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Climbing DefinitionsA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Abseil, to Descending by
sliding down a rope. Americans usually call this rappelling. Adze The flat
cutting end of the ice axe head. Aid climbing Moving up a
rock using fixed or placed protecting as a means of progression (and not just
for protection). Also known in the US as sixth class climbing. Aider Webbing ladder
used for aid climbing. The word was probably coined by someone who couldn't
spell the french word étrier. Aid route Route that can
only be ascended using aid climbing techniques Alcove A belay ledge
that is surrounded by vertical rock on all sides. AMS
Acute mountain sickness. (Ask your medical doctor.) Anchor
Point where the rope is fixed to the rock. Arete
A narrow (more or less - but often more less than more -
horizontal) ridge. Ascenders
Devices (e.g. Jumars) to ascend a rope. ATC 'Air Traffic Controller', belaying device made by Black Diamond. Avalanche
Lots of snow or ice sliding down a mountain.
Bail, to To give up on a rock climb or a summit attempt because of bad weather coming in. Barn door, to To lose the foot and hand holds on one side of the body. Usually causes the climber to swing like a barn door. (f) partir en drapeau Base camp
The lowest and largest fixed camp on a major ascent (or
multiple ascents in the same area). Beer
Liquid consumed in large quantities after climbing. Belay, to
To secure a climber. Belay Betty and Belay Bob The girl or boyfriend of an addictive rock climber. (d) Sicherungsmaschine Belay station
A safe stance consisting of an anchor, a rope, and a belayer (aka "the belay") Belayer
The person at the belay station securing the climber. "Belay on"
When the belayer is ready to belay the climber up, he yells
"Belay on". (At least in the US, "belay on" would only confuse the hell out of a
British climber who prefers to hear "Climb when ready"). "Below"
Used in Britain to warn for impending impact with objects
coming from above (e.g. falling rock). "Rock" in the US. Bent gate karibiner
Karibiner with the gate bent to accept the rope more easily.
Not uncontroversial. (d) "Berg Heil !" A German greeting at the summit. Bergschrund
Or just 'schrund'. The top crevasse in a glacier or snowfield
that is formed when the glacier/snowfield tears away from the remaining patch of
snow that is stable on the mountainside. Beta
Insider information about a climb. Running or auto beta is
someone telling you how to do the moves as you go (as in "can you please shut up
with that running beta, I want to find out myself"). Beta flash
Leading a climb with no falling or dogging, but with a piece
of previous knowledge hints on how to do those crux moves. Even seeing someone
do the climb already classifies as 'previous knowledge'. Big wall
Rock climb that is so long and sustained that a normal ascent
lasts several days. Biner
Short for
Karabiner Birdbeak
A tiny hooked piton manufactured by A5. It is similar to the
old Chouinard "Crack'n up", except that it only has a single side and that it is
intended to be hammered in if necessary. Bivouac
Or short, bivi. An uncomfortable sleeping place in the middle
of a route. Black ice
Old ice that was exposed to extremely cold temperatures,
scree, and snowfall. Usually found deep in shady couloirs, or on steep north
faces. Very hard and dense ice that is difficult to climb. Blast, to To begin a big wall, after the line fixing is done. "We're gonna blast on Tuesday morning after we get the first three pitches fixed". (f) Bleausard Someone who frequents 'Bleau (or Fontainebleau, the site of some excellent bouldering near Paris). Blue ice Very dense ice with a watery hue and few air bubbles. Bolt
Bolt, expansion (d) Bohrhaken, (f) Cheville à expansion, (nl) Boorhaak, (i) Caviglie da espansione, (e) Piton de expansion, parabolt, (s) Borrbult Bomber
Used to indicate that something is exceptionally solid, e.g.
an anchor, a hold. See also bombproof. Bombproof
The illusion that an anchor is infallible A (novice) climber with more braves than brains. Knows just enough about climbing to get himself and others badly hurt. Bong An almost extinct species of extra wide pitons. Now, large chocks are usually used instead. (f) "Bonne Grimpe !"
