May 10 2007
More Rock Climbing Jargon
Here’s another useful list of rock climbing jargon:
Aid climbing - Using artificial aids to ascend the rock
Anchor - Main protection in a roped safety system
Apron - A low angle slab of rock
Arete - A sheer knife-edged. An outside corner
Balance - Where we place our center of gravity
Barndoor - The tendency of the body to swing out from the rock when executing a layback or using a sidepull
Belay, Belayer - In a roped safety system, the belay is the point where the rope is fed out, taken in, or stopped to catch falls. The belayer is one who does this.
Beta - An explanation of the sequence of climbing movement for a particular climb
Bouldering - Climbing without ropes close to the ground.
Bucket - An in cut hand hold.
Bulge - A portion of the rock that becomes overhanging then lessens is steepness
Buttress - A large face that protrudes from a ridge or slope.
Cam - A twisting motion that uses opposing forces to hold a part of the body in place.
Case-harding - Mineralization of the surface of the rock that produces holds. Also called Patina or Varnish.
Chalk - A substance used to dry sweat and oils from the hands.
Chichenhead - A protruding erosion feature characterized by a thin neck where it is attached to the rock.
Chimney - A large crack in the rock that is big enough to fit your entire body. A squeeze chimney fits only a part of your body.
Ceiling - An overhang that juts out horizontally from the rock.
Cling Grip - Arching the fingers inward on a handhold
Corner - The meeting point of two planes of rock. Also called a Dihedral or Open book
Crab Crawl - Facing outward while descending.
Cross-hands, Cross-feet, Cross-over - the act of crossing feet or hands to accomplish further reach on the next move.
Deadpoint - The point of maximum extension while lunging.
Dihedral - See Corner
Dike - A vein of harder rock that protrudes from the surface.
Dome - A large rock that lessens in steepness towards the top
Dynamic Climbing - Junping or lunging movements
Edge, Edging, Edging boot - A squared off hand or foothold; Pressing the edge and side of the boot into the hold; A boot with stiff soles and harder rubber.
Exfoliation - The erosion of successive layers of rock
Exposure - In creased height and steepness
Finger Crack, Finger lock - A thin crack that fits only your fingers; twisting of the fingers in a finger crack
Fifth Class Climbing - Near vertical climbing where a fall would result in death
First Class Climbing - Walking up a steep hill
Fist crack, Fist jam - A crack hose width is the same as you fist; expanding your fist is a jam.
Flake - Where two layers of rock meet.
Flash accent - Completing a climb for the first time without a fall
Follower - The second person in a roped climbing party that removes the protection.
Fourth Class Climbing - Climbing on large holds on steep rock. A fall may result in injury or death.
Free climbing - Climbing using only your hands and feet. A rope may be used for safety, but not for ascending.
Free soloing - Climbing without ropes where a fall could kill you.
Friction - How hard you press into a rock
Friction hold, Friction boot - A hold that is not positive, but lower angled or sloping; a boot with a soft rubber soul.
Hand crack, Hand jam - A crack that is the width of your hand; rolling the thumb into the palm to create a jam
Hand stack - Utilizing both hands to create a jam in a wide crack
Head wall - A large expanse of overhanging rock
Heel cup - The heel of the shoe.
Heel hook - Hanging by the heel.
Hueco - A shallow depression in the rock.
Imaging - Watching climbing and recording it in your mind subconsciously.
In-cut - A hold you can get you fingers behind.
Jam - Expanding a part of your body to hold it in place in a crack.
Knee-back - Opposition utilizing the knees against one wall and the back against the other wall.
Knob - A protrusion from the rock.
Lateral stiffness - The quality of a climbing shoe that prevents it from moving from side to side.
Layback - Pulling with the hands an pushing with the feet.
Leader - In a roped safety system, the leader climbs first and places protection.
Leavittation - A method of climbing wide cracks utilizing knee lock and hand stacks.
Lip - The edge of an overhang.
Lunge - Jumping for a hold.
Mantle - Boosting yourself on a hold or ledge by locking the elbows and bringing the feet up.
Match hands, Match feet - Placing both feet or both hands on the same hold.
Mountaineering - Climbing involving snow or ice.
On-sight ascent - Climbing a route for the first time without falling, without any prior knowledge about the climb.
Off-hands, Off-fingers jam - A jam slightly larger that a hand jam or a finger jam.
Off-width - A crack that you can get your arms and legs in, but not you entire body.
Open grip - Palm open , finger tips resting on the hold.
Opposition - Pushing in two different directions.
Outside corner - Where two planes of rock meet to form a vertical Arete.
Palming - Placing the entire hand over a rounded hold.
Pinch grip - Pinching the sides of a hold.
Pinnacle - A solitary shaft of rock that is separated from or leans against other rocks.
Piton - A type of protection that is hammered into cracks. Rarely used in modern free climbing.
Pockets - Small holes in the rock formed by trapped gas or solution.
Polish - Slippery rock formed by abrasion from water or glaciers.
Positive pull - A handhold that you can pull downward on.
Protection - Devices placed in the rock to catch a falling climber.
Push-off - Pushing upward off of a positive hold.
Rand - The rubber side of climbing shoes.
Ratings - Degrees of difficulty of climbs.
Redpoint - The ascent of a climb without a fall after many attempts
Ring grip - Using the thumb to hold down a finger.
Roof - See ceiling
Second Class Climbing - Hiking up steep and uneven terrain.
Sequence - Certain movements that are needed to climb a climb.
Side-pull - A hold that is grasped sideways.
Sixth Class Climbing - See aid climbing
Slab - See apron
Smearing - Pressing both feet against opposite holds.
Static climbing - Climbing in control with no jumping or sudden movements
Stem - Pressing both feet against opposite holds.
Tape - Adhesive cloth tape used to protect the hands when climbing cracks
Thank God hold - See buckets
Tips - A crack that is too small to stick your fingers in.
Toe cam - Wedging your toe in a crack.
Toe jam - Twisting your toe in a crack.
Toeing in - Pressing the toe of the boot into a crack that is too thin to toe jam.
Top rope - A roped safety system whereby a rope is dropped for the top of a cliff.
Torque - Twisting motion of a cam.
Traverse - Sideways climbing movement.
Vertical grip - Pressing the tips of the fingers into a hold with the first digits bent out ward and the other digits bent inward.
Visualization - Rehearsing a movement in your mind before doing it.
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