Editing Aid climbing (section)

==Description==
[[File:The Shield P25 Yosemite.jpg|thumb|left|Climber standing in [[aider]]s while ascending aid climbing route, ''The Shield'' ([[Grade (climbing)|VI 5.7 A3]]), on [[El Capitan]]]]
Aid climbing is a form of [[rock climbing]] that uses mechanical devices and equipment for upward momentum. Like traditional and sport climbing, aid climbing is typically done in pairs with a [[lead climber]] making the "placements" into which ladders (known as [[aider]]s) are clipped, thus enabling them to ascend. After the lead climber has reached the top, the second climber (or [[belayer]]) then removes the placements as they [[jumaring|jumar]] up the rope.<ref name=MFOH15/><ref name=CL1/>

Traditional aid climbing relied on fixed placements, which were mainly metal [[piton]]s that the lead climber [[rock climbing hammer|hammered]] into the rock as they ascended.  These placements remained permanently fixed on the route (and in such cases, the second (or belayer) didn't have to take any placement out and just [[jumaring|jumared]] up on a [[fixed rope]]). Clean aid climbing avoids any hammering and uses the temporary protection of traditional climbing (e.g. [[spring-loaded camming device]]s) for placements; these are then removed by the second climber as they make their own ascent.  This method therefore avoids the damage that repeated hammering of metal does to aid routes,<ref name=MFOH15/><ref name=CL1/><ref name=MD>{{cite web | magazine=Ascent Magazine | url=http://www.bigwalls.net/climb/mechadv/ | first=John | last=Middendorf | author-link=John Middendorf | date=1999 | accessdate=18 May 2023 | title=The Mechanical Advantage | publisher=[[Climbing (magazine)|Climbing]]}}</ref> and has been advocated as useful training and building up of experience in the placing of [[traditional climbing]] protection.<ref>{{cite web | magazine=[[Climbing (magazine)|Climbing]] | url=https://www.climbing.com/skills/get-better-at-trad-climbing-go-aid-climbing/ | title=Want to Get Better at Trad Climbing? Go Aid Climbing | first=Jeff | last=Chapman | date=28 October 2022 | accessdate=25 May 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | magazine=[[Climbing (magazine)|Climbing]] | url=https://www.climbing.com/skills/a0-tech-tip-free-climb-long-routes-aid-technique/ | title=Climb Long Routes Faster With This Simple Aid Climbing Trick | first=Mark | last=Synott | date=2 August 2021 | accessdate=25 May 2023}}</ref>

While the sport of aid climbing has waned as the free climbing movement has grown, elements of aid climbing are still a regular feature of many major [[big wall climbing]] and [[alpine climbing]] routes. These routes are long [[multi-pitch climbing|multi-pitch]] climbs where it is possible to find specific sections that are considerably above the difficulty level of the rest of the route.  For such sections, aid climbing techniques are accepted, even by free climbers.<ref name=MFOH15/><ref name=CL1/>  For example, the renowned big wall climbing route ''[[The Nose (El Capitan)|The Nose]]'' on [[El Capitan]] is a 31-pitch 870-metre graded partial clean aid climb at VI {{climbing grade|5.9}} C2, but as a fully free climb with no aid, it is graded VI {{climbing grade|5.14a}}, which is beyond the skills of all but a very small group of elite free climbers.<ref name=OutsideUSA>{{cite web | magazine=[[Outside (magazine)|Outside]] | title=The 25 Greatest Moments in Yosemite Climbing History | date=1 June 2016 | access-date=4 December 2022 | url=https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/climbing/25-greatest-moments-yosemite-climbing-history/ | author=Editorial}}</ref>