Speed climbing
Speed climbing is a climbing discipline in which speed is the ultimate goal. Speed climbing is done on rocks, walls and poles and is only recommended for highly skilled and experienced climbers. Competition speed climbing, which takes place on an artificial standardized climbing wall, is the main form of speed climbing. However, there are other variations of speed climbing which take place outdoors. In pure speed climbing, time is everything but it is also common to record speed ascents while observing a particular climbing style or ethic. For example, there are many speed records in which the climb  was done according to free climbing ethics. In popular culture speed climbing may be best known for a viral video featuring Dan Osman climbing Lover's Leap via the "Bear's Reach" route (5.7, 120+ meter) in 4 min 25 sec. This clip was originally featured in the movie "Masters of Stone IV". Competition speed climbing. Competition speed climbing as governed by the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) takes place on 15m artificial walls. Competitors climb a 5-degree overhanging IFSC certified wall, with an auto-belaying system from the top of the wall. Since 2007 the  IFSC has created a standard wall for the world record. The standard has a simple rule and it involves climbers competing on the same route, side by side, and whoever reaches the top first wins. The holds and order are always identical, and the difficulty rating is around F6b (approximately YDS 5.10c), which is a level most recreational climbers could complete. The IFSC also sanctions speed climbing competitions and those events that entail world record attempts. Speed climbing competitions was one of the three climbing modalities included in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Time is determined by mechanical-electric timing  (the competitor leaves the starting pad and strikes a switch at the top of the route). When mechanical-electric timing is used, the climbing time is displayed with an accuracy of one hundredth of a second. In the rules modification in 2018, the possibility to use manual timing was removed, and the mechanical-electric timing should record with a precision of 1/1000 second. This precision is only used for ranking in case of a tie. Further, the timing system needs to announce a false start, which is considered a start earlier than 0.1 seconds after the starting beep. Standardized Speed  Climbing Wall. For such competitions, the speed climbing wall along with the holds have been normed by the IFSC in a way that records are comparable. Speed Climbing World Records and Champions. The standard wall used is 15 meters tall. 2021 Speed climbing World Champions are Danyil Boldyrev from Ukraine and Natalia Kalucka from Poland. The IFSC Climbing World Championships took place in Moscow, Russia. Outdoor Speed Climbing. Pure speed climbing. Full speed climbing is done in such a way that maximizes speed and minimizes danger. When climbing with a partner the climbers will alternate between regular free climbing, simul  climbing, aiding, and at times sections of roped soloing. Speed climbing can also be done by an individual in which they alternate between forms of rope soloing, aiding, and free soloing. Strictly speaking, this type of speed climbing is not a style but a combination or perhaps a type of aid climbing. However, the complexity of combining all the styles together leads to what can be recognized as a separate style with its own particular techniques used in no other style. Speed climbing offers a number of benefits and these include the opportunities to stress-proof learned climbing techniques and  to learn more about pacing. Pacing is important since a broad array of paces contributes to the climber's versatility to navigate crags and rock types. A faster pace for most climbers is said to be less strenuous than climbing at their normal speed. Style climbing. Records can be recorded while climbing in a particular style. Each of the methods ultimately handicap the rate of progress with the exception of free soloing. Free soloing. The simplest way to increase the speed of climbing is to shed all safety precautions such as belaying and placing protection. For some climbers, this is  the same as replacing the strength of the rope and the safety gears with mental toughness. This leads to free soloing as rapidly as possible. While strictly speaking this qualifies as full speed climbing or a type of style climbing it is different enough to be recognized as its own category of speed climbing. Outdoor Records. Most speed climbing records lack the standards normally associated with objective records. Hans Florine has written "I will be the first to say that climbing is silly. To make rules about it is just piling ridiculous on top of silly." There are no sanctioned  speed climbing competitions on significant rock features. Nearly all climbing goals and records are self-designed, self-timed, and self-officiated; few are well documented, and many are disputed. The collection that follows abides by these loose standards. The time format below is either hrs:min or hrs:min:sec. California. The Nose, El Capitan Regular Northwest Route, Half Dome Snake Dike, Half Dome Joshua Tree National Park Colorado. Bastille Crack Third Flatiron Nevada. Epinephrine Cat In The Hat New York. The Gunks Wyoming. Grand Traverse