Glossary of climbing terms

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This page describes terms and jargon related to climbing and mountaineering.


Contents: Top - 0–9 A 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


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A

Ablation zone 
The area of a glacier where yearly melting meets or exceeds the annual snow fall.
Abseil 
The process by which a climber may descend on a fixed rope. Also known as Rappel.
Adze 
A thin blade mounted perpendicular to the handle on an ice axe that can be used for chipping.
Alpine start 
To make an efficient start on a long climb by packing all your gear the previous evening and starting early in the morning, usually before sunrise.
Altitude sickness 
A medical condition that is often observed at high altitudes. Also known as Acute mountain sickness, or AMS.
Anchor 
Any piece of protection put into the rock to arrest a climbers fall.
An arrangement of one or (usually) more pieces of gear set up to support the weight of a belay or toprope
Approach 
The path or route to the start of a technical climb. Although this is generally a walk or, at most, a scramble it is occasionally as hazardous as the climb itself.
Arête 
The outside corner of rock. See also dihedral.
Ascender 
A device for ascending on a rope. One type of mechanical ascender is the Jumar.
ATC 
A proprietary type of belay device. (ATC also stands for Air traffic controller.)
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B

"B"-grade 
A grading system for bouldering problems, invented by John Gill for the Yorkshire and the Peak District. Now largely superseded by the "V" grading system.
Back-clipping 
A hazardous mistake that can be made while lead climbing. The belay rope is clipped into a quickdraw in the wrong direction causing an increase in friction on the rope and an increase in the likelihood of the rope becoming unclipped during a fall.
Bail 
To give up on a climb.
Barn-dooring 
Swinging out from the wall like a door on a hinge.
Belay 
To protect a climber from falling using a rope, friction, and an anchor.
Belay device 
A mechanical device used to create friction when belaying by putting bends in the rope. Many types of belay device exist, including ATC, grigri, Reverso, Sticht plate, eight, tuber, and the Munter hitch. Some belay devices may also be used as descenders.
Belay slave 
Someone that volunteers for, or is tricked into, repeated belaying duties without partaking in any of the actual climbing.
Bergschrund 
A crevasse that forms on the upper portion of a glacier where the moving section pulls away from the headwall. Also called a 'shrund.
Beta 
Advice and/or instructions on how to successfully complete a particular climbing route.
Beta flash 
Ascent of a climb on the first attempt with some knowledge beta of that climb, with no falls or hangdogging. Also see on-sight.
Bivy 
A camp, or the act of camping, from "bivouac." On a big wall, camp can be made on a natural ledge or an artificial one, generally a cotlike device called a portaledge that hangs from anchors on the wall.
Blackpoint 
To complete a lead climb without falling or resting on the rope (hangdogging) at night without using artificial light. Also see redpoint, pinkpoint, whitepoint and eclipse.
Bolt 
An anchor-point permanently drilled into the rock.
Bolt chopping 
The deliberate and destructive removal of one or more bolts.
Bomb-proof anchor 
A totally secure anchor, or set of anchors. Also known as a bomber. Anchors are often misclassified as such.
Bouldering 
The practise of climbing on large boulders. Typically this is close to the ground, so protection takes the form of crash pads and spotting instead of belay ropes.
Bounce 
A deadly fall.
Bump 
To quickly move up a hand or a foot a small distance from one useful hold to another.
Bucket 
A large handhold.
Buildering 
The art of climbing on buildings. Note that this is often illegal.
Buttress 
A prominent feature that juts out from a rock or mountain.
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C

