Anchor - An object securely attached to the earth.
Ascender – A mechanical cam device used to climb a rope.
Back up – Any redundancy for safety.
Belay – A method of protecting a climber in case of a fall. A safety rope attached to the climber is played out or taken in by a second person (belayer) as the climber moves.
Bight – a U shape bend in the rope.
Bison Ball - The only chalk allowed in the gym.
Bolt – A generic term for an artificial drilled and placed anchor.
Bombproof – Slang for something that is designed rigidly and able to withstand large amounts of punishment, abuse or shock loading. (aka “BFR”).
Carabiner – Also biner, crab, krab, karabiner or snaplink. An oval or offset oval shaped, aluminum alloy or steel link with a spring-loaded gate in one side. Used as a universal connector in climbing and rappelling.
Chalk Bag - A bag to cary your Bison Ball, magnesium carbonate to keep your hands dry.
Cliff - Confucius say, “Man who leap off cliff, jump to conclusion.”
Climbing Rope – A dynamic kernmantle rope capable of withstanding a minimum of 12 falls and in accordance with UIAA standards. Not to be smaller than 10.5mm in diameter.
Daisy Chain – A runner that has numerous loops through its entire length, in which carabiners and climbing hardware can be clipped.
Dynamic Rope – Ropes that stretch more than 10% or more of their length with a load of approximately 1 KN.
Fall Line – The vertical path followed by a hanging rope.
Figure 8 – 1. Rappelling device that is shaped like an eight. 2. A very useful knot that looks like an eight, used by climbers for tying to the end of the rope.
Harness - A professionally constructed piece of software to attach a climber and instructor to the rope.
Haul Line – the part of a rope in a hauling system pulled by hand or mechanical ascender to raise a load.
Jam – A technique used in climbing to enable one to make progress by lodging a fist, foot, body or finger into a crack.
KN – Kilonewton. A Newton is a metric unit of force, mass or amount of matter times acceleration or change in speed over time, equal to about .225 of a pound of force. A Kilonewton would be equal to the weight of 100 kilograms or about a 225-pound person. Mass in Kg x 9.8m/s2
Kernmantle – Rope construction consisting of a core (kern) of more or less, parallel bunches of synthetic fibers. These are contained in a tightly woven protective sheath or mantle.
Locking Carabiner – A carabiner equipped with a sleeve to lock the gate closed. May be a screw or spring loaded type.
Mantle – Technique used in climbing to gain a shelf or ledge. The sheath on a Kernmantle rope.
Mechanical Advantage – A ratio of the weight of the load to the theoretical force applied to raise the load.
Protection – A point of security such as a chock, piton, bolt or other device where climbers can clip in.
Rappel – To descend by sliding down the rope in a controlled manner.
Rig – To fashion any system with a rope, webbing and or carabiners.
Rope – 1. The long thin stuff that will save you if used properly. 2. A common command given before you tossing a rope down.
RURP – Realized Ultimate Reality Piton. Postage stamp sized piton used for tiny, incipient cracks.
Screamer – A long fall. Traditionally screaming all the way.
Scree – The smaller(est) rock that forms a talus slope. May be securely anchored by vegetation or extremely unstable.
Snap Link – See carabiner
Static Rope – Rope that stretches between 2% and 4% under load of approximately 1 KN.
Talus – A sloping mass of large rocks, Often very unstable.
Tubular Webbing – Nylon strapping that appears flat, yet when pinched from the ends reveals its hollow weave. Commonly available in various sizes.
Tyrolean – A rope stretched horizontally and attached at both ends whereby people can traverse back and forth.
Webbing – See tubular webbing.
Z Pulley System - Consists of pulleys, rope and carabiners to create a theoretical 3:1 mechanical advantage in a raising system.