A climbing route () is a path by which a climber reaches the top of a mountain, or rock/ice-covered obstacle. The details of a climbing route are recorded in a climbing guidebook and/or in an online climbing route database, and will include elements such as the type of climbing route (e.g. bouldering route, sport climbing route, traditional climbing route, ice climbing route, and alpine climbing route, etc.), the difficulty grade of the route – and its crux(es) – and any risk or commitment grade, the length and number of pitches of the route, and the type of climbing equipment (e.g. climbing protection gear) needed to complete the route.
There are definitions as to what is a valid ascent of a route (e.g. the redpoint in rock climbing), and the class of ascent (e.g. onsighted, flashed). The first ascent, first free ascent, and first female free ascent, are often recorded for important routes. Once a route is established, variations may be created (e.g. directessimas, sit starts, or enchainments), and climbers will try to improve the "style" in which the route is climbed (e.g. minimizing any aid climbing or other supports such as oxygen or fixed ropes). Some may also seek to limit the in-situ protection (e.g. greenpointing), or even free solo the route. Others may try to set new speed climbing records on the route.
The ascent of ever-harder routes is an integral key part of the history of climbing, and each type of climbing has notable routes that set major new milestones. There are ongoing debates amongst climbers about routes including the naming of routes, the creation of new routes by artificially altering the surface (e.g. chipping in rock climbing), the role of completely artificial indoor routes (e.g. The Project), and also the level and maintenance of in-situ protection on routes (e.g. providing permanent bolted protection anchors) and the ethical issue of retro-bolting (e.g. turning traditional climbing routes into safer sport climbing bolted routes).
Details
Climbing routes are usually chronicled in a climbing guidebook, a climbing journal (e.g. the American Alpine Journal or the Himalayan Journal), and/or in an online route database (e.g. theCrag.com or MountainProject.com), where the key details of the route are listed, which generally include the following:
Climbing area (or crag). Routes are often clustered together in a general "climbing area", which is also known as a "crag". Notable climbing areas include: El Capitan (for big wall climbing in the US), Clogwyn Du'r Arddu (for traditional climbing in the UK), Buoux, Verdon Gorge and Ceuse (for sport climbing in France).
Route name. While rock and modern ice climbing routes can have any name, offensive names are removed from databases and guidebooks. In countries such as France the person who created the route names it, whereas in others such as the US and UK, the first person to ascend the route names it (e.g. the Realization/Biographie controversy). Alpine routes tend to have names based on the peak or the first ascender and the geological feature, such as the Bonatti Pillar or the Walker Spur.
Type and condition of the surface. Different types of rock, such as limestone, granite, or sandstone, present different challenges in terms of friction and types of holds. The typical condition of the rock (e.g. solid or crumbling, or dry and damp) might be noted. Ice climbers will differentiate between the type of ice (e.g. water ice, permanent alpine ice), and the stability of the ice surface (e.g. sheet ice, thick ice).
Type of climb and equipment requirements. A key detail is whether the climbing protection is already in-situ (i.e. sport climbing), or needs to be inserted while climbing (i.e. traditional climbing). The protection equipment needed on traditional climbing routes will vary depending on the type of climbing challenge presented (e.g. crack climbing, slab climbing, etc.). Some routes may require aid climbing and/or abseiling equipment.
Length and number of pitches. A key detail is the length of the route, which can vary from a few metres for a bouldering route, to several thousand metres for a big wall climbing or alpine climbing route. Longer routes are broken up into "pitches", which are less than a rope length; climbers will lead each pitch one at a time. For example, The Nose is over 880-metres long, and breaks up into 31-pitches.