Lead climbing

Lead climbing (or leading) is a technique in rock climbing where two climbers work together to ascend a climbing route. The lead climber clips their rope into pieces of protection as they ascend the route. The 'second' stands at the base of the route controlling the other end of the rope, which is called belaying (e.g. if the lead climber falls, the second locks the rope). The term distinguishes between the two roles and the greater effort and increased risk of the role of the lead climber. Leading a route contrasts with the alternative climbing technique of top roping, where even though there is still a second belaying the rope, the lead climber faces no risk in the event of a fall and does not need to clip into any protection as the rope is already anchored to the top of the route (e.g. if they fall they will just hang from the static rope). Leading a climbing route is a core activity in rock climbing, and first ascents (FA) and first free ascents (FFA) of new routes, in the absence of a free solo, are done via lead climbing. Lead climbing can be performed as free climbing, in either a traditional or a sport climbing format—leading a traditional climb is a much riskier and physically demanding exercise. Competition lead climbing is performed in a sport-climbing format and will be a standalone medal event at the 2028 Summer Olympics. Lead climbing can also be performed as aid climbing. The term is not applied to free solo climbing, as the free solo climber is alone and thus there is no need to distinguish the role of leader from the second. Leading is not exclusive to rock climbing, and can also be performed in ice climbing or in mixed climbing.