climbing terms - the lingo of the crag

When you first start climbing, you’ll hear some pretty interesting new terms. A whole new dialect used by climbers to discuss equipment, techniques, routes, and more.

We’ve put together a list of some of the most common and unique climbing terms so you can understand what everyone’s talking about down at the crag and in the gym.

This list will take you from gumby to gaston, so check it out below!

Abseil - The act of descending on a fixed rope, usually with a belay device or similar in order to control the speed of descent.

Approach - The journey to be made on foot to reach the crag and the start of your climb.

Arete - The edge of a wall or face at an acute angle - the opposite of a corner

Barn Door - Where one side of a climber's body uncontrollably swings away from the wall from being unbalanced, can often be resolved by a foot swap and flag.

Belayer - The person who is responsible for the climber’s safety by managing their rope and catching their falls.

Belay device - The device that the climber’s rope is fed through to the belayer that can lock the rope in a fall.

Beta - The tools and techniques associated with completing a given route. This information is often shared verbally between climbers and in guidebooks.

Bomber - Solid/secure. Can be in the context of gear placement, holds, quality of climb or rock etc.

Bouldering - Climbing at lower heights without the use of ropes, usually placing a protective pad below the problem for the climber to fall onto. With higher-risk routes a spotter and stacked pads will provide added protection.

Bridging - Using feet or hands in opposition to one another on rock features, often in corners.

Cam - A protective device that can retract to be placed into a crack or break. The camming system opens back up with springs once released in order to push against the crack in most cases preventing it from slipping out.  Also referred to as friends.

Cheese grater - A very unpleasant experience of falling and grazing your skin heavily, often on a slab! 

Chimney - A rock feature that resembles a chimney in which the climber ascends by pushing and pressing on either side.

Chossy - In reference to a route or area of rock that is particularly loose, crumbly or not well maintained. 

Crag - Outcrop of rock used by climbers for climbing!

Crimp - A type of climbing hold with a small edge or grip style both of which involve using only the tips of the fingers with a bend in the middle knuckle.

Crux - The hardest section of a route. The crux may be different for each climber due to their varying strengths but is often agreed as one point. 

Deep water soloing (DWS) - Climbing with no protection over water, so if the climber falls they fall into the water with varying levels of danger.

Dogged - Topping a route after taking multiple rests/falls.

Dyno - A dynamic movement that can mean a full jump to catch a hold.

Egyptian - Where both feet are on different holds, one knee faces up while the other faces down in order to provide a more stable position to reach a hold in a position that ordinarily would be unreachable. 

Flag - Placing your leg out to the side, usually against the wall not on a hold in order to counterbalance yourself and provide stability while you make a move.

Flapper - A flap of skin explosively opens up on your skin, caused by climbing, often from firing off sharp holds.

Flash - Completing a problem/route on the first attempt. 

Free soloing - Climbing with no protective equipment, therefore, a fall will most likely result in serious injury or death.

Gaston - Where your fingers or hand push in an outward direction from the center of your body away and your elbow is also turned outwards.

Gri Gri - A belay device that locks automatically when a large force is asked of it quickly, made by Petzl. (think of a seatbelt mechanism)

Gumby - A derogatory term used to describe a new climber.

Hand jam - Using a hand to jam inside a crack in order to progress up the climb.

Heel hook - Placing a heel on a hold to provide stability and leverage.

Hex - A hexagonal-shaped nut used as protection.

Headpoint - A traditional route which is led after (toprope) practice, sometimes with pre-placed protection.

Highball - A bouldering term referring to a problem that is higher than usual and is more likely to result in a bad fall even with pads.

Jug - A comfortable, big ‘easy’ hold that can be held with the whole hand.

Layback - A climbing technique in which your hands are pulling you in while your feet and legs are pushing away from you. Providing opposing forces keeps you on the climb.

Lead - The climber leading the climb responsible for clipping bolts or placing protective gear as they progress up the route.

Lowball - A boulder problem that is particularly low and short.

Multi-pitch - A route that has more than one pitch.

Nails - A term used to describe the climbing as very hard.

Nut - A wedge-shaped piece of metal used as protective gear.

Off-width - A crack that is too large for hand or fist jams but too small to fit your body into. Often limbs can be stacked in order to jam and progress.

On-sight - Climbing a route cleanly on the first attempt without advice or prior knowledge.

Overhang - A rock angled towards you, at an acute angle with the ground.

Pinch - A hold type/grip style that requires pinching between the fingers and thumb.

Pitch - A section of a climb that is completed in one go using one rope length.

Pocket - A recessed hold that resembles a hole. Often smaller, allowing only a couple of fingers to be used.

Pumped - The burning, throbbing sensation in the arm muscles due to a build-up of lactic acid after sustained climbing.

Quickdraw - Two non-locking carabiners attached using a dogbone used to connect the protection or bolt to the rope.

Sandbag - A problem or route that is deemed much harder than its given grade. 

Send - To successfully climb a problem/route.

Slab - A wall that is angled away from you, at an obtuse angle to the ground.

Sloper - A pretty featureless hold that slopes and aren’t very positive which a climber must use pure friction, tension, and desperation to cling on to!

Smear - Placing a foot flat on a wall to create some friction when no footholds are available.

Spotter - The person whose job it is to assist the climber when needed during a fall. They are there to help guide them on the mat and prevent their head or back from hitting the ground.

Sport climbing - Climbing on a bolted route with a rope and clipping in at each bolt using quickdraws.

Thumbdercut - a downwards-facing hold only large enough to use a thumb on but oriented such that the climber has to pull upwards with the thumb. (see undercut below)

Top out - Completing a route by climbing over the top of it to reach the top surface of the rock or wall.

Top rope - Climbing using a fixed rope that is anchored at the top of the route.

Trad - Climbing using the protection of placed gear such as nuts and cams.

Redpoint - Completing a route cleanly without taking any falls or assisted rests after practicing it several times.

Retro-flash - Topping a climb on your first attempt in that session which you have previously done but one that you felt you honestly had no beta for or memory of. 

Run out - When there is a long section of climbing after the last piece of protection, meaning the climbing can be quite scary as the fall would be large.

Undercut - A hold that faces downwards meaning the climber can hold it by pulling up on it.

Vert - A wall or face that is vertical.

Wad - A term to describe an incredibly strong climber.

Watch me - A phrase often shouted when a climber feels they’re near falling off a hard move and wants their spotter/belayer to pay extra attention.

Whale - topping out in a very non-elegant whale-like fashion, usually inching your way over the lip before being able to stand up.

Whipper - A big fall by a climber on lead. 

If you think there's any that should be included just let us know in the comments!