How do you not fall? I know you stick things into cracks (thats what she said) but there must not always be a place to put it. How do you know the thing is going to hold if you were to fall? How do you get down? Can you just rock climb anywhere, or are there specific places?
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We call a good gear placement “bomber”. There is a slight science to it (watch a video about how trad gear works, specifically cams) but really you learn to trust it by doing. Always give a few solid tugs to judge the quality of the placement. At the end of the day … You’re never intending to fall. Unless you’re working on a project (a route that is at the peak of your abilities). Leading can be pretty fucking scary depending on several factors. Most terrifying being long run-outs (points on a climb where there is no protection. Means you will fall way farther. We call those falls “whippers”). Sport climbing eliminates a significant amount of risk because the protection is found in the form of permanent bolts that are placed intentionally to maximize safety. It still varies quite a bit depending on where you are though. Some routes are “mixed” … You have some bolts but also are placing gear in cracks.
To get down we typically rapel. This limits the distance you can climb (half a rope length) because you use both sides of the rope in a device called an ATC. You can use two ropes to climb longer pitches. The average rope length is 60-80 meters. When top roping you simply lower, but it is best to use your own gear to avoid wearing down the anchors. Anchors are what we call the end point of a route or pitch. They can also be permanent (bolts with chains) or built temporarily using trad gear.
Technically you could climb anywhere there is good rock (respecting private property and state/national parks). We use the word “crag” to describe a location rich in good rock. When rock is loose and brittle we call that “choss”. Chossy = shitty. Worst thing that could happen is your hold will just break right off the wall (super scary!). You also want to look for a line with good protection opportunities (typically cracks). When establishing new sport routes, someone must make the first ascent and place all the hardware. This is done often by rappelling but is still done ground up in many areas. Ground up can be scary because you have to stand for long periods of time drilling/hammering in bolts. This limits the number of bolts you can place and often results in longer run outs (if there isn’t a good stance you probably won’t be placing a bolt).
For some interesting history Google Jan & Herb Conn. They used to climb together using Keds, a rope around their waist and maybe a piton here and there. CRAZY!
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