by Eric Fauble

Created on: May 17, 2009

Although the practice of rock climbing was an important component of Victorian mountaineering in the Alps, it is generally thought the sport of rock climbing began in the last quarter of the 19th century in at least three different areas: Elbsandsteingebirge in Saxony near Dresden, the Lake District of England, and the Dolomites in Italy. Rock climbing gradually evolved from an alpine necessity to an athletic sport in its own right, making it imprudent to cite a primogenitor of the latter in each of these three locales.

Rock climbing was heralded as a sport in England at around late-1800s, after the well publicised solo first ascent of the Napes Needleby Walter Parry Haskett Smith, rock climbing attracted increasing numbers of participants. A benchmark approaching modern levels of difficulty was the ascent, by O. G. Jones, of Kern Knotts Crackin 1897. Jones was attracted to the new sport by a photo of the Needle in a shop window in early 1890s. By the end of the Victorian era, as many as 60 enthusiasts at a time would gather near the Wastwater Hotel in the Lake District during vacation periods.

Rock climbing was also inspired by the efforts of 19th century pioneers, such as Oskar Schuster. By 1903, there were approximately 500 climers that were active in the Elbsandstein region. Included in this period were the team of Rudolf Fehrmann and the American, Oliver Perry-Smith; their 1906 ascent of Teufelsturm set new standards of difficulty. By 1930, there were 200 climbing clubs represented in the area.

The solo first ascent of Die Vajolettrmein 1887 by the 17 year-old Munich high school student, Georg Winkler, encouraged the acceptance and development of the sport in the Dolomites. This also helped rock climbing.

As rock climbing matured, a variety of grading systems were created in order to more accurately compare relative difficulties of climbs. Over the years both climbing techniques and the equipment climbers use to advance the sport have evolved in a steady fashion.

Some historical benchmarks occurred as late as 400 B.C. In 400 B.C., Chinese watercolors depicted men climbing rocks. In the 1300s, the Anasazis drilled holes for posts and carved steps up the steep rock cliffs in Chaco Canyon. One hundred ninety-two years later, in 1492, the year Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue, Antoine de Ville ascended Mont Inaccessible, or Mont Aiguille, a 300 meter rock tower south of Grenoble, France. Under orders from his king, Antoine de Ville used the techniques developed for sieging castles to attain an, otherwise, unreachable summit.

In 1910, Hans Fiechtl replaces the attached ring on pitons with an eye in the body of the piton which is a design used to this day. This same year, Otto Herzog designs the first steel carabiner, specifically made for climbing. Also, Willo Welzenbach creates the standard numerical rating system for the amount of time typically needed to complete a route. The Austrians developed rappelling. Four years later, in 1914, Paul Preuss, an advocate of Free climbing, coins the term "artificial aid" to describe the use of mechanical aids to progress up a rock. His rule number four of six stated: "The piton is an emergency aid and not the basis of a system of mountaineering.

14 years ago, in 1995, Fred Rouhling climbed Akira. Three years later, in 1998, Bernabe Fernandes climbs Orujo. Two years ago, 2007, Dani Andrada climbed Ali Hulk Direct in Rodellar, Spain. And just last year, in 2008, Chris Sharma climbed Jumbo Love on Clark Mountain, California.

(NOTE: The article came from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_rock_climbin g)

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