About Climbing: Glossary
This page provides definitions for a variety of climbing terms used throughout the site.
bouldering
chalk bag
crux
grade
harness
holds, incut, sloper, scab, handle, undercling, finger pocket, sidepull
formation, arete, dihedral, chimney, slab, face, cave, overhang, overhanging, roof
lead, leading, leader, second, seconding, protection, pro, quickdraw, carabiner, pitch
moves, backfoot, backstep, counterpressure...
problems
roped, figure-eight
shoes
spotted, spotting
style, on-sight, redpoint, free, aid, solo
take, taking
toprope, toproping
traverse, traversing
belay, belayer, belaying, climber, rotation
A climbing group usually consists of at least two people. One is the climber, while the other protects the climber by belaying. The belayer threads the rope through a belay device (which may be a figure eight, a tuber, or an automatic lock belay device such as a Grigri). If the climber is on toprope, the belayer uses a special rope handling technique to pull the rope in through the belay device (often called "take" or "taking"). If the climber is on lead, the belayer uses a similar technique to feed the rope through the belay device so that it follows the climber up the wall. In either case, the belayer is responsible for paying close attention to the climber so as to be prepared for a fall, for encouraging the climber as needed, and for helping the climber identify which holds might be good to use in a particular situation (assuming the climber desires the assistance, which they often do not).
When there are more than two people in a climbing group, belay order can be used to help keep track of who climbs next, with the belayer always being next to climb. If there are three or more people in the climbing group, then the climber always gets a rest before having to belay. The sequence of climbers at the rope is sometimes called "the rotation", with a "two-person rotation" being especially grueling, since the climber immediately belays after climbing and then climbs again.
bouldering
The activity of either climbing or traversing a low wall within a short distance of the ground. In the gym, the climber is protected from falls by a variety of thick mats. Outside, some climbers are spotted by a friend, or bring a special mat of their own, called a "crash pad".
chalk bag
A bag hung from the harness to contain magnesium carbonate ("chalk"). Chalk is used to dry sweat on hands, or just for a psychological pause. ("Think about it," one climber said, "you're at the crux having a hard time, so what do you do? You take a hand off a good hold and dip it in the chalk bag. It's crazy!")
crux
The most difficult or key moves on the climb. A climb can have more than one crux.
grade
Climbing grades in the United States follow the Yosemite grading scale. On that scale, grade 5 is the grade which requires ropes for safety (grade 4 is steep hiking). Within grade 5 are many gradations. At the end of the 1990s, the easiest grade 5 is 5.0; the hardest is 5.14d, and there are one or two climbs which may become the next grade - 5.15. 5.0 through 5.6 are generally considered beginner climbs. 5.7 through 5.9 intermediate, and 5.10 and above expert; 5.12 and above are elite. Very few people in the world can climb 5.14.
Once into the 5.10 grade, grades are subdivided into additional letter grades - a,b,c,d. Generally, 5.10 b/c is the same as 5.10.
Additionally, there are plus and minus grades. The plus (+) means that just about every move is at the rating. The minus (-) means only a few moves are at the rating.
Grades are somewhat subjective and climbs of the same grade can vary sharply for any given climber. In Connecticut, most grades are based on the difficulty of the climb once all of the moves are known. Thus, many of them feel much harder than their grade when tried on-sight.
harness
A harness connects the climber to the rope. It also supports the belay device and the chalk bag.