Cam 
To affix using counter-pressure. : A spring-loaded device used to place protection. See Spring loaded camming device.
Campus board 
Training equipment used to build finger strength and strong arm lock-offs.
Carabiner 
Metal rings with spring-loaded gates, used as connectors. Also known as crab or biner.
Chalk 
A compound used to improve grip by absorbing sweat. It is actually gymnastics chalk, usually magnesium carbonate. Its use is controversial in some areas.
Chalk bag 
A hand-sized holder for a climber's chalk that is usually clipped or tied onto the climber's harness for easy access during a climb.
Chimney 
A rock cleft with vertical sides mostly parallel, large enough to jam an appendage or two into. To climb such a structure, either by jamming or with a lieback.
Chock 
A mechanical device, or a wedge, used to attach anchors into cracks.
Choss 
Bad or "rotten" rock.
Clean 
To remove equipment from a route.
A route that is free of loose vegetation and rocks.
To complete a climb without falling or resting on the rope. Also see redpoint.
Cleaning tool 
A device for removing jammed equipment, especially nuts, from a route. Also known as a nut key.
Climbing area 
A region that is plentiful with climbing routes.
Climbing command 
A short phrase used for communication between a climber and a belayer.
Climbing gym 
Specialized indoor climbing centres. See gym climbing.
Climbing shoe 
Footwear designed specifically for climbing. Usually well fitting, with a rubber sole.
Climbing technique 
Particular techniques, or moves, commonly applied in climbing.
Climbing wall 
Artificial rock, typically in a climbing gym.
Clipping in 
The process of attaching to belay lines or anchors for protection.
Col 
A small pass between two peaks.
Couloir 
A steep gully or gorge frequently filled with snow or ice.
Cornice 
An overhanging edge of snow on a ridge.
Crack climbing 
To ascend on a rock face by wedging body parts into cracks, i.e. not face climbing. See jamming.
Crag 
A small area with climbing routes, often just a small cliff face or a few boulders.
Crampons 
Metal framework with spikes attached to boots to increase safety on snow and ice.
Crank 
To pull on a hold as hard as possible.
Crash pad 
A thick mat used to soften landings or to cover hazardous objects in the event of a fall. See: Bouldering mat
Crater 
Hitting the ground at the end of a fall instead of being caught by the rope.
Crimp 
a small but positive hold, with very little surface area.
the process of holding onto a crimp.
Crux 
The most difficult portion of a climb.
Cut-loose 
Where a climber's feet swing away from the rock on overhanging terrain, leaving the climber hanging only by their hands.
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D

Daisy chain 
A type of sling with multiple sewn, or tied, loops. In many situations this can be more versatile than a normal sling.
Dead hang 
To hang limp, such that weight is held by ligament tension rather than muscles.
Deadman 
A dynamic climbing technique in which the hold is grabbed at the apex of upward motion. This technique places minimal strain on both the hold and the arms.
Deadman anchor 
An object buried into snow to serve as an anchor for an attached rope. One common type of such an anchor is the snow fluke.
Deadpoint 
The apex of an upward dynamic move.
Deck 
The ground. : To hit the ground, usually the outcome of a fall.
Descender 
A device for controlled descent on a rope. Many belay devices may be used as descenders, including ATCs, eights, or even carabiners.
Dialled 
To have complete understanding of a particular climbing move or route.
Diamox 
A drug used to inhibit the onset of altitude sickness. Otherwise known as Acetazolamide.
Dihedral 
The inside corner of rock. See also arête.
Downclimb 
To descend by climbing downward, typically after completing a climb.
Dry tooling 
Using tools for ice climbing like crampons and ice axes on rock.
Dulfersitz 
A method of rappelling, without mechanical tools, where the uphill rope is straddled by the climber then looped around a hip, across the chest, over the opposite shoulder, and held with the downhill hand to adjust the shoulder friction and thus the descending speed.
Dynamic rope 
A slightly elastic rope that softens falls to some extent. Also tend to be damaged less severely by heavy loads. Compare with static rope.
Dyno 
A dynamic move to grab a hold that would otherwise be out of reach. Generally both feet will leave the rock face and return again once the target hold is caught. Non-climbers would call it a jump or a leap.
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E

Eclipse 
A clean ascent, with no prior practice or beta accomplished at night without using articificial lights. Also see flash, on-sight, whitepoint and blackpoint.
Edge 
A thin ledge on the rock.
Edging 
Using the edge of the climbing shoe on a foothold.
Egyptian 
A climbing technique used to reduce tension in arms while holding a side grip.
Eight 

A belay device or descender. Named from its appearance as the digit "8".

Eight-thousander 
A mountain that tops 8,000 metres.
Exposure 
Empty space below a climber, usually referring to a great distance above the deck through which the climber could fall.
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F

