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Climbing
While a rope and other gear may be used for safety when free climbing, they are not used for making upward progress.
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Free climbing is a form of rock climbing in which the climber may use climbing equipment such as ropes and other means of climbing protection, but only to protect against injury during falls and not to assist vertical or horizontal progress.^[1] The climber ascends or traverses by using physical ability to move over the rock via handholds, footholds, and body smears.^[2]

The term free climbing is used in contrast to aid climbing, in which specific aid climbing equipment (such as mechanical ascenders) is used to assist the climber in ascent. The term free climbing originally meant "free from direct aid".^[3]

Free climbing more specifically may include:

• traditional climbing
• sport climbing
• bouldering
• solo climbing (excluding solo aid climbing)

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Common misunderstandings of the term

While clear in its contrast to aid climbing, the term free climbing is nonetheless prone to misunderstanding and misuse.^{[citation needed]}

The three most common errors are:

• Confusing free climbing with solo climbing (or soloing,) a style of climbing in which the climber climbs alone, without the assistance of a belayer and with or without a self-belaying system.
• Confusing free climbing with free soloing (a subset both of free climbing and solo climbing), which is climbing alone with just one's hands, feet, and body without any rope or protective equipment.
• Confusing the term soloing a free climb with free soloing, "soloing" in each case meaning merely to climb without a partner (with or without a self-belaying system in the first instance, without any protection at all in the second).