Climbing Lingo
The climbing world has a whole dictionary of words and phrases used for different things. When you first start climbing, it can be a bit overwhelming hearing everyone use all these terms that you’ve never heard before. In this blog, we’ll go over a bunch of the basic climbing terms to get you started!
Top Rope Climbing
The rope is already attached at the top of the route and the belayer is taking out the slack in the rope as you climb up.
Sport Climbing
You are attached to the rope and are clipping it into the pre-placed bolts as you go up the route. The belayer is feeding you rope as you climb up.
Trad Climbing
You are placing the gear in the wall as you climb up. The first person is leading the route and the second person is top roping.
Bouldering
Climbing close to the ground without using a rope. Your protection are crash pads on the ground below you, as well as a person spotting you.
Ice climbing
Climbing ice with the use of crampons, ice axes, and ice screws.
Crag
A climbing area
Approach
The hike to get to the crag or bouldering area.
Route / Problem
The specific line that you are climbing. With top rope, lead, and trad, it is a route. When bouldering, it is a problem.
Pitch / Multi-Pitch
One climbing route that can be done with the use of one rope length. A multi-pitch is a climb that is longer than the rope’s length. You are climbing more than one route, continuing up the same wall.
Big Wall
A multi-pitch route that usually takes multiple days to complete. This requires aid climbing, more gear, and sleeping on the wall.
Chalk / Chalk Bag
Chalk is used to keep the climber’s hands dry for a better grip, just like gymnast chalk. There is liquid chalk in a bottle, chalk blocks, or ground up chalk that you keep in a chalk bag.
Check out the chalk and chalk bags that we offer here!
Belay / Belayer
The belay system is what stops a climber from falling if they let go of the wall. To belay, you’ll need a belay device. The belayer is the person using the belay device and managing the rope to catch the climber in case they slip.
Slack
When the rope is loose. The belayer is the person who manages how much slack is in the rope. You should have enough slack so that your climber can freely move up and down if they need to, but too much slack will cause a big fall if they slip off the wall.
Beta
Information about the climb. This can include specific spots to grab or place your feet, or specific
Crux
The most difficult part of a route or problem
Whipper
A big fall on the rope
Sent it!
Finishing your climb!
On-sight
Sending a lead climb on your first try without having any prior knowledge or beta.
Flash
Sending a lead climb on the first try, using beta.
Red Point
Sending a climb on any try after your first attempt.
Crimp
A small edge hold that is only big enough for the pads of your fingers
Jug
A large hold that is easy to grip
Sloper
A large hold, typically round, that you can’t close your fingers around.
Now that you've got a hold on some basic climbing terms, get out there and climb!
