What is it?

Often referred to as traditional climbing or ‘trad’, this involves carrying, placing and removing your own protection in cracks in the rock. Scotland is home to many of the world’s hardest trad climbs. Most climbs in Scotland are trad style and so in order to get the best out of outdoor climbing, it is worth learning how to do it.

Looking after yourself

Trad climbing involves you lead climbing or seconding someone else up a climb, so it requires some prior knowledge about how to do this or having someone with you who has previous experience.

Things to think about:

  • Take responsibility for your own safety and inspect the route. Outdoor routes are not routinely checked as they would be indoors. Rock can become loose and break off.
  • If lead climbing make sure you know how to do this correctly.
  • If top-roping make sure you are not doing so on popular trad routes as this can cause additional unnecessary erosion.
  • If it’s your first time outside then start off on something easy.


Outdoor Venues

There are hundreds of good trad climbing venues to visit in Scotland and some of these can be climbed on all year round.

Why not visit Neiston Quarry. Or why not check out your local climbing wall.

Want to know more?

SMC Guidebooks cover the whole of Scotland

Scottish Rock by Gary Latter.

Scottishclimbs

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