint" being a route that had to be repeatedly attempted because it was so hard – which is why metal pitons had been hammered into the rock as an aid in the first place – until it could be climbed in one clean push (i.e. no falls, and any falls required a full re-start), and without any artificial aids. [4] [2] Because these routes were already established aid climbing routes, Albert could not remove the pitons (that would happen in later decades), however, his Rotpunkt laid down a mark to other climbers that the route could be free climbed without the use of the metal aids, and thus became an important moment in the development of free climbing. [1] Eventually, Albert's Rotpunkte became associated with the development of sport climbing in the 1980s, as many of these aids were on routes that had no possibility of even natural traditional climbing protection (e.g. no cracks), and thus bolts would be needed for protection (but not aid). [19] [20]

Notable redpoints

Notable redpointed climbs are chronicled by the climbing media to track progress in rock climbing standards and levels of technical difficulty; in contrast, the hardest traditional climbing routes tend to be of lower technical difficulty due to the additional burden of having to place protection during the course of the climb, and due to the lack of any possibility of using natural protection on extreme sport climbs. [21]

As of May 2024, the world's hardest redpointed routes are Silence by Adam Ondra, DNA  [ de ] by Seb Bouin, and B.I.G. by Jakob Schubert, which are all at a proposed grade of 9c  (5.15d), and none of which have been repeated. [22] As of May 2024, four female climbers Angela Eiter, Laura Rogora, Julia Chanourdie, and Anak Verhoeven have redpointed established routes at the grade of 9b  (5.15b). [23]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Traditional climbing</span> Type of rock climbing

Traditional climbing is a type of free climbing in rock climbing where the lead climber places the protection equipment while ascending the route; when the lead climber has completed the route, the second climber then removes the protection equipment as they climb the route. Traditional climbing differs from sport climbing where the protection equipment is pre-drilled into the rock in the form of bolts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Climbing route</span> Path to scale a mountain, rock, or ice wall

A climbing route is a path by which a climber reaches the top of a mountain, a rock face or an ice-covered obstacle. The details of a climbing route are recorded in a climbing guidebook and/or in an online climbing-route database. Details recorded will include elements such as the type of climbing route, the difficulty grade of the route–and beta on its crux(es)–and any risk or commitment grade, the length and number of pitches of the route, and the climbing equipment that is needed to complete the route.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glossary of climbing terms</span>

Glossary of climbing terms relates to rock climbing, mountaineering, and to ice climbing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First ascent</span> Mountaineering and climbing term

In mountaineering and climbing, a first ascent, is the first successful documented climb to the top of a mountain or the top of a particular climbing route. Early 20th-century mountaineers and climbers focused on reaching the tops of iconic mountains and climbing routes by whatever means possible, often using considerable amounts of aid climbing, and/or with large expedition style support teams that laid "siege" to the climb.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Free climbing</span> Climbing without using aid climbing

Free climbing is a form of rock climbing in which the climber can only use climbing equipment for climbing protection but not as an artificial aid to help them in ascending the route. Free climbing, therefore, cannot use any of the tools that are used in aid climbing to help overcome the obstacles encountered while ascending a route. The development of free climbing was an important moment in the history of rock climbing, including the concept and definition of what determined a first free ascent of a route by a climber.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aid climbing</span> Type of rock climbing

Aid climbing is a form of rock climbing that uses mechanical devices and equipment, such as aiders, for upward momentum. Aid climbing is contrasted with free climbing, which only uses mechanical equipment for protection, but not to assist in upward momentum. Aid climbing can involve hammering in permanent pitons and bolts, into which the aiders are clipped, but there is also 'clean aid climbing' which avoids any hammering, and only uses removable placements.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sport climbing</span> Type of rock climbing

Sport climbing is a type of free climbing in rock climbing where the lead climber clips into pre-drilled permanent bolts for their protection while ascending a route. Sport climbing differs from the riskier traditional climbing where the lead climber has to insert temporary protection equipment while ascending.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lead climbing</span> Technique of rock climbing

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Top rope climbing</span> Type of rock climbing

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rock climbing</span> Type of sport

Rock climbing is a climbing gear sports discipline that involves ascending routes consisting of natural rock in an outdoor environment, or on artificial resin climbing walls in a mostly indoor environment. Routes are chronicled in guidebooks, and on online databases, with the details of how to climb the route, and who made the first ascent and the coveted first free ascent. Climbers will try to ascend a route onsight, however, a climber can spend years projecting a route before they make a redpoint ascent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wolfgang Güllich</span> German rock climber

Wolfgang Güllich was a German rock climber, who is considered one of the greatest and most influential climbers in the history of the sport. Güllich dominated sport climbing after his 1984 ascent of Kanal im Rücken, the world's first-ever redpoint of an 8b (5.13d) route. He continued to set more "new hardest grade" breakthroughs than any other climber in sport climbing history, with Punks in the Gym in 1985, the world's first-ever 8b+ (5.14a), Wallstreet in 1987, the world's first-ever 8c (5.14b), and with Action Directe in 1991, the world's first-ever 9a (5.14d).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Josune Bereziartu</span> Spanish rock climber

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beta (climbing)</span> Climbing term for route information

Beta is a climbing term that designates information about how to ascend a climbing route, and the specific climbing techniques required—and how to apply them—to overcome the key challenges encountered. Traditionally sourced in climbing guidebooks, online databases and apps now provide detailed climbing beta. The term is attributed to Texan climber Jack Mileski.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of rock climbing</span> Key chronological milestones

In the history of rock climbing, the three main sub-disciplines – bouldering, single-pitch climbing, and big wall climbing – can trace their origins to late 19th-century Europe. Bouldering started in Fontainebleau, and was advanced by Pierre Allain in the 1930s, and John Gill in the 1950s. Big wall climbing started in the Dolomites, and was spread across the Alps in the 1930s by climbers such as Emilio Comici and Riccardo Cassin, and in the 1950s by Walter Bonatti, before reaching Yosemite where it was led in the 1950s to 1970s by climbers such as Royal Robbins. Single-pitch climbing started pre-1900 in both the Lake District and in Saxony, and by the late-1970s had spread widely with climbers such as Ron Fawcett (Britain), Bernd Arnold (Germany), Patrick Berhault (France), Ron Kauk and John Bachar (USA).

