Fitness, fun or both?

[Ming the Merciless]

<data point> I've never climbed [with ropes-n-shoot] but I follow stuff in the meeja. Read the odd magazine, watched Free Solo, been to a Simon Yates talk, that sort of thing.

In my mind, "free climbing" is the same as "soloing". I'm quite happy to be wrong about this, as I know so little about the subject

No, free climbing is climbing with ropes and gear for protection such as nuts, cams, runners etc which in Britain we call trad (short for traditional) but without using the rope or gear to actually ascend I.e. you don’t pull on it like in aid climbing. Free soloing as named in America is what we call soloing in Britain, which is basically climbing without any gear for protection and essentially on your own I.e. solo.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Maybe, but I would say that means it is in fairly common usage in Britain, so not an indication of being American.

I don’t know how much climbing you’ve done but in my four decades of climbing , the phrase has only appeared recently likely due to the few films that have come out. But it’s not a phrase I’ve heard down the crag, which you’d think odd if it truly was a common phrase amongst British climbers.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Thinking about this more, my brother in law (and to a lesser extent my stepson) has climbed all over the world, including places like Yosemite, and he was the first Welshman to summit Everest, so it is quite likely he would have picked up phraseology from other places (such as the US) , even if not all that common usage in the UK.

But you’ve just said it is in common usage which means you must have heard it from lots of British climbers over the decades. Not just the odd time from Caradoc

 

[Sea of vapours]

In my mind, "free climbing" is the same as "soloing". I'm quite happy to be wrong about this, as I know so little about the subject

That's a common misuse. The critical distinction is between 'aid climbing' and 'free climbing'. In the former, ropes and other gear are used to actually aid in ascending; in the latter ropes and other gear are used solely for protection, to arrest a fall (EDIT: as Ming says above).

Free soloing as named in America is what we call soloing in Britain, which is basically climbing without any gear for protection and essentially on your own I.e. solo.

Slightly picky point, but, whilst 'soloing' tends not to involve using any ropes / gear for protection, that's not /necessary/. i.e. one can solo - meaning climb alone - whilst also protecting oneself using ropes / gear. It is something of a faff but not that uncommon.

I concur with Ming that 'free climbing' is an originally US term, but it's pretty ubiquitous now, especially outside the UK. I have climbed widely (icefalls and mountaineering mostly, rather than difficult rock grades), so that's perhaps something of a different perspective compared to someone steeped in British rock climbing, where 'free climbing' might be quite a new term. Oh - and I've always taken 'Free solo' to mean 'Free AND solo' - two distinct features of the climb in the film.

 

[Ian H]

The last organised rock-climbing i did was back in the 80s. I was always amused by the terminology (e.g 'hard very difficult' or 'hard very severe') https://www.thebmc.co.uk/a-brief-explanation-of-uk-traditional-climbing-grades

 

[matticus]

climbing with ropes and gear for protection such as nuts, cams, runners etc which in Britain we call trad (short for traditional)

The only other context I know for "trad" is in Jazz circles. Are there others?
\double-thread-divert

 

[Dogtrousers]

Regarding the OP, fun or fitness I've always enjoyed (and still enjoy) fitness related activities. So there's no difference really.

It did take a while for me to discover this having had a hatred of sport inculcated into me at school. Eventually I learned you could do this kind of stuff without it being "sport"

I've never had a "fitness routine" that was a grind and I didn't really enjoy. I think I'd give that up pretty quickly if I tried it. (Sometimes the enjoyment is in a distinctly "type 2 fun" kind of way).

These days I still do workouts and turbo interval sessions - pure fitness stuff - as much for the fun of it as for the fitness effect. As well as going out and riding my bike and doing proper cycling outside.

The only other context I know for "trad" is in Jazz circles. Are there others?
\double-thread-divert

Treble thread divert. Here's a record featuring no fewer than three different artists called Pee-Wee

 

[Alex321]

But you’ve just said it is in common usage which means you must have heard it from lots of British climbers over the decades. Not just the odd time from Caradoc

No, I didn't say it *is* in common usage, just that I expected if used by those two, it probably is.

I then realised that might not be true, given Caradoc's travels and experience, which is why I made the second post.

 

[rockyroller]

at 63, I go to the gym for weight training. I have a 2nd job that is very physical, lots of walking, bending, lifting & twisting. the bike is great for what that works, lungs & butt. I wish I could ride more than once a week. summer is coming, so I'm hopeful. Monday was a good day, went to the gym twice then rode after work!

 

[Moodyman]

at 63, I go to the gym for weight training. I have a 2nd job that is very physical, lots of walking, bending, lifting & twisting. the bike is great for what that works, lungs & butt. I wish I could ride more than once a week. summer is coming, so I'm hopeful. Monday was a good day, went to the gym twice then rode after work!

Resistance exercise is not only good in itself, but aids cycling/walking/running.

A few weeks of squats and core strength exercises really improve cycling endurance.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

No, I didn't say it *is* in common usage, just that I expected if used by those two, it probably is.

Hmmm, make your mind up 😂

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Slightly picky point, but, whilst 'soloing' tends not to involve using any ropes / gear for protection, that's not /necessary/. i.e. one can solo - meaning climb alone - whilst also protecting oneself using ropes / gear. It is something of a faff but not that uncommon.

Now that has a term, self belaying, which I wouldn't consider soloing as such. Though it’s done solo so maybe it is! I would say it‘s not common, not something you’ll see every day down crag or up a mountain multi pitch. Now what was this thread originally about and will it still reach its destination?

 

[Dogtrousers]

So, @Ming the Merciless do you do climbing for the fun, or for the pedantry? Or both?

 

[FishFright]

The last organised rock-climbing i did was back in the 80s. I was always amused by the terminology (e.g 'hard very difficult' or 'hard very severe') https://www.thebmc.co.uk/a-brief-explanation-of-uk-traditional-climbing-grades

It's always tickled me that they gave up at 'Extremely Severe" and resorted to numbers. This is territory I've only been in on second or top roping lol

 

[Sea of vapours]

Now that has a term, self belaying, which I wouldn't consider soloing as such. Though it’s done solo so maybe it is! I would say it‘s not common, not something you’ll see every day down crag or up a mountain multi pitch

I think, what with being solo and all, it pretty much has to be 'soloing' .... It is most certainly a teeny, tiny subset of soloing though, what with being a huge faff and taking ages. At least, the two multi-ptich, alpine routes I've used such techniques on were both slow and a faff. That may have been down to my being pretty scared most of the time though :-)

So, @Ming the Merciless do you do climbing for the fun, or for the pedantry? Or both?

Climbing of all sorts is an endless source of serious pedantry, in terminology terms at least

And just to get back on topic: I've never gone climbing / mountaineering / ice climbing / anything else which is intrinsically good fun,including cycling, with the intent of becoming fit, though it tends to be a fortuitous consequence.