What is wall climbing called slang.

What is wall climbing called slang Wearing Climbing Shoes Outside Of The Climbing Area. Typical of any sport or subculture, rock climbing has its fair share of vocabulary that may seem intimidating at first. Climbing gym-Specialized indoor climbing centres. May 4, 2022 · BOULDERING Climbing ropeless on boulders as opposed to climbing on cliffs. 6. Specifically called such because of the wooden panels (usually left unpainted) used to attach the climbing holds to. The term send is derived from the word ‘ascent’ which means to reach the top of a mountain. These Jan 4, 2024 · Sport climbing . Essentially a jump. Example. Specifically called such because of the wooden panels (usually left unpainted) used to attach the climbing holds. [71] Competition combined climbing. Lost my feet: having your feet slip off of a hold so that the responsibility of keeping you on the wall falls solely to your hands. A long route that takes many pitches, or lengths, of rope to ascend is called a big wall. Deep water soloing. Note, dyno could be added here, as well as some other terms higher up. Jan 27, 2022 · Big Wall: Refers to both objective size and climbing style. You can also “boulder” along the base of a cliff. Often specifically a hybrid between a climbing wall and a fingerboard. self-arrest Using the pick of an ice axe to arrest a fall, or to control a glissade. Biner. In Stephen Chbosky’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower, the protagonist, Charlie, narrates the story and even stops to explain some of the slang used by the teens in his school. As mentioned, this means holes have been drilled into the rock and expansion bolts installed at reasonable intervals to protect a lead climber from serious injury in the event of a fall. A problem that travels predominantly horizontal rather than vertical Apr 26, 2025 · of course, Climbing is probably somewhat behind the times at least in terms of climbing slang. They have a close fit and a smooth, sticky rubber sole to maximize grip on the rock. That’s why they’re called boulder “problems. Spur: A rock or snow rib on a mountain, a lateral ridge. Climbing shoes are made out of sticky rubber to help you stay on the wall. Climbing a wall or rock that’s between 15 and 40 feet high without a rope is considered highballing. Mar 23, 2018 · Whether you’re new to the sport or well versed in climbing, there may be some words you may not understand. That’s climbing above deep water with no gear. D. Daisy chain. Aid climbing Mar 15, 2020 · It can be easy to be bamboozled by the seemingly impenetrable climbing-babble you sometimes hear at the crag or climbing wall. Turning the Lip The process of getting from hanging from the lip of a roof to standing on the lip. If you rested twice during the ascent, it could likewise be called a two-hang. See gym climbing. Other types of rock climbing terms that boulderers use are in relation to movements, or types of moves they should be engaging in. Choss/Chossy - Rock that is not solid and likely to fall off under pressure. Bloc – This is another name for a boulder problem. Here are the basic climbing terms to get you going, in alphabetical order: 1 Climbing area - A region that is plentiful with climbing routes. com Apr 4, 2017 · If simul-climbing (the alpinist’s day out in the mountains), a pitch can be climbing before the leader stops, builds a belay, and brings up his second so they can exchange roles. Climbing routes are called routes and Boulder routes are called problems. Once reaching the top of a problem the finish happens by mantling over the top of the wall. Edge. Jul 23, 2023 · A climbing technique that consists of using the toes and the top of the shoe’s forefoot as point of contact with the wall to stabilize the body and progress upwards. There are unlimited slang terms that different people use in different types of climbing. All the styles of climbing listed above are types of free climbing. Spotting. A problem that rests inside of a corner of a wall - literally, ha. At equal route difficulty, sport climbing is much easier than trad climbing, as the climber need not worry about carrying or placing artificial protection. Bomber – Rock solid AFAIK: "Escalada" covers both mountain climbing and bouldering, "alpinismo" is mountain climbing. (Usually just called a 'climbing wall' in Britain). A bolt is a closed ring made from strong metal. Also, you can check out this sweet Wikipedia article on climbing words. Climbing Terrain Terms . Competition climbers are given a fixed time to inspect the route as a group before the competition, but once the climbing begins, they must remain in the isolation zone away from the climbing wall, to prevent them learning more beta from watching fellow competitors attempting the route. Corner. In a climbing gym, this refers to the holds placed which are required to be used to complete Jun 16, 2022 · The most common term used in climbing is ‘send’. every-last-rock. com. "Send" is a super common sports term too, that's not climbing specific Mar 18, 2025 · Climbing slang. In Jun 7, 2024 · Part of the reason climbing is fun is that it must be figured out. 