A greeting to climbers when they start the climb. Bootie Gear (nuts, cams, etc.) that was left behind on a climb by the previous party. Boulder, to
Climbing unroped on boulders or at the foot of climbs to a
height where it is still safe to jump off. Bounce, to
To crater from an extreme height. Usually lethal. Bowline
Sailing knot (not to be used for climbing, unless backed up
with a second knot) Brain bucket Aka helmet. That all important hard shelled thing that covers our (second?) most valuable asset. Bucket
A large hold (Aka "jug", esp. in UK) Buildering To climb buildings (d) Fassadenklettern, (f-c) Escalade de ville, (nl) Geveltoerisme, (e) Escalada urbana, (s) Fasadklättring, (pl) Wspinanie po murach Bust a move, to To successfully execute a hard crux move.
Interesting but rarely used climbing knot.
Alpine butterfly Buttress
The part of the mountain or rock that stands in front of the
main mountainface.
Cam
Generic reference to the family of spring loaded camming
devices (SLCD) such as friends, camalots, aliens, TCUs, etc. Also referred to as
springs Campus
A dyno executed using the arms only. Comes from the campus
board where the people who do this move get the muscle to do it. Campus board
A wooden training board with finger ledges that is used for
training dynos and finger power. Carabiner The alternative American spelling of the word Karabiner. Also spelled Caribiner. Chalk
Magic powder that makes the hands stick to even the smoothest
rock. Chausey Poor rock conditions. Also spelled chossy. Cheese grater, to To slide down a slab while scraping the knees, hands, and face. Chest harness
Bra-like looking harness (to be used with waist harness) Chickenhead
Sometimes phallic shaped, protruding lumps that make
excellent hand or footholds on granite, etc. Chimed Exhausted. "This climb has got me chimed." Chimney
A wide crack that accommodates (most of) the body of the
climber. Chimney, to
A climbing technique used to conquer chimneys. Usually
requires the use of the back and feet, arms, head and other body parts. Chipped hold
A hold created with a hammer and chisel by a moron incapable
of doing the climb as it is. Chock
Generic reference to the family of passive wired protection
devices, also called nuts, stoppers, wires, and rocks. Chockstone
A stone wedged between a crack, a chimney, etc. In Australia, this means poor rock (you can take all the holds home...). In the UK, choss is dirt and vegetation found in cracks (or Munge in the US). Chute
A very steep gully. The word chute is French for
fall and refers to the rockfall that is very common in a chute. A deep and steep-walled basin on a mountain usually forming the blunt end of a valley. From the French word for circus. Also known as corrie.
A number designating the overall technical level of a route.
The first number in the YDS designates the class of the climb.
Here's the different classes...
Clean
Climbing without falling or dogging. Clean
Aid climbing without hammering. Clean, to
To remove the pro from a route. Usually done by the follower.
Cliff
A vertical piece of rock good for climbing (see also Crag).
Cliffhanger Not just a silly film with Wolfgang Güllich and Ron Kauk, but also the name for a small hooking device used to aid climb up small ledges and pockets. Climb, to (d) Klettern, (f) Grimper, (nl) Klimmen, (i) Arrampicare/scalare, (e) Escalar, (s) Klättra, (pl) Wspinac sie Climb, a (d) Kletterei, (f) Escalade, (nl) Klim, (i) Arrampicata , (e) Escalada, (s) Led/Tur "Climbing"
What the climber shouts after the belayer screams "Belay on".
