Dictionary - Wiki
If the word you’re looking for is a piece of gear, head over to our Gear page. For more exhaustive glossaries, you can try this or this
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Aid | Gear used as a means of ascent or protection in a manner that it would not normally be used. This is sometimes frowned upon, and depending on who you’re talking to some say it invalidates your ascent. Example: pulling on a quickdraw (generally awful idea, don’t do it), or using specialized gear like ascenders |
| Ale Ale Ale | Venga Venga Venga |
| Anchor | Usually at the top of the route, used to set up the rappel system or top rope. |
| Approach | The trail or hike taken to get to the climb. |
| Arête | The corner, side, or outward facing feature of a rock face. |
| Back-step | Turning hips and feet in one direction in order to stay close to the wall |
| Barn door | Loosing balance due to incorrect technique in which the left hand/left foot or right hand/foot both lose contact with the wall simultaneously, creating a door opening motion |
| Beta | Information, generally used to describe/ask about the sequence, method, or solution of completing a climb (i.e. What’s your beta on this problem?) |
| Bicycle | Placing both feet on either side of a hold in order to compress on it and keep body tension |
| Bomber | Relating to gear, meaning it’s very solid. 10/10 would whip. |
| Bouldering | Climbing boulders using the protection of crash pads and (hopefully) a spotter |
| Bump | Using an intermediate hold to reach for a further hold |
| Burn | Refers to one try, or attempt, on a climb (i.e. Good burn, give it a burn) |
| Campus | Ascending a route without feet, hands only. Good way to show off, but also to train. |
| Chossy | Generally loose or sketchy climbing, typically involving loose rock or features |
| Crag | Wherever you’re climbing. |
| Crimp (climbing hold) | Small, horizontal edge. 3 Types: Open hand crimp, half crimp, full crimp. |
| Cross | Crossing hands across body to reach a hold |
| Crux | The hardest move or sequence of a climb. |
| Deadpoint | Using momentum to reach a hold dynamically, in which the hold is located at the apex of the motion |
| Decking Out | Falling and hitting the ground. Ouch. |
| Deep-Water solo | Climbing routes without ropes, above bodies of water that are deep enough to prevent you from hitting its bottom. Falling means landing in the water and wet shoes. |
| Dihedral | “Open book” formation, where two faces meet at an inward corner. |
| Drop-knee | A drop knee where your inner-turned knee is rotated below your foot |
| Dyno | Using momentum to reach a hold dynamically in which all points of contact with the wall are lost momentarily |
| Flag | Normal, back, front. Using one leg as a counterbalance in order to maintain body control on moves. |
| Flake | Somewhat detached bit of rock from the main face. Can sometimes be loose, check it before putting weight on or hanging off of it. |
| Flash | To complete a climb on your first attempt, possibly with advanced knowledge of the correct Beta |
| Free solo | Climb a route without the aid of anything other than the climber’s ability not to fall. Often times falling means serious injury or death, please do not attempt this. |
| Gamba Gamba Gamba | C’mon! You got this! We are all supporting you! |
| Gaston (climbing hold) | A kind of grip which involves pushing a hold instead of pulling (off to the side) |
| Heel Hook | Leveraging/compressing on a foot hold using a heel, opening ones hips. |
| Highball | A very tall (and very dangerous) bouldering problem. |
| Jug (climbing hold) | Positive holds (can get hands behind and exert downward and outward force. Generally good holds. |
| Lead Climbing | Climbing a route and setting your protection as you go. Instead of the rope being above you like with Top Roping, the rope dangles below you and you bring it up with you as you go, securing it along the way. |
| Line | A.K.A. a route, or a climb. i.e. You know any sick lines in this area? |
| Lockoff | Holding one or both arms in a bent position |
| Match | Placing both hands on a single hold |
| Mantle | Pushing yourself onto a ledge, similar to getting out of a swimming pool. Sometimes involves attempting to stand on the same surface that the hands are on. |
| Onsight | To complete a climb on your first attempt having never seen the climb previously/having no Beta |
| Pinch (climbing hold) | Active hold, necessary to use fingers and thumb to compress hold (i.e. carrying a textbook) |
| Project | Typically a difficult route/problem that takes many tries to both figure out and complete, possibly over multiple days |
| Pump, pumped out | Forearm fatigue after climbing, as if someone pumped up your forearms. Caused by lactic acid buildup in the muscles. |
| Rappel | Descend a rock face or other near-vertical surface by using a doubled rope secured to the climber and fixed at a higher point |
| Redpoint | To complete a climb fully from ground up |
| Rope Solo | Using advanced techniques to safely arrest a fall using a rope without a partner. |
| Sandbag | When a route’s grade is completely different than how the climb feels. Could be undergraded, or just a strange climb. |
| Send | The completion of a climb |
| Sequence | The series of moves and body positions used to complete a climb. |
| Sick | Totally rad. i.e. You know any sick lines in this area? |
| Side-pull (climbing hold) | Orientation of a hold where it is leveraged from one side. |
| Slab | A flat rock face that is either vertical or slightly positive. Climbs on walls like this often require a lot of balance and trust in your footwork. |
| Sloper (climbing hold) | Negative hold, necessary to use friction and downward force in order to hold on |
| Smear | Applying direct perpendicular pressure to a wall in using the soles of your shoes in the absence of better footholds. |
| Sport Climbing | Climbing using the protection of a rope, however the climber sets their own protection by periodically clipping quickdraws to pre-existing bolts drilled into the rock. A form of lead climbing. |
| Spot, Spotter | Having someone positioned to catch or push you to saftey in the event of a fall close to the ground. Control the faller’s center of mass, direct them to a mat, and protect their head. |
| Toe Hook | Using ones toe to exert pressure on the far side of a hold in order to keep body tension |
| Top Roping | Climbing while attached to a rope that is securely attached to the top of the route. The safest way to climb. |
| Topping Out | Climbing to the very top of the climb, usually finishing by standing on top. |
| Trad Climbing | A.K.A Traditional climbing. Instead of using pre-existing bolts, climbers set their own gear for protection, such as cams and nuts, in constrictions, cracks, or features in the wall. A form of lead climbing. |
| Traverse | Climb a face laterally or diagonally instead of upwards. |
| Undercling (climbing hold) | Orientation of a hold where it is held underneath |
| Venga Venga Venga | Gamba Gamba Gamba |
| Whip, whipper | A hard or dynamic fall in which the person falling is nearly freefalling for a significant amount of time before the rope catches them. |