Climbing slang. Free solo Climbing without aid or protection.

Climbing slang Why are There Different Terms for Climbing Moves? A slang term for a dynamic move from one climbing hold to another. Crab —Slang for a carabiner. Slab – Low angle climbing, often with few holds and requiring friction technique. . A combination of free soloing, and BASE jumping. D Glossary of climbing terms relates to rock climbing (including aid climbing, lead climbing, bouldering, and competition climbing), mountaineering, and to ice climbing. The climber uses the edges of their feet instead of the soles. Crux —The toughest move or sequence of moves on a climb. A dyno requires explosive movement and often means that during the leap or lunge, the climber won’t be touching the rock at all. Gumby: a derogatory term for a new climber. But does rock climbing have enough slang? Until “climber speak” is so dense that it’s listed as its own Core —The center fibers of a climbing rope. A simple type of plywood wall that features a combination of either bolt-on holds or screw-on holds. Here are the basic climbing terms to get you going, in alphabetical order: 1 Jan 4, 2024 · Sport climbing . Deep water climbing is where the climber uses the water below as the “safety net” in case they fall. Aug 2, 2024 · The experience of rock climbing is pretty unique, as is the slang that describes aspects of the experience. Whippers can be scary but are usually safe with proper belaying techniques. Nov 8, 2023 · Rock Climbing Lingo: Common Rock Climbing Slang & Terminologies. Crux: the most technically demanding section of a climb. The gear is either passive gear that slots into a crack (nuts, hexes) or active gear that you place inside of a crack in the rock (cams/spring-loaded camming devices). With so much rock climbing slang and funny climbing terms, it can be hard to understand anything that a climber says at first. #29 Yosemite Decimal System Jul 11, 2023 · Once you’ve got your climbing shoes and a chalk bag or bucket, learning the lingo, language, slang, etc is the next step any prospective rock climber should take. 2) Showing up to a climb with the wrong information, wrong gear, or forgotten items Feb 9, 2020 · Simul-climbing – When two people connected by a rope, with at least some gear between them, are climbing simultaneously. Often incorrectly used by non-climbers as a synonym for soloing. Understanding the lingo can help make the sport feel more approachable, but it is also essential to your safety in many situations. Free solo Climbing without aid or protection. Sport climbing is a type of rock climbing where you ascend a natural or artificial rock wall that has fixed protection points that you can clip quickdraws into. Ice Climbing. Spotting. A technique used to place weight on very small or thin footholds. Bumbly: a novice or incompetent climber. Crag —A small cliff, or the term for a climbing area. Can be paper-thin to larger than body size. Free climbing Climbing without unnatural aids, other than used for protection. It requires precise finger strength and control May 12, 2023 · Climbing slang. Common climbing slang terms Woody. Edging. A spotter is a person who stands below the climber with their arms raised to help guide them towards the crash pad if they fall. Ice climbing usually uses picks, crampons, ropes and protective gear while the climber climbs frozen water falls, cliffs, frozen slabs and other similar terrains. Mar 14, 2021 · Rock climbing being a team sport, you need to have a grasp of the basic lingo to be able to seamlessly (and safely) communicate with other climbers. Cheese grater: the unfortunate effect of a fall on slabby terrain. May 19, 2014 · Climbing with your only protection being a parachute that is deployed in the event of a fall. Most of it is pretty funny and doesn’t effect your actual climbing experience at all. Trad climbing is placing your own gear as protection instead. Mar 6, 2025 · Crimping is rock climbing slang that involves gripping small rock holds with your first pads on your fingers and applying pressure to small edges. Jun 24, 2024 · Climbing slang for a dramatic, often long, lead fall where a climber falls past the last piece of protection they clipped, creating an arc-shaped trajectory. These specialized terms (like beta, dyno, and crimp) help climbers describe routes and movements with precision. Common on fast ascents of multi-pitches and big walls. To help you newcomers avoid sounding like a total kook—and you trad dads brush up on the latest lingo—I’ve gone ahead and outlined 47 essential climbing terms you need to know Sport climbing is lead climbing outside with bolts to protect you. See sheath. Even if you feel like a “gumby” (inexperienced climber) on the wall, you can show other enthusiasts you’re not by using these climbing slang terms. Jan 27, 2022 · Sandbag: 1) A climb, or climbing area, is sandbagged when the climbing feels harder than the ratings suggest. It’s not unique to our sport. Figure of 8 Jul 21, 2023 · If you watched Alex Honnold climbing nearly 3,000 feet of sheer granite without a rope, but you weren’t completely certain what he was talking about half of the time, or if you just got into climbing and you’re looking to improve your crag-slang skills, or even if you’re just curious whether climbing slang is as weird as the words you use in your hobby, then this glossary is for you. You’ll be sure to pick up a few things. Crack —A fissure in a rock wall, typically used for hand- and footholds while climbing. Deep Water Climbing aka Deep Water Soloing aka Psicobloc. Feb 18, 2025 · Climbing slang serves as a critical communication tool in the climbing community. Typical of any sport or subculture, rock climbing has its fair share of vocabulary that may seem intimidating at first. Can I Start Climbing Without Knowing All These Terms? Go to the climbing gym and listen to the teenagers or early 20s climbers talk. Dec 6, 2017 · Like a parent snooping on her teenager’s text messages, climbing slang sounds like utter nonsense to outsiders. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 3 ] The terms used can vary between different English-speaking countries; many of the phrases described here are particular to the United States and the United Kingdom. Surfers, skateboarders, and (probably) standup paddleboard yogis all have their jargon. Slack – Extra loose rope in a climbing system, between the belayer and the climber. The language goes beyond mere jargon – it creates clear safety protocols and builds shared understanding among climbers. kqwcr sstaxsm fliqukw ffpum nxqyi jmi pfrq hua yanfete lixzxc