Face climbing 
To ascend on a rock face using finger holds and edges, i.e. not crack climbing.
Fall 
Undesirable downward motion. Hopefully stopped by a rope, otherwise see mountain rescue.
Figure Four 
Advanced climbing technique where the climber hooks a leg over the opposite arm, and then pushes down with this leg to achieve a greater vertical reach. Requires strength and a solid handhold.
Finger board 
Training equipment used to build grip strength and arm strength.
First ascent 
The first successful completion of a route.
Fist jam 
A type of jam using the hand. See climbing technique.
Fixed rope 
A rope which has a fixed attachment point. Commonly used for abseiling or aid climbing.
Flagging 
Climbing technique where a leg is held in a position to maintain balance, rather than to support weight. Often useful to prevent barn-dooring.
Flake 
A thin slab of rock detached from the main face.
Flapper 
An injury consisting of a piece of loose (flapping) skin. A climber will usually just repair these with sticky tape.
Flash 
To successfully and cleanly complete a climbing route on the first attempt.
Follow 
What the second does.
Fourteener 
Mountain that tops 14,000 feet in the contiguous United States.
Free climbing 
Climbing without unnatural aids, other than used for protection.
Friction 
Climbing technique relying on the friction between the sloped rock and the sole of the shoe to support the climber's weight, as opposed using holds or edges, cracks, etc.
Friend 
A name brand of a type of spring loaded camming device (SLCD), sometimes used to refer to any type of spring loaded camming device.
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G

Gaston 
A type of climbing grip. Best described as a handhold thats is only good from the side, but you must hold it with your elbows pointing out.
Gendarme 
A pinnacle or isolated rock tower frequently encountered along a ridge.
Glissade 
A usually voluntary act of sliding down a steep slope of snow.
Gorp 
Trail mix for periodic nibbling to keep high energy level between meals on long climbs or hikes. An acronym for 'Good Ol' Raisins & Peanuts'
Grade 
Intended as an objective measure of the technical difficultly of a particular climb or bouldering problem. More often is highly subjective, however.
GriGri 
A belay device designed to be easy to use and safe for beginners because it is self-locking under load. Invented and manufactured by Petzl.
Gripped 
Scared.
Grovel 
To climb with obviously poor style or technique.
A climbing route judged to be without redeeming virtue.
Gumby 
An inexperienced climber.
Gym climbing 
Climbing indoors, on artificial climbing walls. This is typically for training but many people consider this a worthwhile activity in its own right.
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H

HACE 
High Altitude Cerebral Edema - a severe, and often fatal, form of altitude sickness.
Hand traverse 
Traversing without any footholds.
Hangdog 
While lead climbing, to hang on the rope or an anchor for a rest.
Hanging belay 
Belaying at a point such that the belayer is suspended.
HAPE 
High Altitude Pulmonary Edema - a serious form of altitude sickness.
Harness 
See climbing harness. A sewn nylon webbing device worn around the waist and thighs that is designed to allow a person to safely hang suspended in the air.
Haul bag 
A large and often unwieldy bag into which supplies and climbing equipment may be thrown.
Headwall 
The region of a cliff or rock face that steepens dramatically.
Helmet 
Also known as a brain bucket or skid lid. It can save your life, but only while worn.
Hexcentric 
A protective device. It is an eccentric hexagonal nut attached to a wire loop. The nut is inserted into a crack and it holds through counter-pressure. Often just termed Hex.
Honed 
To be in peak mental and physical fitness for climbing.
Hook 
Equipment used in aid climbing.
A climbing technique.
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I

Ice axe 
A handy tool for safety and balance.
Ice screw 
A screw used to protect a climb over steep ice or for setting up a crevasse rescue system. The strongest and most reliable is the modern tubular ice screw which ranges in length from 18 to 23 cm.
Indoor climbing 
See gym climbing.
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J

Jamming 
Wedging a body part into a crack.
Jug hold 
A large, easily held hold. Also known simply as a jug.
Jumar 
  1. A type of mechanical ascender.
  2. To ascend a rope using a mechanical ascender.
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K

Klemheist knot 
An alternative to the Prusik knot, useful when the climber is short of cord but has plenty of webbing.
Knots 
Climbers rely on many different knots for anchoring oneself to a mountain, joining two ropes together, slings for climbing up the rope, etc.
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L

Lead climbing 
A form of climbing in which the climber places anchors and attaches the belay rope as they climb.
Leader Fall 
A fall while Lead climbing. A fall from above the climbers last piece of protection. The falling leader will fall at least twice the distance back to her last piece, plus slack and rope stretch.
Lieback 
Or layback. A climbing move that involves pulling on the hands while pushing on the feet.
Locking carabiner 
A carabiner with a locking gate, to prevent accidental release of the rope.
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M