The second best thing to real rock (Aka "wall"
in the UK). Climbing shoes
Shoes made of sticky rubber that would have fit you
comfortably when you were ten. The British word for a climbing gym. "Climb when ready"
The British equivalent of "Belay on". Clip, to
The reassuring action of putting the rope through a karabiner
(that is attached to a piece of pro). Clove hitch
A useful, easily adjustable climbing knot usually used to tie
the rope into a karibiner. Col
A steep, high mountain pass. Coombe Welsh word for corrie or cirque. Also spelled cwm. Cord
Thin static rope (5, 5.5 or 6 mm)
Inside corner (see
dihedral) or outside corner. In
the UK, a corner is always an inside one. Corn snow
Unconsolidated granular snow that has gone through a short
freeze-and-thaw process. This type of snow is prevalent throughout the High
Sierra in April and May. Other word for cirque. Spelled coire in Scotland and coombe or cwm in Wales.
A steep gully which may have snow or ice. Short for Karabiner. Crack, in rock
A gap or fissure in the rock varying in width from nail to
bodywidth. Crag
Name for a (small) climbing area. Crampons
Very pointy footware use to walk glaciers or climb ice. Crank, to
To pull on a hold as hard as you can, and then some. Crater, to
To fall and hit the ground, as in "I almost cratered". Crest
The very top of a ridge or arete. Crevasse
A crack in the surface of a glacier. Crimper
A very small hold that accepts only the finger tips. In the
UK, this is just called a crimp. Crux
The hard bit. Cwm The Welsh spelling for coombe or cirque.
Daisy chain A sling sewn (or tied) with numerous loops, used as an adjustable sling in aid climbing. Deadpoint
A dynamic move where the next hold is grabbed at the very top
of the motion (if you lunge upwards, that is just before you start falling
again). By grabbing a hold in its 'deadpoint', you place the smallest possible
loads on the holds. The eerie sensation of jittery legs. Aka to Elvis or the sewing machine. Deck The usually unfriendly surface that welcomes you at the end of a grounder. Demigod Highest form of life in the climbing cosmos. Does not need rock to ascend to great heights. Descender
Device used for rappelling.
The US term for an inside
corner (Aka "open book"). "Dirt me"
US slang which means as much as 'Lower me'. Dog (to dog a move)
Climbing, lowering, climbing again till a certain move is
made (the usual mode of ascent...). Double fisherman's knot
Solid knot used to tie two ropes or pieces of webbing
together (Aka grapevine knot). Double rope
Same as a half rope. Also the technique using two half ropes.
Downclimbing
Descending the difficult way. Dry tool, to To ascend a section of rock using ice tools - very common in mixed climbing. Dude Generic name for a climber (in the US). Dynamic belay
A belay method in which some rope is allowed to slip during
severe falls. A dynamic belay can severely reduce the impact force from a
serious fall, but can also severely kill you if not done properly. Dyno
Dynamic movement towards a distant hold.
EB A legendary brand of sport climbing shoes - started the free climbing revolution. Edge
A sharp edge on a rock face. Edging
Foot technique where one uses the edge of the climbing shoe
to stand on small footholds. The opposite of smearing.
To have a
sewing maching leg. Named after
"Elvis, the King", who suffered from this this problem when singing before a
crowd of screaming women. Epic
The story of a well planned climb that turned into a grueling
adventure that turned out well in the end. As these stories are told over and
over again - and they always are - the details get stretched to supernatural
proportions for dramatic effect. Etrier
(Pronounce with a french accent). Webbing ladder used for aid
climbing. Also known as 'aider'.
Face climbing
Not crack climbing. Fall, to
A dynamic retreat from a climb (free-solo rappel). Note that
it is never the fall that kills, it's the landing. "Falling"
Yelled when a climber is (about to) fall. Fall factor
The length of the fall divided by the amount of rope paid
out. FecoFile A PVC tube used to store solid human waste on big walls. Aka the Shit Tube. Feet Footholds. Fifi hook
An open hook used to allow easy clipping during aid climbing.
Usually found on aiders, daisy chains, etc. Figure 8
Metal rappelling/belaying device shaped like an 8. Figure of eight
Very popular and solid tie-in knot. Fingerlock
Masochistic technique to twist and wedge the fingers into a
crack. Firn Old, well consolidated snow. Often a left-over from the previous season. Closer to ice than snow in density, it may require the use of crampons.