holds, incut, sloper, scab, handle, undercling, finger pocket, sidepull
There are many different kinds of holds - climbers have more names for holds than Eskimos (or Inuit, if you prefer) have for snow. Here are some of the most common:
| incut | When large, usually called a "bucket"; when small called a "crimper" or "tendon blaster". Incut holds are among the easiest to use because they have a raised edge which makes them easy to fit fingers to, but the smaller ones are often painful. |
| sloper | "football", "breadloaf", "dome" or "ball" are some of the common terms used for slopers. Slopers, unlike incuts, usually do not offer deep openings for fingers. In fact, just the opposite. Slopers have a reputation for being tricky, deceitful, and hard to hold. But getting better at using slopers is essential to a climber's improvement. |
| scab | Scabs are tiny holds, often protruding a quarter inch or less from the wall. Nasty things that look like run over pieces of tar are common scabs, but "Barts" (which look like the head of Bart Simpson from the Fox cartoon show) are also common. On climbs below grade 5.10, scabs are usually footholds. On harder climbs, scabs can be the primary or only holds. Some of the hardest climbs offer little but scabs and slopers. |
| handle | Handles are "beyond incuts" - like ladder handles, they never occur in nature. But they are very useful when climbing on roofs, especially in the bouldering cave. |
| undercling | A hold where the opening or best grip points downward. |
| finger pocket | A hold with an opening for one or a couple of fingers - be careful with these, as they can cause hand and finger injuries if you fall while using them and don't remove your fingers quickly enough. |
| sidepull | A hold meant to be gripped from the side rather than the top. |
formation, arete, dihedral, chimney, slab, face, cave, overhang, overhanging, roof
There are many different types of wall formations, in both the gym and on the cliffs outdoors:
| arete | A sharp edge to a wall, often sidepulled. |
| dihedral | A sort of inverse arete - where two walls join at an angle. |
| chimney | A wide slot in a wall that allows the climber to stem. |
| slab | A wall that is less than 90 degrees. Usually with very small holds, requiring smearing. |
| face | Any flat wall. |
| cave | Self-explanatory, right? |
| overhang / roof | Any change in angle to steeper than 90 degrees. The most extreme overhang is the roof, which is a horizontal (upside down) wall. |
lead, leading, leader, second, seconding, protection, pro, quickdraw, carabiner, pitch, nuts, cams
A climber on lead navigates the wall with the rope trailing below. The leader then either places removable protection devices (also called "pro") in the rock (outdoors) or uses bolt hangers protruding from the wall (indoors and outdoors) to clip the rope (carabiners or "biners" are used to clip the rope, while a "quickdraw" is used to connect the clipping carabiner to another carabiner which is attached to the rope). Then, if the leader falls, the distance fallen is twice the distance above the last protection. In most cases, the maximum distance a leader prefers for such a fall is ten feet, with five feet between protection placements ensuring this distance.
Once the leader has reached the end of the rope or a convenient resting place, either a belay station is established by the leader (outdoors only) or the belayer lowers the leader from the highest protection point (this is most common in the gym). This segment of a climb is called a pitch, and (outdoors) usually ranges between 80 and 150 feet.
The belayer then becomes the second. Usually, the belayer ties the rope to his harness using the figure eight prior to the departure of the leader. Outdoors, this ensures that the leader does not pull the rope away from the belayer. The second climbs the same climb as the leader and retrieves whatever protection or quickdraws were used by the leader. It is an important responsibility of the leader to arrange pro placements such that the second is not endangered by removing protection. This is especially necessary on a traverse. It is an important responsibility of the second to manage the retrieved gear in the manner preferred by the leader, and to be able to smoothly pass the gear to the leader.
Leading is inherently more dangerous than toproping. It is especially dangerous outside, and should not be undertaken without instruction. Preferably, the climber intending to become a leader spends a fairly lengthy period of apprenticeship seconding a mature and experienced leader, learning the lore of gear placement, rests, fear / danger management, and handling falls.
There are many types of protection, including
| nuts |
Wired wedges with a taper and usually a curve, that can be inserted into cracks. The second usually carries a metal probe called a "nutpick" to help get out nuts that are wedged too strongly in a crack to be pulled or wiggled out. Micronuts are a variation on nuts. They are typically not much bigger than the wires threaded through them, and are used in situations where cracks are very small and narrow. Nut sizes are numbered, but the numbering systems are not standardized. Climbers refer to "a seven" or "a three". |
| cams |
Mechanical devices that expand to fill a crack and which provide a "trigger" to shrink the cam down so it can be inserted and withdrawn. TCUs (three-cam units) are smaller than the normal cams (which have four separate surfaces to press against the rock). Camalots are a special cam developed by Black Diamond. They operate over a wider range than most cams. Cam sizes are numbered like nuts. Numbers like "zero" typically refer to TCUs. Like nuts, the sizes are not standardized. |
| quickdraws | Quickdraws are small fabric loops (slings) used with a carabiner at each end to connection protection to the rope. |
| pitons | Metal "pins" hammered into cracks. Not commonly used in free climbing. More often used in aid climbing. |
problems
Problems are combinations of formations, holds, and moves. Some of the less intuitive terms for problems include:
| thin face | Usually on vertical or less than vertical walls, these are problems with small holds (often incut or scab) which require careful balance and high levels of contact (finger and toe) strength and endurance. |
| friction | Usually on slabs, these problems place a premium on the ability to step delicately and carefully and usually require the climber to rely on smearing. |
| technical | Places a premium on being able to execute complex sequences of varying moves. |
| burly | Requires lots of strength. Usually overhangs. |
moves, backfoot, backstep, counterpressure, crossover, heel-hook, high-step, hop, layback, mantle, sidepull, smear, sketch, stem, step-through, toe-hook, undercling, beta, dynamic, deadpoint
Climbers have more names for moves than they have even for holds. The names for moves are almost a language in themselves, and when climbers describe moves on a climb using this language, it is called "beta".
