Climbing Jargon: Common Words & Phrases
This is a fun attempt to go through the alphabet using various climbing terms, gear, and jargon. Along the way, each term is defined and explained. If some entries feel like a stretch… well, that’s because they are. Without further ado, here we go:
A
Approach:
The walk, scramble, and/or hike up to a crag (outdoor spot with a lot of boulders/routes).
B
Beta:
Information that can help you solve the boulder or route. Originally, climbers would share Betamax tapes to show others how to solve the route—eventually shortened to “beta.”
Beta-spraying: Providing unsolicited advice.
C
Crux:
The hardest move or sequence on a boulder. In ropes, there is often more than one crux.
D
Drag:
Friction created from the rope rubbing against a hold or wall. The longer the route, the more drag is created.
E
Edge:
A sharp point on a rock surface.
Edging: Using the edge of your shoes to hold on to a sliver of a ledge.
F
Flash:
When you complete a boulder or route on your first try without any falls.
G
Grigri:
An assisted-braking belay device used on ropes, created by Petzl. When a climber falls, the assisted braking activates, pivoting the device and pinching the rope to prevent further movement.
H
Heel-hook:
Digging the heel of your shoe into the wall. Point your toes to engage your heel and “hook” onto the hold. This helps turn your hips and stabilize you on the wall.
I
Inside flag:
A flag is when you have your leg out away from your body to help balance on the wall. An inside flag/inverse flag is using your leg and balancing on the wall by having your leg towards your body.
J
Jug:
A large, easily grippable hold. Janja Garnbret, the greatest climber in competition history, climbs as if most holds are jugs.
K
Kneebar:
A technique where you wedge your knees between a feature on the rocks using your lower thigh. The tension between your thighs and feet creates a stable position, allowing the climber to rest while on the wall.
L
Lower:
How belayers bring their climbers to the ground. Used in ropes when a climber reaches the top or wishes to come down.
M
Mantel:
A climbing move where you use your arms to apply downward pressure on a ledge, lifting your body high enough to bring your feet up onto it.
N
Nut:
A passive protection piece consisting of a wedge-shaped piece of metal affixed to a wire.
O
Onsight:
To lead or toprope a climb on your first attempt without prior knowledge of the route. Most notably used in competition.
P
Project:
A climb that takes multiple sessions to send. Climbers often have multiple projects ranging from months up to years to complete.
Q
Quickdraw:
A piece of equipment composed of two carabiners and a dogbone (semi-rigid fabric) used in lead climbing to attach your rope to the wall.
R
Rappel:
To lower yourself off a cliff on a fixed rope with your feet against the wall. Typically done with a belay device for a slow and safe descent.
S
Sandbagged:
A term used when a climb is graded harder than it should be. The term comes from the idea that climbing it feels as if you had heavy bags of sand attached to you.
T
Trad climbing:
Short for traditional climbing. Sport climbing uses quickdraws and bolts that remain on the wall. Trad climbing is done with two climbers: the lead climber places protection, and the second climber removes it.
U
Undercling:
A hold where you apply counter-pressure to the underside of a hold or rock surface.
V
Victory whip:
A whip is a large fall on sport climbing. A victory whip is when you intentionally fall without clipping the anchors, causing a significantly larger fall from the top of the wall.
W
Windshield wipers:
A core workout that can be done lying down or on a bar, beneficial for climbers. Can also be used as a form of punishment for team kids.
X
X:
The “X” on a sport climbing route where an athlete must clip the quickdraw before continuing for safety reasons (in gyms and competitions).
Outdoors, an “X” chalked on a hold indicates that hold is loose and should not be weighted.
Y
Yoyos:
An endurance drill used in toprope or sport climbing. Start by climbing to the first clip, then return to the ground. Next, climb to the second clip and back down, then to the third, and so on—progressively going higher each time—until you reach the top.
Z
Z-clip:
When you incorrectly clip in while sport climbing—specifically, when you grab the belayer’s side of the rope and clip it to the next clip, forming a “Z” shape and making the higher clip useless.
Phew… This has been climbing terms, phrases, and gear ABCs. Till next time: climb on!
