Rock Climbing Terms
Rock Climbing
Rock climbing, broadly speaking, is the act of ascending steep rock formations. Normally, climbers use gear and safety equipment specifically designed for the purpose. Strength, endurance, and mental control are required to cope with tough, dangerous phys ......More
Belaying
A belay device is a piece of climbing equipment that improves belay safety for the climber by allowing the belayer to manage their duties with minimal physical effort. Belay devices are designed to allow a weak person to easily arrest a climbers fall with ......More
Lead Climbing
When lead climbing, the lead climber or leader ties to one end of a rope and is belayed by their partner. The climber then ascends the route, periodically placing protection for safety in the event of a fall. The protection can consist of pr ......More
Sport Climbing
Sport climbing is a style of rock climbing that relies on permanent anchors fixed to the rock, especially bolts, for protection. Sport climbing places an emphasis on gymnastic ability, strength and endurance, while virtually eliminating the need to place ......More
Grading System
The following table has a basic comparison chart for some of the different free climbing rating systems that are in use around the world: ......More
Figure of Eight
The figure-of-eight knot is a type of knot. It is very important in both sailing and rock climbing as a method of stopping ropes from running out of retaining devices. ......More
Bouldering
Bouldering is a type of rock climbing undertaken without a rope and normally limited to very short climbs so that a fall will not result in significant injury. This variation of climbing can be practiced on large boulders, at the base of larger rock faces ......More
rappelling
In British English, abseiling (from the German abseilen, "to rope down") is the process of descending on a fixed rope. ......More
Climbing Equipment
Climbing ropes typically consist of a core (kern) of long twisted fibres and an outer sheath (mantle) of woven coloured fibres (hence the term kernmantle construction). The core provides about 80% of the tensile strength, while the sheath is a durable lay ......More
Top Roping
Top roping) is a technique in climbing in which the rope drapes through the belayer at the foot of the route through one or more carabiners connected to an anchor at the top of the route and back down to the climber. ......More
Free Solo Climbing
Free solo climbing — rock climbing with no safety equipment — is a rare and highly dangerous extreme sport. Also known as free soloing, it is a form of free climbing where the climber (the free soloist) foregoes ropes, harnesses or other protective gear d ......More
Traditional Climbing
Traditional climbing, or Trad climbing, is a style of climbing that emphasizes the skills necessary for establishing routes in an exploratory fashion. Before the advent of sport climbing, the normal style of unaided rock climbing was what is now referred ......More