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. What does Send mean in climbing? Let’s take a look… What does ‘send’ mean in climbing? Send is a climbing term used to describe a successful ascent of a route or boulder. A type of climbing in which you use only your hands and feet to ascend a rock face. Jan 1, 2024 · Overhang – A wall or section of a wall that hangs out and over the bottom of the same wall. Jun 24, 2024 · Must-Know Rock Climbing Terms, Phrases and Slang: What are some Rock Climbing terms for beginners? What are some funny Rock Climbing terms? What is a famous Rock Climbing phrase? A critical safety feature in rock climbing, where the climber attaches the rope to a secure point on the rock or wall to prevent a long fall. Someone who crushes can be called a crusher. Feb 13, 2025 · Learn all about climbing terms and slang that help you understand this exciting sport! Rock climbing and bouldering come with specific terms that climbers need to know. Climbing: The act of ascending vertical or near-vertical natural rock formations or artificial rock walls. Also called outside corners. Hotshot sends A Real >Tough Climb. Used in the context of the climb throwing the climber off. Jamming - a method of climbing to exploit cracks in the rock. When you keep your shoes on to move around different locations, your shoes Feb 7, 2023 · Wall Street slang provides handy soundbites and helps distill complicated financial market subjects into a widely understood language. May 5, 2022 · Still, it wasn’t until the 1970s and 80s that the modern version of sport climbing was born in France and the USA. A mechanism or system that securely locks without having to manually lock it. Dec 13, 2022 · A large section of this might be called a cave, and these are generally found in bouldering or lead climbing areas. Similar to a crimp, but usually deeper (at least to the first knuckle) and more flat. Crux. A small climbing hold screwed onto the wall on a climbing wall. On paper, rock climbing sounds quite simple – climb up a rock face either with or without ropes and safety gear. 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. Feb 10, 2024 · Indoor rock climbing has exploded in popularity over the past decade, with modern climbing gyms popping up in cities across the country. Climbing Gym: An indoor facility equipped with artificial rock walls designed for climbing. Usually, these terms will be used when you are asking how to complete a problem. A climber ascends an arete. Sep 30, 2014 · Here is a list of slang words/climbing terms that I might use in this blog. Choss – Terrible rock quality. The route you take to walk/run/skip to the base of the climb. With gravity working directly against you, climbing a roof requires a lot of strength and endurance. Please wait while your request is being verified Jun 21, 2022 · If you’re new to climbing or bouldering, you’ll be hearing a lot of new terms in the climbing gym as well as from videos that you might consume. Any wall approximately 1,000 feet or higher can be called a big wall. Y Back to Sport climbing: Climbing a bolted rock route (sport route), a type of climbing with some of its own terminology. Mar 16, 2020 · Other Rock Climbing Terms – Types of Moves. Like many activities, climbing has a language of its own with terms to describe sub-genres of the sport, body movements, ways of holding on to the rock and styles of ascent. Politics, Economics, Markets, Life & Arts, and in-depth reporting. Short for “carabiner. A dynamic movement where the climber launches up to a hold (or holds) with both feet leaving the wall before the hands reach their destination. DWS. A homemade climbing wall. Roof – An overhang or section of one that’s gone a full 90°. Always risky. Also self-belaying. REALLY not good climbing style. Final Example: In many young adult novels, slang is used to show that the characters are part of the teenaged subculture. Free climbing. Climbing command - A short phrase used for communication between a climber and a belayer. The edge of a wall that is at an acute angle like that of a corner of a building. Mar 6, 2025 · Chimneying, also called stemming, is the technique of climbing by pressing against opposite walls with hands, feet, back, and even elbows or knees. Mar 18, 2025 · Climbing slang. Final Thoughts. To the dismay of some, I did not include anything about alpinism or ice climbing because I will never do those things. n. Bouldering during a climbing competition. Deep water soloing: (often abbreviated to DWS) rock climbing without a rope above deep water. Sandy, covered in vegetation etc. For example, where the outside walls of a square building meet. project: a set climb that requires