Mantle 
A move used to surmount a ledge or feature in the rock in the absence of any useful holds directly above. It involves pushing down on a ledge or feature instead of pulling down. In ice climbing, a mantle is done by moving the hands from the shaft to the top of the ice tool and pushing down on the head of the tool.
The external covering of a climbing rope. Climbing ropes use kernmantle construction consisting of a kern (or core) for strength and an external sheath called the mantle.
Match 
To use one hold for two limbs, or to swap limbs on a particular hold.
Moat 
A crevasse that forms where the glacier pulls away from a rock formation.
Mountain rescue 
A friendly team of people that will come and rescue you after an injury or accident. Also see coroner.
Move 
Application of a specific climbing technique to progress on a climb.
Multi-pitch climbing 
Climbing on routes that are too long for a single belay rope.
Munter hitch 
A simple hitch that is often used for belaying without a mechanical belay device. Otherwise known as an Italian hitch or a Friction hitch.
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N

Névê 
Permanent granular ice formed by repeated freeze-thaw cycles.
No-hand rest 
An entirely leg-supported resting position during climbing that does not require hands on the rock.
Nub 
A little hold that only a few fingers can grip, or the tips of the toes.
Nunatak 
A mountain or rock that protrudes through an ice field.
Nut 
A metal wedge attached to a wire loop that is inserted into cracks for protection. See hexcentric.
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O

Off-width 
A crack that is too wide for effective hand or foot jams, but is not as large as a chimney.
On-sight 
A clean ascent, with no prior practise or beta.
Open book 
An inside angle in the rock. See also dihedral.
Overhang 
A section of rock or ice that is angled beyond vertical. See roof.
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P

Peel 
To fall.
Pickets 
Long, tubular rods driven into snow to provide a quick anchor.
Pinkpoint 
To complete a lead climb without falling or resting on the rope (hangdogging), but with pre-placed protection and carabiners. Also see clean and redpoint.
Pitch 
The portion of a climb between two belay points.
Piton 
A metal spike that may be hammered into ice or flaws in rock.
Plunge step 
An aggressive step pattern for descending on hard or steep angle snow.
Positive 
Of a hold or part of a hold, having a surface facing upwards, or away from the direction it is pulled, facilitating use.
Pressure Breathing 
Forcefully exhaling to facilitate O2/CO2 exchange at altitude. Also called the "Whittaker wheeze".
Protection 
Process of setting equipment or anchors for safety.
Equipment or anchors used for preventing falls. Commonly known as Pro.
Prusik 
A knot used for ascending a rope. It is named after Dr Karl Prusik, the Austrian mountaineer who developed this knot in 1931.
To use a Prusik knot for ascending a rope.
Pumped 
To have such an accumulation of lactic acid in the flexor digitalis (forearm), that forming even a basic grip becomes impossible.
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Q

Quickdraw 
Used to attach a freely running rope to anchors or chocks. Sometimes called "quickies" or just "draws."
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R

Rack 
The part of a harness from which equipment is hung, consisting of several stiff plastic loops attached to the waistband.
The set of equipment carried up a climb.
Rappel 
The process by which a climber may descend on a fixed rope using a friction device. Also known as Abseil or roping down..
Rebolting 
The replacement of bolts on an existing climb.
Redpoint 
To complete a lead climb without falling or resting on the rope (hangdogging). Also see clean and pinkpoint.
Rest step 
Energy-saving technique where unweighted leg is rested between each forward step.
Retro-bolting 
The addition of bolts to an existing climb.
Roof 
Horizontal overhang.
Rope 
An essential item of climbing equipment.
Route 
The path of a particular climb, or a predefined set of moves.
Runner 
Another term for sling.
Runout 
The span between two points of protection.
A long portion of a route without adequate protection.
RURP 
Acronym, stands for Realized Ultimate Reality Piton. Miniature, postage-stamp sized piton originally designed by Yvon Chouinard
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S

