It often happens that what began in early humanity as a way of life has evolved over the years into an adventure sport. This is the case with practices like fishing or climbing, which were originally means of survival but have now become hobbies.
In ancient times, climbing represented a method of obtaining food, but today it even has competitive events. It was during the 1970s that specialists in this sport emerged, calling it sport climbing or free climbing. Nature serves as the main stage where the rock face becomes the climber's ally, guiding and showing the way.
According to historical records, Mont Aiguille was first ascended in 1492 by Antoine de Ville, and approximately 300 years later, the first ascent of Mont Blanc was recorded. However, it wasn't until the first half of the 20th century that it began to be practised as a sport, when mountain-savvy athletes started showing interest.
Rock climbing as a sport began gaining much more prominence, particularly because mountaineers became increasingly interested in scaling mountains via ever more challenging routes. Later, the question arose: why not do it on artificial walls that would allow practice and technique improvement? This led to the birth of climbing walls - which were obviously quite different from modern ones - but they helped advance the sport.
Over time, not only did sport climbing evolve, but artificial climbing also emerged, gaining significant importance around the mid-20th century. Free climbing took a backseat until several decades later when the expansion bolt appeared. In the 1960s, the invention of climbing harnesses improved safety, gradually eliminating the fear of falling.
Years later, as various climbing techniques spread, a new concept emerged: free climbing. In this discipline, no pitons or tools that might damage the rock or natural environment are used - the body becomes the sole instrument for the activity.
However, this approach wasn't as successful as anticipated until the development of expansion bolts that could be fixed to the wall (featuring an expander where the metal core inserts into the hole).
What was initially linked to mountaineering later became considered a high-performance sport by the late 1980s. Let's not forget it can be understood as an activity of personal growth, where the brain is the strongest muscle: first think, then place hands or feet. With practice and time, skill improvement comes naturally.