Simple knot to tie two ropes together. The double fisherman
knot, however, is more popular. Bolts, rings, pitons, stuck nuts and cams and other piece of unremovable pro that may be found on a climb. Use at your own risk. Flail, toTo become very unsure and sketchy. When the flailing goes into frantic grabbing for holds, a fall is not far away. FlakeA thin bit of
rock that is detached from the main face. FlapperA piece of skin torn off your hand that creates a bloody wound. Usually happend when holding on too hard when gravity is winning. Flared A crack or chimney with sides that are not parallel, but instead form two converging planes of rock. Flash, to
To lead a climb with no falls or dogging and with no previous
attempts on the climb. Two variations exist: the onsight flash (where the
climber has never seen the climb before) and the beta flash (where the climber
has studied the climb before or has seen someone do the climb). See there. Following
Not leading a climb. Free climbing
Moving up a rock using only hands, feet, and natural holds.
Ropes and pro are only used for protection of the climber and not for
progression.
Free climbing while using no ropes for protection. You fall -
you die. Friend Trade name for the original camming devices, now also available as Camalots, TCU's, Quads, Aliens, Big Dudes, etc.
Gas The stuff your car and muscles run on. If you run out of gas.... Gate
The part of the karabiner that opens. Gerry rail A hold large enough for the most senior climbers. Glacier
A slowly moving permanent mass of ice. Gnarly Difficult, sharp, hard. Usually in reference to a hold or move. God-save-me The type of hold one lunges for hoping it will be the perfect bucket. Goomba Novice climber who thinks he knows it all. Unlike boneheads, goombas don’t know enough to get hurt. "Got me?" A wake up call for the belayer, used to warn her that you are about to put some weight on the rope. (pl) “Trzymasz?” / “Blokuj” Grade
A number denoting the seriousness of a route (not to be
confused with the rating of climb, which describes the technical difficulty). In
Britain, however, the word grade means both grade and rating.
Look here for the different grades...
Grapevine knot Gravical The adrenaline high felt with a lot of air between you and ground level. 'This is gravical, dude'. Grease, to Not being able to hold on to a particularly slick hold, due to the presence of sweat, lactic acid or sand. Not uncommon in overused crags Climbing English for awesome or cool. Grounder
A fall where the kinetic energy is not absorbed by the rope
and pro, but rather by mother earth itself. Can hurt badly. Grigri Nifty but somewhat controversial belaying device made by Petzl. Gripped Paralyzed with fear and utterly confused. Gully A wide, shallow ravine on a mountainside. Gumbie Also spelled Gumby. An inexperienced or new rock climber.
HACE
High Altitude Cerebral Edema. Liquid in the brain as a result
of high altitude exposure. Few people live to tell what it is like. Half rope
A rope of 9 or 8.5 mm that has to be used together with a
second rope when leading a climb. Handjam
Slightly masochistic technique where the hand is wedged into
a crack. Handle
Big banana-shaped hold often found in indoor gyms. Great for
waving hello to admiring bystanders. It may sound bizarre, but I've never seen
one of those outdoors... Hangdog, to See Dog. HAPE
High Altitude Pulmonary Edema. Liquid in the lungs as a
result of high altitude exposure. Pretty serious condition that can quickly lead
to HACE if a descent to lower altitudes is not made immediately. See also HACE.
