| Progress by | Weighting placed gear |
| Used on | Big walls, blank rock |
| Key gear | Etriers, aiders, daisy chains |
| Graded | A (with pitons) or C (clean) scale |
Aid climbing is a style where the climber makes upward progress by pulling on, standing in, or hanging from gear placed in the rock, rather than climbing the rock free. It’s used on big walls and on blank or overhanging terrain too hard to free climb, relies on equipment like etriers (ladders), and is graded on an A or C scale.
How it works
You place a piece, stand in fabric ladders clipped to it, place the next piece higher, and repeat — inching up rock that can’t be free climbed. Followers often jumar the rope.
Aid vs free
See free vs aid climbing.
Clean vs traditional aid
Clean aid (C grade) uses removable gear and leaves no trace; older A-grade aid may hammer pitons, damaging rock.
Frequently asked questions
What is aid climbing?
Aid climbing is ascending by directly using gear to make progress — clipping a piece, standing in fabric ladders called etriers, then placing the next piece higher and repeating. It lets climbers ascend blank, overhanging, or extremely hard rock that can't be climbed free, and is central to big-wall climbing.
What's the difference between aid and free climbing?
In free climbing you use only the rock for progress and gear only to catch falls; in aid climbing you pull on and stand in the gear itself to move up. Many famous big walls were first aided, then later free climbed as standards rose.
What is clean aid (C grade)?
Clean aid uses only removable protection — cams, nuts, and hooks — that leaves no trace, graded on the 'C' scale (C1, C2…). Traditional aid graded on the 'A' scale may involve hammering pitons, which damages the rock, so clean aid is preferred wherever possible.
Sources
- Aid and big-wall climbing — American Alpine Club