more than 1 day's work to complete It can be easy to be bamboozled by the seemingly impenetrable climbing-babble you sometimes hear at the crag or climbing wall. ” Boss – A rounded lump protruding from the rock that can be used as a hold. Her send of the third boulder was quick and impressive. Crimping is rock climbing slang that Oct 8, 2024 · But the vocabulary is part of what makes the climbing culture so great! They use strange verbiage, enjoy wrestling funky-colored walls, and are covered in chalk 90% of the time. Toe hooking is especially important on overhanging terrain to keep the body close to the wall. Needless to say, many, many terms have been coined to describe the holds and body positions required to do some. . X X (Protection Rating) A rating from the Yosemite Decimal System given to climbs that have very poor or no protection. Auto-lock. From essential safety words like “belayer” (the person controlling the safety rope) to movement-based terms such as “crux” (the hardest part of a climb), these phrases Competitors race-off in pairs on a standardized 'speed climbing wall' using a top rope with an auto belay for protection, in the shortest time possible. Arete – An arete is an exposed corner, sticking outward from the main wall. Climbing Shoes: Specialized footwear designed for rock climbing. Trad Climbing Climbing a route protected by gear that has been placed by the leader. Usually the holds fill basically every bolt hole (similar to Korean and Japanese climbing walls) rather than a more spaced out set. Slab – Opposite of an overhang, where instead the wall is at a positive angle. Big Wall. Big wall style refers to siege tactics; multiple nights spent on Feb 9, 2020 · Speed Climbing – In competition climbing, refers to a timed ascent of a standard route. Traverse A problem that travels predominantly sideways. Here’s an example: Problem is, most climbing terminology feels like jargon and at my advanced intermediate level of german (B2), I don't have the skill to say "Focus on keeping your foot on when you drop knee" So I thought it could be cool to list a bunch of common phrases here and have people translate them into their language, when people know english and another. Usually well n. Climbing on slab generally requires slower, technical movement and balance on small or poor holds. Do people really use these slang words from my textbook? 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. Climbing shoe-Footwear designed specifically for climbing. See full list on rei. and around the world at WSJ. Many indoor climbing gyms have special bouldering walls. self-belay. If you rest on every bolt of the entire route, it is called climbing bolt-to-bolt. Feb 16, 2022 · Beta is a specific, blow-by-blow description of a sequence or climb. X Back to contents . Great Aug 1, 2019 · In sport climbing, when you climb a route but hang on the rope to take a rest at one point during the ascent, it is called a one-hang. Understanding the lingo can help make the sport feel more approachable, but it is also essential to your safety in many situations. Pinkpoint and redpoint refer to the degree the route has been set up. (Photo: Getty Images) Feb 21, 2017 · It’s called the Psicobloc Masters Series, aka Psicocomp, and the format is simple: Competitors will race each other up a grueling, technically demanding, 50-foot-tall overhanging wall in a Aug 2, 2022 · These range from climbing techniques, to equipment, to specific common injuries. The act of using a mechanical device for belaying in Aug 2, 2024 · Big wall climbing: A form of multi-pitch climbing that takes place on routes that typically require at least a full day, if not more. A climbing wall that’s typically vertical or slightly less than—think obtuse angles from geometry class. Because the speed climbing wall is standardized in all competitions, time records are chronicled (e. xeno. Especially with the start of Sender One LAX’s Bouldering League, you may need to know some of these words just to understand the rules! Climbers use and say so much slang, climbing pretty much has its own language. Chipping - Using tools to alter or create holds. Aug 25, 2022 · Arete– A climbing feature where two faces meet at an exterior angle. The information presented here does not describe all of the risks associated with climbing and is not intended to replace or supersede expert instruction and training. Nov 8, 2023 · Rock Climbing Lingo: Common Rock Climbing Slang & Terminologies. canvas: climbing using only your hands and arms. The opposite of a corner where the face protrudes at the joining of both wall planes. The list below will get you up to speed on all the climbing lingo you need to know! Commonly used climbing slang. CLIMBING TERMINIOLOGY Climbing is dangerous, it involves inherent and other risks and cannot be made safe. Body Tension – The ability to keep your feet on the wall when climbing a steep boulder. While this is