What are climber terms a beginner climber must know?
Picture this scenario: you arrived at an indoor climbing gym. Your experienced climber friend is excited to host you and starts bringing you around the gym and introducing you to their climbing group. You try your best to remember their names. Everyone looks fit and seems to know what they are doing. Your climber friend encourages you to climb your first route. You don’t know what they are talking about.
Now you are here, in the middle of your climbing route, catching your breath, and somehow your brain is trying to figure out what Allez means.
In this article, I will go through a comprehensive list of rock climber terms for beginners for you to read before your next climbing trip.
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Rock Climbing Moves
Most of these climbing terms are indoor bouldering terminology used to describe each movement on a problem.
1. Gaston
I know what you are thinking, it’s not that character from the Beauty and The Beast classic. Gaston climbing is a movement using your hands to push in an outward motion to create body tension to maintain balance on the climbing wall. In addition, you can see in the picture that the climber’s palms are facing out during this movement with his arms in a locked angled position.
Gaston climbing is a powerful, upper-body strength movement seen mainly on bouldering routes.
2. Campus
A campus is climbing without the use of feet. It is commonly seen on overhang routes where your feet can dangle as you use your upper body strength to go up the route. Think of it as a reverse monkey bar.
3. Dyno
Dyno climbing term originates from the word “dynamic”. This is where the climber makes a dynamic move using momentum to reach the next climbing hold. It is a committed movement where the climbers’ feet will leave the wall to dyno to the next climbing hold.
There is also a double dyno which involves both hands catching two holds simultaneously. Learn the step-by-step to set up a dyno move.
4. Deadpoint
A dead point is a controlled dynamic movement. It is a committed movement where you reach the target hold with one hand with the other hand on another hold for stability. Where dynos have both legs leaving the wall, the dead point usually has one or both legs on the hold or wall.
5. Toe-hook
An advanced climbing move, toe-hook is a climber term to describe using the top of your foot on a climbing surface to create body tension to either balance or pull. You will see toe-hooks in intermediate routes V3 and above.
You can see a great example of a toe-hook (and a knee bar) in the Olympic Finals by Nathaniel Coleman.
6. Heel Hook
A heel hook is a climbing move where you use the heel of your shoe, often at a height above your torso, to hold your body weight with your leg muscles. The heel hook is a great way to draw yourself closer to the wall, keeping your hips in. I enjoy using this method as a resting position as well.
7. Flag
Flagging is a climbing term where you are using a limb to shift your weight, often with your feet. There are two types of flags: the outside flag and the inside flag. The outside flag is where you use your outside leg smearing rock climbing walls as you shift your body weight to reach for the targetted hand hold. Vice versa, the inside flag is where you use the inside flag to do the same.
8. Match
A match is when you bring both your hands or feet to the same climbing hold. Generally, this movement is required on the last hold to signify the completion of a route, but it is also used to set up a dyno move, or change positions.
9. Traverse
Traverse is a lateral move where you are climbing sideways rather than climbing upwards or downwards. This is a good training and endurance move for climbers as they find ways to stay on the wall without feeling too pumped.
10. Pogo
Also known as a Moon Kick, Pogo is a climbing move that uses momentum to propel your body upwards using the swinging movement of one of your legs. Unlike the dyno or the dead point, the Pogo move is like an upward arc (hence a moon kick) and requires great hand-eye coordination.
I learned how to Pogo based on this really useful tutorial by World Cup champion Tomoa Narasaki.
11. Mantle
A mantle is a climbing move where you push down on hold and bring your feet up to meet your hands. Pushing and keeping your arms straight, will give you leverage to bring your weight up and move to the next hold. An example of a mantle is going over a ledge.
12. Guppy
Guppy is when the climber’s hand is gripping sideways and cupping it with your entire hand, using your palm as the friction point. The guppy move can often be confused with holding jugs or doing gaston moves. If you are holding a sloper slideways, that is a guppy move.
Climbing Holds, Hands & Walls
13. Jug
Jugs are a climber’s best friend. They are traditionally large holds with deep cuts for your entire hand (sometimes both hands) to fit comfortably on. Generally, jugs are common on beginner climbing routes and are seen lesser on climbing routes as you advance each climbing grade.
14. Crimp
The crimp is a climbing grip where your fingertips are touching a crimp climbing hold. Because of how tiny it is, you can only your fingertips to grip the holds. There are four forms of crimping: open-hand crimp, half crimp, full crimp, and closed crimp. However, not all crimps are created equal. For example, full crimps and closed crimps can lead to finger injuries.