Saddle 
A high pass between two peaks, larger than a col.
Sandbag 
A climb which receives a much lower grade than deserved. A traditionally protected climb can, if undergraded, be very dangerous, and the term sandbag is often said with a note of respectful dread.
Scrambling 
Non-technical climbing.
Screamer 
  1. A long and loud fall.
  2. A nylon webbing structure consisting of one large loop sewn up in multiple places to make a shorter length. In the event of a fall the sewn sections part, absorbing some of the fall energy and decelerating the climber.
Scree 
Loose, broken rock that climbers can never avoid.
Second 
A climber who follows the lead, or first, climber.
Self-Arrest 
The act of planting your ice axe into the snow during a rapid, uncontrolled descent in order to make an emergency stop.
Serac 
A large ice tower.
Sewing machine leg 
The involuntary vibration of one or both legs resulting from fatigue or panic. Also known as "Elvis Presley Syndrome", or "Disco knee".
Sharp end 
The end of the belay rope that is attached to the lead climber.
Side grip 
A (usually vertical) hold that needs to be gripped with a sideways pull. Often just simply called a "side pull."
Sirdar 
Head Sherpa mountain guide.
Sit start 
Starting a climb from a position in which the climber is sitting on the floor. This is common on short sport climbing routes and in climbing gyms in order to fit an extra move into the climb.
Slab 
A relatively flat and featureless block of rock.
SLCD 
Abbreviation for spring loaded camming device, a type of protection device. These are better known by the term cam.
Sling 
Webbing sewn, or tied, into a loop.
Sloper 
A sloping hold with very little positive surface. A sloper is comparable to palming a basketball.
Smearing 
To use friction on the sole of the climbing shoe, in the absence of any useful footholds.
Smumping 
To quickly bump up a smear in small increments until a useful hold is reached.
Snarg 
A type of tubular ice screw that is inserted by hammering.
Snow fluke 
An angled aluminium plate attached to a metal cable. The fluke is buried into snow, typically used as a deadman anchor.
Solo climbing 
Climbing without any protection (free solo) or setting and cleaning ones own protection on an ascent.
Sport climbing 
A form of climbing where grace and technical (or gymnastic) ability are considered more important than danger, exhilaration or brute strength. Sport climbing routes tend to be well protected with pre-placed bolt-anchors.
Spotting 
An alternative to belaying commonly used during bouldering. A friend of the climber stands beneath them and prevents awkward falls or falls onto hazards.
Static 
Of a style of climbing or specific move, not dynamic.
Static rope 
A non-elastic rope. Compare with dynamic rope.
Stem 
  1. The simultaneous use of two widely spaced footholds.
  2. Climbing using two faces that are at an angle (<180) to each other.
Sticht plate 
A belay device consisting of a flat plate with a pair of slots. Named after the inventor Franz Sticht.
Stick clip 
A device used in sport climbing to clip the first bolt. This is especially useful if the first bolt is high up, and out of the comfort zone of the climber. A stick clip can be bought, or easily made.
Stopper 
  1. A wedge-shaped nut.
  2. A knot used to prevent the rope running through a piece of equipment.
Summit 
  1. The high point of a mountain or peak.
  2. To reach such a high point.
Swami Belt 
A kind of proto- climbing harness consisting or a long length of tubular webbing wrapped several times around the climbers body and secured with a water knot. Largely eschewed today in favor of commercial harnesses.
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T

Thrutching 
Bad technique or 'body climbing' specifically at Mount Arapiles
Top rope 
To belay from a fixed anchor point above the climb.
Tramming 
A technique that is typically used while cleaning gear from a steep route. A quickdraw is clipped between the climber's harness and the rope that is threaded through the gear. As the climber is lowered by the belayer, they will descend along the line of the gear.
Traverse 
To climb in a horizontal direction.
A feature of a rock that allows relatively easy progress in a horizontal direction.
A Tyrolean traverse is crossing a chasm using a rope anchored at both ends.
A pendulum traverse involves swinging from a protection point.
Tuber 
A belay device.
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U

Undercling 
A hold or flake that is upside down.
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V

"V"-grade 
A technical grading system for bouldering problems, invented by John Sherman.
Verglas 
A thin coating of ice that forms over rocks when rainfall or melting snow freezes on rock. Hard to climb on as crampons have insufficient depth for reliable penetration.
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W

Wand 
A bamboo stick with a small flag on top used to mark paths over glaciers and snow fields.
Webbing 
Hollow and flat rope, mainly used to make runners and slings.
Weighting 
Resting by hanging on the belay rope.
Whipper 
A lead fall from above and to the side of the last clip, whipping oneself downwards and in an arc.
Whitepoint 
To complete a lead climb without falling or resting on the rope (hangdogging) at night using artificial light. Also see redpoint, pinkpoint, blackpoint and eclipse.
Wired 
To have the moves required for completing a climb memorized. See dialled.
Wires 
A slang term for nuts.
Woodie 
A home made climbing wall.
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X

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Y

Yosemite Decimal System 
A numerical system for rating the difficulty of walks, hikes, and climbs in the United States. The rock climbing (5.x) portion of the scale is the most common climb grading system used in the US. The scale runs from 5.0 to 5.15a (as of 2005)
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Z

Z-clipping 
Clipping into an anchor with the segment of rope from beneath the previous anchor, resulting in an unsafe configuration of the belay rope.
Zipper fall 
A fall in which each piece of protection fails in turn.
Z-pulley 
A particular configuration of rope, anchors, and pulleys typically used to extricate a climber after falling into a crevasse.
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See also

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External links

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