English
free climbing
From free + climbing.
Proto-Indo-European *preyH- ‘to please; to love’
…
Proto-Germanic *frijaz ‘free’
Proto-West Germanic *frī ‘free’
Old English frēo ‘free, at liberty’
Middle English fre ‘having the status of a freeman’
English free
Proto-Germanic *klimbaną ‘to climb’
Proto-West Germanic *klimban ‘to climb’
Old English climban ‘to climb’
Middle English clymben ‘to climb’
Middle English clymbynge
English climbing
Today it means
noun Rock climbing without the aid of ropes or other equipment, sometimes in an urban environment
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / free climbing