15. Sloper
You can spot a sloper with their rounded climbing holds that are big and blobby. The best way to hold a sloper is with your full palm slapped onto the arete side (ridge) to create friction.
16. Pinch
Pinching is a climbing hold that requires your thumb and your fingers to pinch on the hold. It is easy to slip off and focuses on your finger grip strength.
Gripped Magazine does provide a beginner guide to pinch training and how essential it is to level up your game.
17. Slab
Slab climbing is defined as when the walls are less than 90 degrees angle and require a great deal of balance and footwork. It often involves smearing to get to the next hold.
18. Overhang
The opposite of slab climbing, overhang climbing is where the walls are more than 90 degrees angle and require core and upper body strength to keep the climber close to the wall. Overhangs often require more dynamic movements.
19. Volume
Volumes can be made out of wooden or fiberglass structures to be placed on a climbing wall. They are three-dimensional shapes that stick out of the wall. Volumes are much harder to grip and much harder to balance as well. If your feet are not at the right angle and friction, you will fall out before you can move to the next hold.
20. Feature
Features are ridges and formations normally found on artificial walls in indoor climbing to mimic the outdoors. They can be as large as a sloper hold or a small dimple where only the edges of your climbing shoe can fit.
21. Undercling
Think of an undercling as an upside-down jug. It is a climbing hold where your hand grips from the bottom.
22. Side Pull
A side pull is a hold that has a vertical orientation. The holds can be of any shape and require climbers to pull sideways to traverse to the next hold.
Climbing Progress
23. Problem
Bouldering routes are known as problems. The problem consists of a number of technical moves to reach the top. The rules are strict: when you begin, your hands and feet should be on the indicated start holds and off the ground. Failing to do so will result in a lost attempt.
24. Flash
A flash in climbing is climbing to the top on your first try. You may have some information about the route prior to climbing but once you touch the start hold. This is also where your flash attempt begins until you fall.
25. Project
There is a saying “the first try is a flash, the second try is an attempt, and the third try onwards is a project”. Climbing projects are relative to each climber and are beyond the climber’s ability range, hence, the climber needs multiple attempts to send the project.
26. Onsight
What is an onsight in climbing? Onsight means climbing a route without any information or practice before climbing. Think of it as if you are blindfolded until you touch the rock! You can onsight a lead route or a boulder route.
27. Send
The climbing term “Send” means you finished a climbing route by topping it. Often, you will hear many climbers exclaiming that they have “sent” their project.
28. Crux
The crux in a climb is the most difficult section of a climbing route or problem. It is the area where climbers will generally fall off as it requires a set of difficult moves to power through the crux. In many cases, a climbing route can have more than one crux. Some individuals (tall *ahem* people) can get past the crux if they have longer limbs.
29. Beta
Climbing beta refers to information about the climbing route or the problem to ascend the route. Think of it as an answer sheet for climbers. Everyone’s beta can be different when tackling a problem as long as the route is sent. However, the route setter always has one intended beta for all climbers to follow.
30. Redpoint
Redpoint in climber terms is you successfully climbing a route after practicing it beforehand. This applies to lead climbing or sports climbing, where you attempted this route in previous times on a top rope or a lead climb. Climbers will need to send the route clean (without asking for “take” or “tight”).
If you redpoint a route, you have completed a “send”.
31. Top Out
Top out commonly happens in boulders, where the final move is to climb over the problem or rock until you can stand on top of it. Most outdoor boulders have a top-out ending whereas certain indoor climbing gyms will have top-out boulders for such moves.
32. Pump
All climbers will feel the pump no matter at what stage in their climbing career. Generally, the pump will feel like a tight, swollen, and burning feeling in the forearms that is due to a build-up of lactic acid.
33. Dab
A dab is a climber term that describes a climber who accidentally touches other holds that are not part of the route, crash pads, climbers, or the ground to ascend their climb. This is considered a penalty.
Types Of Climbing
34. Sport Climbing
Sport climbing is often interchangeably known as lead climbing. There will be preplaced bolts (and sometimes quickdraws) allocated for climbers to clip in, hence focusing on the climber’s ability to send the route. Additionally, sport climbing is also an Olympic and IFSC World Cup discipline.
35. Top Rope Climbing
A climber is securely attached to a rope that hangs by a fixed anchor at the top of the route. Top Rope climbing requires a human belayer to support the climber, tightening the rope as the climber reaches the top.