A climber with seemingly superhero strength who has survived epics of grandiose proportions. Harness
Piece of clothing that identifies you as a climber. The
coolness factor can be significantly enhanced by hanging things from the harness
that go cling. Haul bag
Large and robust bag used to haul food, water, climbing gear,
sleeping bag, television, satelite dish, and other essential equipment that is
required, up a big wall. Also know as "the pig". Headwall Where the face of a mountain steepens dramatically. "Help"
The vocal alternative to 6 signals a minute. In far away
countries, try S.O.S. --
it doesn't mean anything but is
understood by most. Helmet
Solid plastic device that can sometimes protect the head from
falling stones or impact (Aka a brainbucket). Herbish The opposite of grodle. Not all that awesome. Hex Short for Hexentrix. A type of nut with an excentric hexadiagonal shape. Works for wedging (as a nut) but also for camming. Hueco A beautifully shaped pocket with a positive lip named after these incredible features found at the Hueco Tanks bouldering area in Texas. HMS
Karibiner with one wide side used for belaying with a munter
hitch (aka pearabiner). From the German term for munter hitch belay: 'Halbmastwurfsicherung'.
Hold
Anything that can be held on to. Horn Spike of rock that can be for a great hold or not so great protection. The same as a chickenhead. Hurtin unit That member of the climbing team that is suffering from severe exposure to alcoholic beverages the night before.
Ice axe
Device used for ice climbing, glacier crossing, or scaring
away burglars.
A protection device for ice climbing. Looks like a large bolt
that can be screwed in hard ice. Italian hitch
Munter hitch knot or HMS knot J Jam, to
Wedging body parts in a crack. Jingus Gnarly, sharp, hard, or radical. Often used as an expletive. Jug
Very large hold (short for jug handle) (Aka "bucket" in the
US). Jugs Big wall lingo for Jumars or any other type of ascenders. Jug, to To jumar up a line (big wall lingo). (f) monter au jumar Jumar A type of rope ascending device. Jumar, to
To ascend a rope using ascenders.
Metal connecting device, sometimes spelled with a 'c' in the
US. This most essential climbing device is also known as a "biner" in the US and
as "crab" or "krab" (mostly) in the UK. Kernmantle rope
Modern climbing rope consisting of bundles of continuous
nylon filaments (Kern) surrounded by a braided protective sheath (Mantle). kN Kilonewton. An abbreviation usually found on karabiners and other climbing gear. For those of you who are not engineers, one kilonewton is about 100 kg or about 220 lbs. (And for those of you who are, don't bother lecturing me). Knotted cord
Piece of cord with a knot tied into the end that is used for
protection (pretty much like a nut). The traditional method of protecting
climbs, and still used in the Elbsandsteingebirge in Eastern Germany. Krab Short for Karabiner. L Largo start A climb or bouldering problem where the first move starts with a jump for high holds. Named after John Long (or 'Largo'). Layback/Lieback
Somewhat clumsy looking climbing technique where hands and
feet work in opposition. Leader
Person who leads a climb. Lead, to
To ascend a climb from the bottom up, placing protection (or
clipping protection) as you go. Ledge
Flat bit on a rock (can be miniature or gigantic). Limestone
Type of rock found in abundance in southern France (usually
white and full of pockets and holds).
Karabiner that can be locked (in the UK, a
screwgate or
twistlock). Lock-off
To hold on to the rock with one bent arm while using the
other arm to reach up for the next hold or to place or clip protection. Lockoffs
on small holds will get you pumped in a hurry. Lowering
To descend something or somebody. M Manky
Term used to describe a fixed bolt that looks like it was
placed before the last ice age. Use these bolts at your own discretion Mantle
Difficult balancing move useful to get up on ledges.
Climbing with a combination of different methods of ascent.
e.g mixed free and aid climbing, mixed rock and ice climbing, etc. Moat The gap between snow and ice on a rock wall. Has posed problems ever since the middle ages. Mountain rescue
The people who put their life on the line when you screw up
badly. The dirt and vegetation that can sometimes be found in cracks. In the UK: Choss. Multi pitch climb
Climb that consists of more than a single pitch. Munter hitch
Knot used for belaying (Aka italian hitch or friction hitch).
