Redpoint (climbing)

In sport climbing, redpointing is free-climbing a route, while lead climbing, after having practiced the route beforehand (either by hangdogging or top roping).[1] Many climbers will frequently try to redpoint a route after having failed to on-sight or flash it, although occasionally a climber will forgo an onsight attempt if they suspect that the route is so difficult that an attempt would be pointless.[1] Redpointing differs from headpoint, in that it is exclusive to sport routes with protection equipment fixed into the rock at regular intervals.

The English term "redpoint" is a loan translation of the German Rotpunkt (point of red) coined by Kurt Albert in the mid-1970s at Frankenjura. He would paint a red X on a fixed pin so that he could avoid using it for a foot- or handhold. Once he was able to free-climb the entire route, he would put a red dot at the base of the route. In many ways, this was the origin of the free climbing movement that led to the development of sport climbing ten years later.

Modern sport climbing ethics do not consider it a redpoint if one successfully climbs a route on toprope without using or weighting the gear or rope, though leading with preplaced quickdraws is typically allowed, even in international climbing competitions. Free-climbing while leading with preplaced quickdraws is sometimes referred to as a pinkpoint.[2]

Traditional climbers sometimes use a variant of the term, greenpoint, to describe leading a sport climb using only natural protection, i.e. without using preplaced bolts or pins.[3]

Notable ascents

Adam Ondra competing at the World Cup in Imst, 2009

9b+ (5.15c):

  • Change - Flatanger (NOR) - 4 October 2012 - First ascent by Adam Ondra, who claimed it to be the hardest ascent in history[4]
  • La Dura Dura - Oliana (ESP) - 7 February 2013 - First ascent by Adam Ondra.[5] Route bolted by Chris Sharma, who repeated the ascent one month later and confirmed the grade.

9b (5.15b):

  • Akira - Vilhonneur cave (Périgord, FRA) - June 06, 1995 - First ascent by Fred Rouhling. He proposed a grade of 9b (5.15b), but the route is still unrepeated and its grade is not confirmed.[6]
  • Chilam Balam - Villanueva del Rosario (ESP) - July 4, 2003 - Unconfirmed[7] first ascent claimed by Bernabè Fernandez. He proposed a rating of 5.15c (9b+)[8] but the route was later repeated by Adam Ondra, who graded it as a "low end" 5.15b (9b).[9]
  • Jumbo Love - Clark Mountain (Mojave National Preserve, United States) - , September 11, 2008 - First ascent by Chris Sharma. First featured in the film King Lines as an unfinished line, this route is 250 ft long (76 m), and thought to be at least 5.15b. Sharma has called it his hardest ascent to date. In climbing it, he skipped up to three clips in a row due to the difficult sequences, which resulted in falls of 70 ft (21 m) or more.[10][11][12] Repeated by Ethan Pringle, May 2015.[13][14]
Chris Sharma climbing in Yangshuo (CHI)

9a+ (5.15a):

Alex Megos climbing Action Directe, 2014

9a (5.14d):

8c+ (5.14c):

  • Hubble - Raven Tor (GBR) - June 14, 1990 - First 8c+ in history, by Ben Moon.[20] After very few repeats despite attempts from some of the world's best climbers, upgrading to 9a was suggested.[21] However, Alex Megos, after repeting it in 2016, stated that this was neither one of his hardest, nor one of his easiest 8C+ routes.[22]

8c (5.14b):

8b+ (5.14a):

8b (5.13d):

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Berry, Adrian (2006). Sport Climbing + (1 ed.). Rockfax Ltd. ISBN 1-873341-86-5.
  2. ↑ Pesterfield, Heidi (2007). Traditional Lead Climbing: A Rock Climber's Guide to Taking the Sharp End of the Rope (2 ed.). Wilderness Press. ISBN 0-89997-442-2.
  3. ↑ "planetmountain.com". Retrieved October 16, 2012.
  4. ↑ Dougald MacDonald (4 October 2012). "Adam Ondra Climbs 5.15c in Norway". Climbing. Retrieved 7 October 2012.
  5. ↑ "Ondra Puts Down La Dura Dura (5.15c)". Climbing. Retrieved 7 February 2013.
  6. ↑ "Akira, Vilhonneur cave".
  7. ↑ [http://climbingnarc.com/2011/04/adam-ondra-makes-quick-work-of-chilam-balam/ Adam Ondra makes quick work of Chilam Balam
  8. ↑ Climbing Magazine: Andalusia Dreamin'
  9. ↑ Interview with Adam Ondra after climbing Chilam Balam
  10. ↑ Chris Sharma’s 'Jumbo Love' (5.15b)
  11. ↑ Jumbo Love - Big Up Productions
  12. ↑ Climbing - Sharma Redpoints Clark Mountain Project Archived September 14, 2008, at the Wayback Machine.
  13. ↑ "Ethan Pringle Repeats Jumbo Love". Climbing.com. Climbing Magazine.
  14. ↑ Andrada Calls New Link-Up 5.15b
  15. ↑ "Chris Sharma climbs Realization (Biographie extension)!". Camp4. 2006-10-05. Retrieved 2012-01-30.
  16. ↑ "Margo Hayes, first female 9a+!!".
  17. ↑ "Margo Hayes on La Rambla, first female 9a+ (video)".
  18. ↑ "Action directe" (in German). frankenjura.com. Retrieved 11 June 2013.
  19. ↑ "Josune Bereziartu climbs first female 9a".
  20. ↑ desnivel.com, ed. (June 25, 2001). "Entrevista a Ben Moon". Retrieved January 23, 2012.
  21. ↑ "Adam Ondra, the routes I cannot climb!". planetmountain.com. 2015. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
  22. ↑ "Alexander Megos climbs Hubble. The Raven Tor interview". June 3, 2016. Retrieved August 3, 2017.
  23. ↑ "Wallstreet" (in German). frankenjura.com. Retrieved June 11, 2013.
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