| backfoot / backstep | Standing sideways in relation to the wall, with the inner edge of one foot on one hold and the outer edge of the other foot on another. This twisting motion enables the climber to release the hand twisted toward. Climbers can also stem in the backfoot position. |
| counterpressure | A counterpressure move is one where the climber suspends between straight arms, usually against the two walls of a dihedral, and uses that leverage to move the feet up. Often used in conjunction with the stem, this can be a very energy-conserving move. |
| crossover | Reaching one hand across the other when the other hand has a hold already. A crossover twists one side of the body toward the wall and can help hold the twisted into foot against an insecure hold. |
| heel-hook, toe-hook | Hooking the heel of the foot on an arete or a hold to help keep the climber from swinging away from the wall. Most frequently used in bouldering, the heel-hook can be useful on more conventional climbs. The toe-hook is a similar sort of move, but uses the toe to catch the arete or the hold. A toe-hook is sometimes used to stabilize when coming over the edge of a roof. |
| high-step | Flexible climbers can lift their foot to holds near their waist. This allows them to rest their center of gravity over that hold and push strongly with the massive muscles of the thigh. Reputedly, this is one of the strengths of the shorter climber, who does not end up leaning out as far as the taller climber when high-stepping. |
| hop | Sometimes a climber needs to switch feet on a hold. This is sometimes done by a quick hop and moving the needed foot onto the hold during the hop. |
| layback | Most often used for cracks, a layback is also when a climber twists into a sideways position and pulls on a hold to one side while in a high-step. |
| mantle | The classic mantle involves matching hands on a hold and walking one's feet up to that hold until one can stand on it. However, mantle is often applied to any downward pushing move, including one which takes place in the backfoot position. |
| sidepull | Most beginners think of hand holds as being above the head. However, experienced climbers know that holds at shoulder level and below can be useful. Pulling sideways on these holds, usually inward toward the body, is called a sidepull. Often the body is twisted into the backfoot to free one sidepull hand to move up to the next hold. Good climbers appear to dance with sidepulls keeping them in on the wall while they backfoot, hop, and step-through. Sidepull also refers to a type of hold. |
| smear | Any time a climber uses the wall rather than a hold as a foot placement, that is a smear. Sometimes smears are also used in stemming. Most frequently, slab climbs require excellent smearing technique. A good smear usually requires unusual foot placement to bring as much rubber in contact with the surface as possible. On a slab climb, this usually means high steps with the heel kept low. In a stem, this can mean an aggressively toe high foot position. |
| sketch | Surprisingly, not every move requires both feet to be on holds. The sketch is a move where the climber has one foot on a hold and lets the other leg dangle. This is not an accident, but actually helps to move the climber's center of gravity over the one foothold. Sometimes the climber uses the sketch to lean to one side on a high step. Other times it is used to have the dangling leg counterbalance a move on an overhanging wall. |
| stem | Like the counterpressure move, the stem is usually a dihedral move, but a climber can also stem between two holds on a face if they are widely spaced. The stem is often a resting position. |
| step-through | Sometimes a climber will hop to switch feet in preparation for moving the leading foot to the next hold. An alternative, often more graceful, is to step-through, which is to move the following foot to the next hold by swinging that leg inside the leading foot position. Then weight is transferred to that foot and the former leading foot is swung behind and onto the hold beyond. This is often done when using the sidepull. |
| undercling | Holding onto a hold where the hand is inserted from the bottom. Usually, the undercling is at waist level or below, but sometimes you have to reach up into an undercling above your head, and then as you climb up, the effect of the undercling will be felt. Underclings can be very powerful holds, but it can be hard to let go of them. This is also the name of a type of hold. |
| dynamic | A dynamic move, also called a "lunge" or a "throw", usually is needed when the distance between holds precludes another style of motion. Some climbers also claim that dynamic moves save energy, particularly on overhanging terrain. However, dynamic moves require a fair amount of practice, and it is easy to fall outward during a dynamic, which can cause the move to fail. A dynamic move usually involves the loss of foot contact with any holds once the move has begun. |
| deadpoint | A deadpoint is like a dynamic, except that the feet usually do not leave the holds. The climber tries to time the "deadpoint" (the point just between moving up and falling back) to a location where it will be easy to grasp the next hold. |
roped, figure-eight
Climbers should always be tied in to a rope when climbing[footnote 1]. The only exception is bouldering, which is unroped climbing close to the ground. Climbers generally use the extremely safe figure-eight knot when tying in to a rope. The non-climbing (belaying) partner should always check to ensure that the climbing partner's figure-eight is properly tied and that it is passed properly through the waist and crotch loop of the climbing harness.