36. Auto Belay
Similar to top rope, the climber is securely attached to a “rope” that hangs by a fixed anchor at the top, except there is no human belayer but an auto belay mechanism to remove slack and lower the climber slowly after a fall.
Find out all about auto belays here.
37. Bouldering
Colloquially known as “climbing without ropes”, bouldering involves climbing 10 to 15-foot walls. It is also part of the Olympic climbing format. Most major climbing injuries are stemmed from bouldering.
38. Ice Climbing
Ice climbing is where climbers go during the winter. Climbers will scale ice formation “walls” and use a variety of ice tools to move up the walls. There are also indoor ice climbing gyms, albeit rare, that is used to train for competitions and when the weather is nasty.
39. Traditional Climbing or “Trad”
Trad climbing requires the climber to place protective equipment when ascending the route by using cams, nuts, and slings. No climbing bolts are involved in this climbing style.
40. Mountain Climbing or “Mountaineering”
Mountain climbing is outdoor climbing that usually involves a wide variety of terrain and can include rock climbing, hiking, ice climbing, skiing, and traversing via ferrata.
41. Speed Climbing
Speed climbing is where the climber tries to clock in the fastest time on a 5-degree incline 15-meter climbing wall. Every route will use the same holds and in competitions, climbers compete side-by-side for the fastest time in a game of round-robin and elimination.
Common Words Used In The Gym
42. Allez (French)
Pronounced like “ah-lay”, it is the French term meaning “go!” or “come on!”. It probably originated when climbing was associated with professional French climbers and the climbing term was used sparingly. Today, non-French climbers use this climber term whether it is in IFSC tournaments, local gym competitions, your local crag, or just your day-to-day operations.
43. Ganba (Japanese)
Ganba is commonly used by Japanese climbers, carrying the same meaning as Allez. Generally, you will hear “Ganba, ganba” used in climbing competitions as it is often said to cheer on and encourage climbers.
44. Venga (Spanish)
Similar to Allez and Ganba, Venga is used less often but carries the same meaning. Unfortunately, not many can pronounce this word accurately, hence, even commentators avoid saying them.
45. On Belay
“On Belay” is an indirect way of asking “Is Your Belay Ready?” to the belayer. The scenario usually occurs when you are climbing top rope and have safely fastened the rope into your harness and you want to check if your belayer is ready before you begin climbing.
46. Belay On
“Belay On” is a voice command from the belayer side after they have done the necessary checks. They will be doing the buddy check as well during this time, making sure the climber’s knots are tied correctly. They will remove all the slack from the rope to create enough tension. Climbers should also do their checks and balance and make sure the belay device is fastened correctly.
During sport climbing, belayers should also say “Belay On” after the rope has been clipped into the first quickdraw.
47. Slack
A climber will shout “slack” when they need more rope to clip into a quickdraw or make a certain dynamic move. This term is commonly used during lead climbs.
48. Take/ Tight / Tension
When a climber wants to reduce slack on the rope. This command is used either when a climber is at the top of the route and wants to be lowered, or wants to rest at a certain portion of the climb.
49. Watch Me
A climber’s command to the belayer to state that they are going to fall at some point. Belayer should be on standby to catch the climber’s fall.
50. Rope
This means watching your head as a rope is falling. This usually happens after sport climbing where an individual is pulling down the rope (after the climber has untied) to signify they are no longer using the route.
51. Lower!
The climber shouts the word “lower” after calling “tight” on a route. At this point, the belayer will allow the climber to descend slowly.
52. Safety On
When a climber is cleaning an anchor outdoors, they may use a Personal Anchor System (PAS) to secure themselves to the anchor bolt. Shouting “Safety On” will alert the belayer that the climber they have secured above (it is especially hard to tell when a climber is really high up). Belayer will proceed to provide slack to the climber to clean the anchor.
Other Climbing Lingos
53. Krab
A “krab” refers to a carabiner, also colloquially known as a biner or a karabiner. It is a metal loop with a spring-loaded gate used to connect components within a safety climbing sytem.
54. Gumby
If you are a beginner climber, you are most likely a gumby climber. It is a not-so-nice term to describe an amateur climber who forgoes safety due to climbing inexperience.
Still unsure? Read here to find out what is a gumby in climbing.
Conclusion
All in all, this is my take of all the climber terms that are commonly used in the climbing gym. Are there any other indoor climbing terminologies that didn’t make the cut? Let’s discuss it!
Allez!
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Thnx!