Is It Sport?

Why are long multi-pitch routes that use fixed protection defined as "sport climbing"?

It seems to me, such a route would be protected slab climbing &/or big wall; both, to me, should be within a trad definition; and some instances, alpine &/or aid.

This post inquiry is not really intending to target this site (policy) nor any specific submittal.

"There's bolted trad routes. There's also multi-pitch sport"

Thank God! Or else the "Bachar-Yerian" would be a sport climb.

Shin length Verve Yojimbo pants: sport climb
Khaki Prana Zion pants : trad climb
Running shorts and running shoes: scramble
Patagucci softshell or Shoeller: alpine route
Distressed designer jeans, no shirt, and a beanie: boulder problem

Hope that clears things up.

Bolts placed on rappel sport, even if you need some gear
Bolts placed on lead trad, even if you don't any need gear

The number of pitches is irrelevant

Shin length Verve Yojimbo pants: sport climb
Khaki Prana Zion pants : trad climb
Running shorts and running shoes: scramble
Patagucci softshell or Shoeller: alpine route
Distressed designer jeans, no shirt, and a beanie: boulder problem

Hope that clears things up.

I represent(theoretically) with a knit beanie, no shirt, and prana shorts, you've given me spiritual support for new tactics(as soon as the stuff shows up in resale shops).

OK - where do wranglers & corduroys fit in? (at the V -- yes, thank you peanut gallery). Sorry, but I'm using Mtn Hardware & Cloudveil for the alpine; don't tarnish the hardcore venue with that save the whales bs.

There's obviously some difference in style of the climb of trad & sport. I think more to the focus, there is a style differentiation that is/has become more convoluted (not that I'm saying this is bad for climbing). Trad is more about flowing with the natural line of the route; whereas sport is more about using the route to make various technical moves.

The body into the route vs the route into the body.

Take Tommy's 2 routes in a day, would you say the Nose looked more sport and the latter more trad?

Dave Holliday wrote:Why does the distinction matter, Mark?

Not that the distinction matters, but maybe the focus of a climber matters so as to incorporate multiple styles in their foundation to enable them a greater range of route accomplishment. The result being to keep U.S. climbers setting a world standard above those with reliance on just one method.

Maybe this is more to the point, Dave, are routes being set with a focus on how the climbing moves or just looking at protection offered to define the route type?