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The present Climbing Terms Glossary is a list of definitions of terms, jargon and lingo related to all styles of rock climbing covered on theCrag.
As for the content on theCrag, this glossary relies on the input of you, the users of theCrag for updates, corrections and more precise definitions. If you want to have a new term added - funny or serious - or think a definition requires correction or more details please add a comment in the Climbing Terms Glossary forum on theCrag.
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17 terms found in glossary
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A climbing style. Any style of climbing in which standing on or pulling oneself up via devices attached to fixed or placed protection is used to make upward progress.
A climbing style. Generally, any climbing that is done in the mountains, especially mountaineering. May include a mixture of ice climbing and dry-tooling. To climb 'alpine style' generally means carrying all of one’s gear in a backpack, even for multi-day climbs.
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Big wall climbing is a type of rock climbing where climbers ascend a long multi-pitch route, normally requiring more than a single day to complete the climb. Big wall routes require the climbing team to live on the route often using portaledges and hauling equipment.
A climbing style. Bouldering is climbing without rope at heights that typically allow you to safely jump down back to the ground.
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A type of ascent. Climbing a route without resting or falling but not specifying in which ascent style it was done (eg flash, on-sight, red point).
Crack climbing is a type of rock climbing in which the climber follows a crack in the rock and uses specialized climbing techniques. The sizes of cracks vary from those that are just barely wide enough for the fingers to fit inside (finger crack), to those that are so wide that the entire body can fit inside with all limbs outstretched (chimney crack).
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A rock climb over a deep body of water that is climbed without protection. In certain cases you may top out from a climb but typically you end up getting wet. Also called psico bloc.
The use of tools designed for ice climbing, such as crampons and ice axes, on bare rock, i.e. not on ice.
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Any climbing that involves ascending a vertical rock face using finger holds, edges, and smears, as opposed to crack climbing.
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Climbing indoors on artificial climbing walls. Read more about it in the Introduction to Rock Climbing.
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A climbing style. Ice climbing is a style of roped and protected climbing of features such as icefalls, frozen waterfalls, and cliffs and rock slabs covered with ice refrozen from flows of water.
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Ascending a route involving a combination of snow, rock or ice.
A traditional climbing route that uses bolts to protect parts of the climb. Traditional climbing gear is still required for the other parts.
Any climbing done on routes that are too long for a single belay rope, and hence consist of multiple pitches which must be belayed separately.
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simultaneous climbing / simul climbing
A climbing technique in which two climbers move simultaneously upward, with the leader placing protection which the second removes as they advance. Sometimes used in multi-pitch climbing to climb faster, obviously mostly on easier terrain.
A climbing style. Sport climbing involves climbing routes that are equipped with permanently fixed protection such as pre-installed bolts and anchors.
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A climbing style. Traditional or trad climbing involves climbing routes in which removable protection against falls is placed by the climber while ascending.
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We thank our partner GoToClimb for the initial contribution of climbing terms.