ABSEILING	To descend a rope in a controlled manner using a belay device. Also called rappelling.
ACCESS	The route to the cliff or climb.
AID CLIMBING	This type of climbing permits the climber to hang off a piece of gear that has been placed in the rock in order to place the next piece of gear or reach a higher hand hold.
ANCHOR	A piece of protection (ie: nut, cam, hex etc.) which firmly attaches rope, climber, gear bag to the cliff.
ARETE	Outward pointing ridge or line at which two rock faces meet. Opposite to a corner.
ARM-BAR	A move by which you wedge your arm in a crack with your palm on one side and your elbow or shoulder on the other.
BARN-DOOR	To swing away from the rock face like a door.
BELAY	1.To protect a climber by taking in or paying out rope through a belay device. 2. The combination of anchors from which a belayer belays the climber. 3. Hanging belay - A belay in which the belayer is suspended completely from anchors.
BELAY DEVICE	A piece of equipment attached with a screw gate carabiner to the belayers harness, through which the rope passes to provide friction and thus assisting the belayer to catch a falling climber.
BELAYER	The person taking in or paying out rope.
BOLLARD	A knob of rock suitable for wrapping a sling or rope around to use as an anchor.
BOLT	A small, usually stainless steel engineering bolt inserted into the rock to provide an anchor or runner.
BOLT PLATE, HANGER	A small metal plate to slot over the head of a bolt to which you can clip a carabiner to provide a running belay.
BOLT-RUNNER	A running belay provided by a bolt placed on a pitch and clipped with a bolt plate and quick-draw.
BOMBPROOF, BOMBER	Completely secure
BOULDERING	An alternative to free climbing carried out close enough to the ground to jump off safely. Usually practised on anything from a boulder, the bottom few meters of a cliff face, or even artificial structures such as brickwork on buildings.(Called "buildering") Harnesses, ropes etc not required.
BRIDGING, STEMMING	Using two foot holds in opposition. eg: one foot on either side of a chimney.
CHALK BAG	A small pouch containing chalk carried on a cord around the climbers waist or clipped to the harness.
CHALK	Magnesium carbonate powder used on the hands for soaking up sweat to improve grip.
CHIMNEY	A crack wide enough for your whole body
CLIP	To place the lead rope through the bent gate carabiner of a runner or quick draw whilst the straight gate end is attached to your piece of protection.
CRAG	A cliff or collection of cliffs.
CRIMP	To squeeze your fingertips onto a tiny edge.
CRUX	The hardest part of a climb.
DYNAMIC CLIMBING	Lunging and snatching
DYNAMIC ROPE	A rope which stretches when loaded, cushioning the forces felt by a falling climber. The only type of rope suitable for lead climbing.
EDGE	A small flat-topped hold
EXPOSED	Scary, inducing vertigo
FACE	A largish, near vertical section of cliff
FLAGGING, FIGURE 4	A move which necessitates crossing one leg behind the other for balance while reaching sideways for a hold.
FLAKE	A flat, plate like piece of rock that seems to be stuck on to the cliff face.
FLASH, ON-SIGHT	To successfully lead a climb on your first attempt with or without previous inspection.
FREE CLIMBING	This means climbing without using the rope, or any other equipment, for direct assistance in moving upwards. The rope is present as a means of protection should you fall.
GRADE	A number used to describe the difficulty of the climb.
HANG-DOG	To make repeated attempts on a climb while on lead without lowering to the ground and starting again when you fall.
HEADWALL	The steep wall often found defending the top of a cliff.
HEX, HEXENTRIC	A roughly hexagonal metal tube used in wide cracks to provide a running belay.
HEUCO	A pocket
JAMMING	To squeeze a body part (finger, fist, toe, foot, head) into a crack in the wall and lock it there to provide a secure hold.
JAM-CRACK	A crack suitable for jamming
JUG	A large handhold over which you can curl your fingers.
KNEE-BAR	A move by which you wedge your leg in a crack with your foot on one side and your knee on the other.
LEAD CLIMBING AND SECONDING	Lead climbing involves dragging the rope up as you climb, placing various pieces of natural protection(nuts,hexes,cams etc) into the rock and clipping the rope to them via a quick draw. Should you fall, your partner on the ground can then lock off the rope with a belay device and "catch" the climber. The length of a lead climbers fall is determined by how far above the last piece of protection he or she has climbed. ( Rope stretch and slackness also come into the equation.) For example, if a climber has climbed one meter above the last anchor, he or she will then fall at least two metres. When the lead climber reaches the top of a climb or pitch, he will anchor himself to the rock and then belay the second person up. This climber is now seconding the climb and is responsible for removing the various pieces of protection that the lead climber has placed. Seconding is similar to toproping.
