A

Anchor A secure point of attachment for a climbing rope, typically fixed to rock or other surfaces.
Arete A sharp, outward-facing edge of rock, often climbed using opposing hand and foot pressure.
Alpine Start Setting off on a climb very early, often before sunrise, to avoid bad weather or heat.
Aid Climbing A technique where gear is used to assist upward progress rather than relying solely on holds.
Ant Hill A textured rock surface covered in small, sharp bumps.
Air Time The amount of time spent in free fall during a fall.

B

Belay The act of managing the rope for a climber, controlling slack and catching falls.
Beta Information or advice about how to complete a climb or a specific move.
Bomber A super solid and secure hold or piece of protection.
Barn Door When a climber’s body swings out sideways due to lack of balance.
Boulder Problem A short, powerful climbing route, usually on a boulder or low wall.
Bridge Using opposing hands and feet to push against two walls or rock faces.

C

Crux The most challenging section of a climb.
Carabiner A metal loop with a spring-loaded gate used to connect components in climbing systems.
Campus Board A training board with wooden rungs used to build finger strength and power.
Chicken Wing Jamming the arm inside a wide crack and applying outward pressure for stability.
Chimney A wide crack or gap that a climber can fit their entire body into and climb by pressing against the sides.
Compression Move Squeezing two opposing holds or features to stay on the rock.

D

Deadpoint A precise, controlled dynamic movement where a climber reaches for a hold at the peak of their upward momentum.
Dihedral A corner where two rock faces meet, often climbed using opposing hand and foot pressure.
Dirtbag A climber who dedicates their life to climbing, often living minimally to support their passion.
Dry-Tooling A climbing style where ice tools are used on rock instead of ice.
Dyno A dynamic move where a climber jumps or lunges to reach a hold.
Drag The friction caused by the rope running through gear, making it harder to pull the rope up.

E

Edge A small ledge or protrusion on the rock used as a hand or foothold.
Epic A climbing experience that goes wrong or becomes unexpectedly difficult.
Elvis Leg Uncontrollable leg shaking due to fatigue or nerves.
Exposure The sense of height and vulnerability when climbing high off the ground.

F

Flash Completing a climb on the first attempt with prior knowledge or beta.
Finger Crack A thin crack in the rock that fits only fingers, requiring specific jamming techniques.
Flagging Extending a leg to the side for balance without touching a hold.
Flake A thin slab of rock that can be pulled or climbed like a handle.
Foot Jam Forcing the foot into a crack to create friction and stability.
Free Solo Climbing without a rope or protection system, relying solely on skill and strength.

G

Grigri A popular assisted-braking belay device.
Gaston A hand position where the climber pushes outward against a hold, like opening elevator doors.
Ground Fall A dangerous fall where the climber hits the ground due to lack of protection.
Grease When holds are slippery from sweat, humidity, or chalk buildup.

H

Heel Hook Using the heel to apply pressure on a hold for balance or leverage.
Highball A very tall boulder problem where falling is risky due to the height.
Hangboard A training tool with various edges and pockets for building finger strength.
Heel-Toe Cam Jamming the heel and toe in a crack or pocket to create tension.

J

Jug A large, easy-to-grip hold.
Jam Forcing a hand, foot, or limb into a crack to create friction.
Jumar A mechanical ascender used to climb a rope.
Jug Haul A route with lots of large, positive holds.

L

Lead Climbing A style where the climber clips the rope into protection points as they ascend.
Lock-Off Holding a bent-arm position to maintain stability while reaching for the next hold.
Layback A technique where the climber pulls on an edge while pushing against the rock with their feet.
Lob Slang for taking a big fall.

M

Mantle A move where the climber presses down on a hold to lift themselves up, like getting out of a swimming pool.
Mono A tiny pocket hold that fits only one finger.
Match Placing both hands or feet on the same hold.
Micro Edge An extremely small edge or ledge for fingertips.

O

Onsight Completing a climb on the first attempt without prior knowledge or beta.
Overhang A steep section of rock that leans outward, making it physically demanding.
Offwidth A crack that is too wide for fists but too narrow to fit your whole body.
Objective Hazard Dangers like rockfall, icefall, or weather that are beyond a climber’s control.

P

Pitch A section of a climb between two belay stations.
Pumped The feeling of muscle fatigue in the forearms due to prolonged exertion.
Pinch A hold that requires squeezing between the thumb and fingers.
Prusik A friction knot used to ascend a rope.
Project A route a climber is working on but hasn’t yet completed.

R

Rappel (or Abseil) A controlled descent down a rope.
Redpoint Successfully climbing a route after practicing and working on the moves.
Rack The collection of climbing gear, such as cams and nuts, carried on a harness.
Reachy A climb with long moves that require a lot of reach.

S

Sloper A hold that relies on friction rather than edges or grips.
Spotting Providing support from the ground to help prevent injury during a fall.
Send Successfully completing a climb without falling or resting on the rope.
Smearing Pressing the sole of the shoe against the rock for friction when there are no holds.
Solo Climbing without a partner, but not necessarily without a rope (such as rope soloing or top rope soloing).

T

Top Rope A climbing setup where the rope is anchored above the climber, reducing fall distance.
Traverse Moving horizontally across a rock face or climbing wall.
Toe Hook Using the top of the toes to hook onto a hold for balance.
Trad Climbing Climbing where protection is placed into cracks or features, rather than using fixed bolts.

V

V-grade The grading system used to rate the difficulty of boulder problems, ranging from V0 (easiest) to V17 (hardest).
Volume Large, geometric features on indoor climbing walls that add extra challenge.
V-Style A specific style of bouldering that focuses on power and dynamic movement.

W

Whipper A long and sometimes scary fall while lead climbing.
Wad A slang term for a very strong climber.
Waterfall Route A climb that follows a frozen waterfall or ice formation.

Y

Yosemite Decimal System (YDS) A grading system used to rate the difficulty of rock climbs, ranging from 5.0 (easy) to 5.15 (extremely hard).
Yard To pull hard on the rope to assist upward movement.