my absolute pet peeve, there are serious health reasons why climbing shoes should remain on the mats and climbing walls only. Slab. The most difficult part/s of a climb. Tufas A limestone rib. A long sling with a sewn loop at each end and bar tacked segments along its length. In some cases, there are artificial highball climbing walls set above a large net or mat, but highball climbing is rare to find unless it’s done on rock. Instead of feeling lost in translation when you hear terms like “gaston the side-pull,” get ready to dive into the exciting world of rock climbing lingo. C an be sharp or rounded. Example Oct 29, 2020 · A spray wall is a wall where a tonne of holds are bolted on without any specific routes/colors being set. g. More generally, it refers to information about a climb or climbing-related (or any) topic. com Crack climbing - climbing a wall using a system of cracks in the rock face by jamming your hands and feet (and other bits) into the crack itself. A hold appearing to be composed of a different type of rock than the surrounding rock face. Arete. I included aid climbing even though I’ll probably never do that because I wanted to clear up the difference between free-climbing and free-soloing. One of the most common climbing terms is ‘beta’. During a time-limited pre-competition inspection, climbers Someone else already explained the origins of Beta, but "problem" makes perfect sense. In sport climbing, a pitch can be as miserly as 15 Oct 30, 2014 · Climbing vernacular for climbing really well or at your best. 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. Like a roof. Type of hold where the usable side consists of a flat, often 90-degree angle. It can be used in phrases like “Do you want the beta?” or “I’ll use his beta”. Common climbing slang terms Woody. May 3, 2022 · Sport Climbing is a type of lead climbing where the climber clips bolted hangers permanently fixed to the rock as they climb to protect them from falling to the ground. Ape Index - The ratio of your height to armspan. First Breaking news and analysis from the U. As a beginner stepping into one of these gyms for the first time, you'll likely hear climbers tossing around terms that sound like a foreign language if you've never set foot on a wall before. Training Board A small, steep wooden climbing wall (AKA woodie). Wider aretes (greater than 90 degrees) are often referred to as blunt aretes. Traverse. climbing news group we find the entry 1995 entry: >I'm curious about the origins of the phrase "send it" that >has appeared in recent postings, such "Mr. Arete- The corner of a rock face. Top rope: the kind of climbing often found at a gym or on an artificial wall. But what does Wall Street jargon really tell us about the markets? There's truth behind every Wall Street cliché, but investors shouldn't just take these sayings at face value. Thus a simul-climbing “pitch” can be 1,000 feet on rock, or even 10,000 feet on the face/slope of a mountain. TYPES OF CLIMBING BOULDERING Bouldering is the most straight forward and most accessible… The whole goal of climbing is to discover the physical movement of ascending a vertical wall. With so much rock climbing slang and funny climbing terms, it can be hard to understand anything that a climber says at first. And yet, there are so many different terms used in the climbing community to describe all sorts of different features to rock climbing. second Lead climber (right) and second (left) A climber who follows the lead climber; often acts as the belayer. Angles may vary, but in climbing an arete is typically between 5 and 120 degrees in their angles. looking at rec. So what does Beta mean in climbing? Let’s take a look… Aug 10, 2024 · Climbers’ slang for a successful ascent. Route: a pre-planned way of reaching the top of a climb. The climber is attached to one end of May 19, 2014 · A home made climbing wall. such as world record and women's record times). ” Bolt. [link: speed ascents of the nose] Spit Off – To fall off a boulder problem or route. 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. A simple type of plywood wall that features a combination of either bolt-on holds or screw-on holds. Outdoors, speed climbing usually refers to climbing big walls very quickly. S. It's a problem, you need to find the solution to finish the route, perfectly logical. " I gather that this means a successful Climbing has its own set of terms and slang and we’re breaking down some of the essential terms for you in this handy glossary. Boulders are typically 10 to 20 feet high, but can be much higher or shorter. Dihedral – A dihedral is a contained corner, nestled inward from the main wall. 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. Climbing without gear (other than shoes and chalk bag). Some climbers wear specific shoes called “approach shoes” for this. maksujlc jozl bzur wteurek pxa bpmxc aapezf yjiepbu zmcz vwqzxo rdd qxrha grs xsp xxumm