MANTEL	A move where the climber eases himself up onto a ledge. Same technique as climbing onto a window ledge. (A useful technique for burglars!!!)
MOUNTAINEERING	Refers to climbing large mountains usually covered in snow and ice.
MULTI-PITCH	A climb with more than one pitch.
NUT	A removable wedge of metal on a wire or string which is jammed into the rock for use as a running belay or as a belay anchor.
NUT KEY, NUT TOOL	A tool used for removing natural protection from the rock.
OFF-WIDTH	A crack or chimney of an awkward width, ie: too wide for fist jams, too narrow for arm bars. (Much feared.)
ON-SIGHT, ON-SIGHT FLASH	To lead a climb on your first attempt without prepractice, inspection, or prior knowledge of the moves. - The "purest" form of roped lead climbing.
OVERHANG	A steeper than vertical section of rock. A roof.
PITCH	A stretch of rock between belays. One section of a climb.
PITON	A metal spike hammered into the rock to provide a running belay or fixed anchor. Widely used before the development of removable protection. Rarely used today.
POCKET	A smallish hole or depression in the rock.
PROTECTION, PRO	The pieces of equipment attached to the rock when lead climbing and belaying. Natural protection is that which can be removed ie: nuts, hexes etc. Fixed protection is that which is permanently attached to the rock ie: bolts, chains etc.
PRUSIK	To ascend a rope using knotted loops of cord (prusik loops) or jumars.
PUMP, PUMPY, PUMPED	1,2. A climb or workout which results in being pumped. 3. When your forearms are temporarily useless - veins bulging, hard muscles, fingers weak - after or in the middle of a pumpy climb.
QUICK-DRAW, 'DRAW	A runner consisting of a short sling with a carabiner at each end and used in a running belay. A straight gate carabiner at one end attaches to the anchor which is placed in the rock. A bent gate carabiner at the other end is to clip the rope into.
RACK	A collection of climbing gear, (slings, protection, carabiners) carried by the lead climber to protect the climb and set up belays.
REDPOINT	An ascent (on lead) made in one push from the ground with all runners placed and clipped along the way and without asssistance from the rope or gear. This is considered the minimum requirement to claim first ascent of a new route.
RING-BOLT	A bolt with a protuding ring instead of a head that can be clipped directly with a carabiner without the use of a hanger.
ROOF	An overhanging horizontal step in a cliff. Also called a ceiling.
ROPE-DRAG	The friction caused by the rope running over rock or through your runners as you climb.
RUN-OUT	1. The distance between runners on a pitch. 2. A route with long gaps between protection.
RUNNER	1. A running belay. 2. A quick draw with carabiners attached to it.
RUNNING BELAY	An anchor placed by the leader climbing a pitch, usually consisting of a sling or quick-draw with a carabiner attached to each end. One of which is clipped to a piece of protection, aand the other, to the rope.
SCREW-GATE	A carabiner with a locking collar which can be screwed down over the gate-opening to ensure that it does not open accidently.
SLAB	An easy angled piece of rock, usually with a few positive holds, requiring good balance, footwork and smearing skills.
SLCD, CAMMING DEVICE, FRIEND	A device where spring pressure is applied to three or four opposed lobes located on a single axle for placement in cracks.
SMEAR	To use friction only to support feet on smooth rock or a tiny foothold.
SOLOING	Climbing without ropes, harnesses or any form of protection. Requires total control, both mentally and physically.
SPORT CLIMBING	"Modern-style" climbing which entails the use of bolts for protection rather than the traditional method of placing natural protection.
SPOT
To stand ready to catch (or cushion) a falling climber when he or she is bouldering above rough terrain.
STATIC ROPE	A rope which doesn't stretch or stretches very little. Mainly used for abseiling or for setting up belays. Not suitable for lead climbing.
TOP ROPING	The rope is rigged through a pulley system at the top of the climb. As you climb, another person (the belayer) pulls in the rope through special belay device and can catch you if you fall. The belayer then lowers you to the ground. Commonly used for beginners or for practising hard climbs.
TRAD, TRADITIONAL	A modern term used to describe climbing with natural protection, multipitch climbs and the climbers that are attracted to this type of climbing. (As opposed to bolted, single pitch climbs.)
TRAVERSE	1. To climb sideways. 2. A part of a climb which entails having to climb sideways.
UNDERCLING	A hold which is gripped with the palm up
WIRE	A nut with a threaded wire stem.
ZIP	The sound a whole pitch worth of protection makes as it detaches itself from the rock!!!