Tag Archives: trad climbing

Climbing Etiquette

Informant Info
Mallory Bird, an 18 year old freshman undergraduate at Dartmouth College, grew up in Durango, CO with a family of climbers. She’s been climbing with her family for as long as she can remember. She loves the puzzle-aspect of the sport and simply finds it enjoyable. Her biggest fear while climbing is being high during windy conditions. Mallory learned the etiquette when she was young while learning how to climb with her family.

Type: Customary

Language: English

Country of Origin: US

Date Collected: May 12, 2016

Location Collected: Jonathan Belden Daniels Climbing Gym, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH

Social Context
An important aspect of trad climbing is the gear (pictured below) that is placed in the wall and is needed to keep the climber safe. The pieces of protection can often get stuck in the wall– certain etiquette surrounds these situations.

Associated File:

200933_29553_XL   137745_17533_XL

Lore: If you lose someone else’s gear while climbing at the end of the day you’re supposed to buy them a beer. Similarly, if you come up after someone and free their stuck gear and return it to them then they should buy you a beer.

Informant Comments: An important part of climbing is what you do at the end of the day. There’s usually a lot of down time, especially if you’re camping near the wall, so there’s a well-defined after-climbing culture. It usually involves alcohol.

Collector’s Comments: Trad climbing etiquette is a good example of how climbers are not a groups of adrenaline-high thrill-seekers looking for danger. Although the group has many traditions which might suggest delinquency, there is a strong sense of trust and community shared by all climbers. It’s necessary when your life is in the hands of your belayer.