shoes
Climbing shoes are designed to hold the foot tightly, and to use the best of modern rubber to make it easier for your foot to adhere to smooth walls and small holds. General purpose shoes are usually stiffer, lace up, and may have a slightly higher ankles; they are comfortable for long wear, but may sacrifice precision and control. High-performance lace up shoes are more sensitive, but offer less support, requiring a stronger foot; they also allow for more precise foot placements. Slippers are the most sensitive of all, but are usually the least comfortable, because of tightness, and because their usually thinner soles allow more of the feeling of the holds through to the foot; they offer the best control for everything (especially smearing) except heel-hooking.
spotted, spotting
Sometimes climbers work out moves close to the ground without being roped[footnote 1]. This form of bouldering usually should be done with a friend who stands behind the climber - the "spotter" - who holds hands out near the moving climber to help keep that climber from falling over in the event of a slip during a difficult move. The spotter generally does not touch the climber.
style, on-sight, redpoint, aid, free, solo
Climbs are made in many different styles. Terms like ground-up, yo-yo, and pre-inspected are common in the lingo of outdoor climbing. But most important is how a climb was accomplished. First of all, no one has "done" a climb unless they have climbed from the bottom to the top, no falls. The best climb is one done on-sight - never having seen or tried the climb before and never having watched anyone on it. The climbs you can do on-sight are the best measure of your true ability. When a climber says "I'm a 10 climber" they should mean that they regularly on-sight in the 5.10 grade. Sadly, they don't always. The redpoint climb, on the other hand is done from bottom to top, with no falls after as many attempts as needed and with watching others and learning from them allowed. There's nothing wrong with it. Most of the climbs at the edge of your ability will be redpoints. But there's nothing like an on-sight.
Styles of climbing also include free (rope only used for safety if a fall occurs), aid (the climber pulls on the protection or the rope to climb through difficult terrain), solo (no rope), and bouldering.
take, taking
The climber sometimes calls "take" to the belayer, which means to "take in the rope".
toprope, toproping
Toproping refers to a situation where the climbing rope is secured above the climber. Often a so-called "slingshot belay" is used, where the toprope runs from the climber to an anchor at the top of the climb and then back down to the belayer on the floor (this is the most common method used at climbing gyms and in climbing outrdoors at cliffs under 80 feet tall).
traverse, traversing
While most climbs go from the bottom of a wall to the top, many climbers also find it interesting and useful to master going from side to side on the wall. Indoors, traverses are usually part of bouldering, while outdoors some of the longest climbs in the world are traverses (also called "girdle traverses). Some outdoor traverses can require days of climbing.
Footnotes
1. Unroped climbing even within a few feet of the ground can be dangerous in the event of a fall. Stone Age Rock Gym does not recommend unroped climbing. In the gym, climbers are allowed to climb unroped in the bouldering areas, or if bouldering on the main walls, are allowed to climb unroped as long as they stay close to the floor. Because of the mats in the bouldering areas and the padded floors in the main wall areas, injury can be easily avoided by following these rules and climbing with care. Outdoors, unroped climbing can lead to injury or death.
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