Rock Climbing Lingo

Rock climbing is an extreme sport that is enjoyed by many adventurous people and it is closely linked with mountaineering. Rock-climbers have the urge the to take up the challenge of exploring the terrain of higher altitude. For an amateur rock-climber to become a professional, he has to understand the techniques of rock climbing as well as the basic terms used by the professional rock-climbers. Like every sport, rock climbing has its own technical language known as rock climbing lingo. The amateur rock-climbers must learn the rock climbing lingo.

Rock Climbing Lingo

Here are a few important rock climbing terms that every amateur rock-climber should be familiar with.

Anchor: Anchor mentioned here is not similar to the one that is used in a boat. However, like the anchor of the boat, this equipment is a part of the rock climbing gear and it is used to support the weight of a belay while climbing.

Belay: A belay is an equipment that helps the rock-climber in climbing by holding the rope in place by applying the necessary friction to it. There are many belay devices available in the market. A climber has to choose his belay depending on his technique of climbing and his body weight. A person who uses a belay is known as a belayer. Some of the popularly used belay tools are auto-locking, Sticht plate, figure-8 and tubular. A climber should be aware of the risks involved in using various belay devices before choosing a device that he is comfortable with.

Back-clipping or Quick-draw: Quick-draw is an important tool used by all rock-climbers. A rock-climber should never ignore the way a rope is clipped to a climbing carabiner because the rope has to be adjusted accordingly. The ropes should not be twisted and should run smoothly through the spine of the climbing carabiner; if the rope is twisted there is a possibility of the carabiner being un-clipped and the rope is likely to slip out of quick-draw or the back-clipping.

Climbing Carabiner: There are different types of carabiners used for various purposes. The carabiners used by the rescue operators are different from the ones used by the professional rock-climbers. A rock-climber can choose the type of the climbing carabiner depending on the type of gate and shape. There are basically two different shapes of carabiner - D-shaped and oval-shaped. Rock-climbers commonly use D-shaped carabiners because they are stronger and can withstand more pressure compared to the oval-shaped climbing carabiners. The different types of gates available are locking, bent, straight and wire. The commonly used gate is the straight gate because it is versatile and can be used in all situations and circumstances. A rock-climber should remember to use a carabiner that is specifically designed for rock climbing.

Daisy Chain: This is used to carry the rock climbing gear of the climber. It is a webbing made from nylon tape or rope.

Elvis: When a rock-climber’s limbs begin to shiver due to fatigue, it is commonly called as Elvis. It is actually a temporary physical weakness that occurs to an amateur rock-climber.

Face Climbing: This is a rock climbing technique. The climber uses the face of a rock to anchor the carabiner instead of using the cracks. The other techniques used are free climbing, fist jam and figure four.

Harness: Harness is a climbing device made from nylon tape. This device is worn around the waist and the thighs of a rock-climber and then clipped onto the belay rope. A harness is a safety device used by the rock-climbers.

Lead Climber: A rock-climber who climbs first to navigate the way and also to hook the anchor is known as the lead climber or leading. This technique is known as lead climbing.

Rock climbing is one of the most dangerous extreme sports and a rock climber should be aware of the risks of this adventurous sport before embracing it as a hobby or a profession. The other rock climbing terms an amateur should be familiar are top rope, saddle, slab climbing, zipper fall, Z-clipping and so on.