Beth Rodden is an American rock climber known for her ascents of hard single-pitch traditional climbing routes. She was the youngest woman to climb 5.14a (8b+) and is one of the only women in the world to have redpointed a 5.14c (8c+) traditional climbing graded climb. Rodden and fellow climber Tommy Caldwell were partners from 2000 to 2010, during which time they completed the second free ascent of The Nose. In 2008, Rodden made the first ascent of Meltdown, one of the hardest traditional climbs in the world and the first time in history that a female climber matched the peak of the highest climbing grades.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Didier Berthod</span> Swiss rock climber and priest

Didier Berthod is a Swiss rock climber and priest. He specializes in traditional climbing, and crack climbing in particular.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big wall climbing</span> Type of rock climbing

Big wall climbing is a form of rock climbing that takes place on long multi-pitch routes that normally require a full day, if not several days, to ascend. In addition, big wall routes are typically sustained and exposed, where the climbers remain suspended from the rock face, even sleeping hanging from the face, with limited options to sit down or escape unless they abseil back down the whole route, which is a complex and risky action. It is therefore a physically and mentally demanding form of climbing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kurt Albert</span> German rock climber

Kurt Albert was a German climber and photographer. He started climbing at the age of 14. Before he committed himself to a career of climbing in 1986, he was a mathematics and physics teacher.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Hannan, Andrew (29 November 2022). "Coffee and Giants: The Dawn of the Redpoint". UKClimbing Magazine. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Pardy, Aaron (5 November 2022). "Redpoint, Pinkpoint, and Headpoint – What Do They Mean?". Gripped Magazine. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  3. 1 2 Berry, Adrian (2006). Sport Climbing + (1 ed.). Rockfax Ltd. ISBN   1-873341-86-5.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "What Is A Redpoint In Climbing? – Climbing Jargon Explained". Climber (Magazine). 2 October 2020. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  5. 1 2 "What Is Free Climbing? – Rock Climbing's Most Commonly Mistaken Term". Climber (Magazine). 11 April 2021. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
  6. ↑ Pesterfield, Heidi (2007). Traditional Lead Climbing: A Rock Climber's Guide to Taking the Sharp End of the Rope (2 ed.). Wilderness Press. ISBN   978-0-89997-442-2.
  7. ↑ Bailey, Nat (10 July 2023). "Didier Berthod Returns to Climbing Limelight With FA of 5.14 Crack". Climbing . Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  8. ↑ Cookson, Franco (15 January 2019). "Franco Cookson's Guide to Headpointing". UKClimbing. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  9. ↑ Huttom, Mike (3 November 2022). "How the World's Boldest Climbing Area Got that Way: How headpointing became a legitimate, go-to tactic on Peak District gritstone". Climbing . Retrieved 13 February 2023.
  10. ↑ "Heiko Queitsch greenpoint climbing in the Frankenjura". PlanetMountain. 3 August 2012. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
  11. ↑ "Chasin the Trane greenpoint in the Frankenjura". PlanetMountain. 7 November 2011. Retrieved 22 December 2022. Greenpoint? OK redpoint, even pinkpoint is tried and tested (i.e. with gear already pre-placed). But greenpoint? Ay yes, it's the term used to define climbing a sport route without the bolts but using trad gear such as nuts and camming devices! What might at first glance seem somewhat contorted is in fact a movement that is gaining popularity.
  12. ↑ "Sonnie Trotter finds The Path 5.14 R at Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada". PlanetMountain. 23 August 2007. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
  13. ↑ Lambert, Erik (31 August 2007). "Trotter Chops Bolts, Sends Marathon Project". Alpinist . Retrieved 8 February 2023.
  14. ↑ McDonald, Dougald (27 April 2004). "Trotter Cleans Up Monkey Face". Climbing . Retrieved 8 February 2023.
  15. ↑ "Mike Doyle Trad Climbs East Face of Monkey Face 5.13d". Gripped Magazine. 31 May 2018. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
  16. ↑ Hanes, Lucie (11 October 2022). "Tips for Successful Projecting (Even When Things Turn South)". Climbing . Retrieved 9 February 2023.
  17. ↑ Miller, Delaney (22 December 2022). "Five Mistakes We All Make While Projecting". Climbing . Retrieved 9 February 2023.
  18. ↑ Walker, Noah (31 August 2022). "Late Season Projecting and Maximizing Fall Climbing". Gripped Magazine. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
  19. 1 2 Hobley, Nicholas (29 October 2010). "Kurt Albert is dead. Goodbye to a climbing legend". PlanetMountain. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  20. 1 2 Hobley, Nicholas (28 September 2020). "Remembering Kurt Albert, German climbing legend and father of the redpoint". PlanetMountain. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  21. ↑ Pohorsky, Matej (2018). "Climbing Milestones. Explore the Revolutionary Routes from 6a to 9c". eMontana (Czech). Retrieved 31 December 2021.
  22. ↑ "Jakob Schubert proposes 9c for B.I.G. at Flatanger". PlanetMountain. 28 September 2023. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  23. ↑ "Anak Verhoven sends Planta de Shiva (9b) at Villanueva del Rosario in Spain". PlanetMountain. 16 May 2024. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
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