The Germans love this knot (see HMS). N Nailing An ancient term used to describe direct-aid climbing with pitons. Needle
Rock with a characteristic pointed shape. Also known as
pinnacle, aiguille, gendarme, etc. Névé
Consolidated granular snow formed by repeated freeze-and-thaw
cycles. Also used to indicate permanent snowfields. Notch
A small col. Nut
Metal wedge used for protection in cracks. The piece of metal that Americans call a nut tool.
Piece of metal that can be used to remove stuck nuts or cams.
In the UK:
nut key. O "Off Belay"
Yelled when the climber no longer requires a belay (e.g.
because she/he has reached a stance). Once the belayer hears "off belay", he/she
removes the rope from the belay device and yells "belay off". In UK, Australia
and New Zealand: "Safe". Off width
A climb too wide to jam, too small to chimney. And then I've
heard of people who actually like this kind of climbing. "On Belay ???"
Query to verify if the belayer is ready to secure the climber
(US only). On-sight flash
Leading a climb with no falls and no dogging and without any
prior attempts, watching someone do it or beta on how to do the moves. Open book Same as a dihedral or inside corner. Two panes of rock join in an acute or obtuse corner that faces left or right. Outside corner
Also known as pillar or arete. Over-cam, to Compressing a cam to its absolute minimum size during placement, effectively eliminating the possibility of extraction. Overhand knot
A simple (but solid) knot in a double rope. Overhand loop
The simplest type of knot possible. Overhang
Rock (or ice) that is "more than vertical". Over-kilned A boiler plate or flaky rock P Pass
The lowest passage between two mountains. The french - but
not just the french - know this as a col. The mathematicians would call this the
saddle point. Party ledge
A somewhat larger ledge used to rest (and party !) during a
particularly hard or long climb. Sometimes used to refer to the belay station on
a multipitch climb. pendulum
A swing on the rope, either intentional to gain a distant
anchor on big wall climbs or unintentional when falling during a traverse with
not enough pro in place. Pig
The haul bag using for big wall climbing. Pillar
Outside corner Pimp, to To do a short semi-dynamic stab. It's not quite a dynamic move, but it's also not quite static. It's the happy median. Pink point
To red-point a climb where the pro and runners have been
pre-placed. Pitch
A section of climb between two belays and no longer than the
length of one rope (this used to mean 45m, nowadays pitches can also be 50 or
even 60m long -- check your topo). Piton
Metal spike hammered into a crack (has come in disuse for all
but some special applications) (Aka "peg" in the UK).
A hold formed by a (small) depression in the rock. Portaledge A hanging tent with built in bed used on big walls (and big trees). Pro, Protection
Anchors placed during the climb to protect the leader.
Beware: even properly placed pro does not prevent pregnancy or the transmission
of STDs. Prusik
The sliding knot or the method to ascend a rope (named after
its inventer Dr. Karl Prusik). Pumped
The feeling of overworked muscles. Most climbers are familiar
with the forearm pump: too much finger work causes the forearms to swell and the
strength to disappear. With a serious forearm pump, even holding a glass of beer
can become a serious challenge. Pumpy Describes a climb that will leave you pumped. Q Quickdraw, quick
Short sling with karabiners on either side. R Rack
The climbing gear carried during an ascent. Rack, to To sort the rack before engaging on the next climb or pitch. Rad Not trad. Slang for sport climbing. Rally, to
To climb exceptionally well, especially on normally difficult
climbs. Ramp An ascending ledge (d) Rampe Rappel, to
Also: to rap. Descending by sliding down a rope. Known in
Britain (and Germany) as abseiling. Individual who enjoys sliding down ropes instead of climbing up rocks. The second-lowest form of life on earth (second only to the touron) Rating
A number denoting the technical difficulty of the climb.
See here for more on ratings and grades.
R.D.S. Rapid Deceleration Syndrome. Military term for the very sudden illness that happens at the end of a long fall. Redpoint
To lead a climb without falling or dogging after a number of
attempts. This is different from onsight, where the climb is lead without
falling or dogging on its first attempt. Resin An alternative to chalk. Resin (or "pine tree |
