When leading, to remove superfluous gear from below for anticipated use higher on the pitch, most often when aid climbing by simply reaching back or below to clean. Mindy decided to back clean the last two TCUs she had placed to save them for the centimeter-wide crack out the big roof.
Back step
1. A foot position relative to its foothold wherein the climber uses the outside edge of the toe box, instead of the big toe, inside edge, heel, instep, etc.
2. To use the outside edge of one's foot on a foothold.
3. (the rope) to place a foot or leg between the rope and the rock in such a way as to make entanglement and, subsequently, an upside-down fall more likely. Dude! Watch your right foot! Don't back step the rope!
Bail
To give up and rappel or otherwise get off the route because of weather, darkness, or difficulties. “We both tried and fell on the crux several times, so we bailed.” “We didn’t want to finish in the dark, so we bailed.”
Bail Biner
A carabiner left behind when rappelling or lowering off of a climb, usually left on a single bolt or other protection device mid-pitch.
Bandolier
A short sling with a padding worn over the shoulder by the leader to hold a rack that is too big to be accommodated by gear loops.
Barn door
When the body swings away from the rock from two or more pivot points (usually one hand and one foot) due to the angle. Can occur on a steep lieback as well. Difficult to recover from and often results in a fall.
Base Camp
The lowest fixed camp on a long route or other journey.
Belay
1. the process of paying out the rope to the lead climber, or taking in rope for a follower, while he/she climbs, and of protecting the climber in the event of a fall. Belaying allows a climber to fall and live to try again.
2. the place where a climber belays, and the anchor is set up attaching the climber to the rock, normally at the beginning and end of each pitch. (See belay station.) Also, a session of belaying.
Belay Device
A device that attaches to the climber’s harness through which the rope is threaded for belaying. Its primary purpose is to create friction quickly in the event of a fall so the belayer can stop the rope, which stops the leader’s fall, simply by pulling against the device. The device creates a ‘hairpin’ turn in the rope at all times and allows the belayer to pay out or take in slack freely, and to stop or brake the rope in an instant. Common belay devices: ATC, GriGri, Sticht Plate
Belay Monkey
Any person recruited for the task of belaying for long periods of time. Similar to Belay Betty; usually a non-climbing female recruited to belay a significant other.
Belay Station
A secure stance consisting of an anchor, a rope, and a belayer with a belay device. The place where a belayer sits, stands or hangs while belaying.
Belay on
When the belayer is ready to belay the climber up, he yells "Belay on". (At least in the US, "belay on" would only confuse the hell out of a British climber who prefers to hear "Climb when ready").
Belayer
A person who is belaying a climber.
Beta
Information about a route.
Betaflash
1. A clean first ascent with no falls after having received beta. (This contrasts an onsightflash, a clean ascent with no prior knowledge of the route.
2. to perform a betaflash.
Big wall
A large expanse of steep rock taking a minimum of three days to climb with conventional methods (free and aid climbing, hauling a bag with food water and shelter). El Cap and Half Dome in Yosemite Valley are big walls though both have routes that have been climbed in less than a day. The majority of routes on both require three to eight days to climb. Washington Column, Sentinel, and Leaning Tower are usually not referred to as a big walls. 2. (adj.) Of or pertaining to a big wall. (e.g., big wall climbing gear).
Biner
Slang for carabiner, a metal ring with a spring-loaded gate used to attach the rope to protection, and many other things. (See carabiner.)
Bird Beak
A thin hook used as protection in small cracks and pockets.
Bivouac
1. a place to spend the night.
2. to spend the night, often in an unexpected location. Slang: Bivy
Bivy
Slang for Bivouac. A place to spend the night. 2.(vb.) to spend the night, often in an unexpected location.
Bolt
A permanent anchor in the rock installed individually as a protection device, or with other bolts or protection devices as an anchor. The bolt is a metal shaft 1/4 inch, 3/8 inch or 5/16 inch in diameter (common sizes), driven into a hole drilled by the climber, and equipped with a hanger to attach a carabiner. Generally, no one installs 1/4 inch bolts anymore, and because most of them are more than 25 years old, they should not be used when found. Occasionally they can be pried out by hand, or break under body weight.
Bomb-bay
Describes a chimney (or sometimes lesser crack) that opens at the bottom toward the ground, similar to the bomb-bay doors on a B-52 aircraft.
Bomber
A corruption of "bombproof" meaning very secure.
Bombproof
Very secure, unlikely to move even when subjected to great force.
Bong
An extra-wide-angled piton used primarily in the early days of big wall climbing.
Booty
gear left behind for the taking, usually either from a previous party bailing on a route or accidentally fixing gear.
Boulder
A big rock typically climbed without a rope. May be head high to over 30 feet. Each boulder may have many distinct routes. Boulder problems are often top roped (See top rope), but climbing without a rope is thought to be better style. To boulder or to go bouldering is to climb boulder problems.
Bouldering Pad
A mat three to four inches thick, and roughly four feet square placed on the ground under a boulderer to cushion a fall. Usually made of layers of foam of various densities and covered with heavy, durable nylon and equipped with straps so that it can be folded in half and carried from place to place on the climber’s back. Also known as a crash pad.
Bouncing
Sport climbing technique used to regain the rock after falling and the climber is hanging free and out of reach of the rock. The climber climbs the rope hand over hand (very strenuous), and then drops. At the instant the climber lets go, the belayer hauls in slack thereby raising the climber. Repeating this process eventually brings the climber back to the rock. Also known as boinking, and to superman (compare with batman).
Bowline knot
One of the two common knots for tying in to the climbing harness (after the Figure 8 knot). Used by some experienced climbers for indoor and sport climbing because it is easier to untie after repeated loadings. Can be tied with one hand. Should be periodically re-tightened and the loose end MUST be secured with a Stopper knot - it may pull through the loop otherwise. "The rabbit goes out of the hole, around the tree, and back down the hole" is a commonly used phrase that provides hints on how to tie the bowline knot.
Brachiate
To swing from one hold to another by the arms.
Brake Hand
The hand that holds the rope on the opposite side of the belay device to the climber.
Brain Bucket
Climbing helmet
Brèche
A notch in a ridge
Bridging
Climbing manouver involving arching the legs across a gap to put pressure on two opposing holds or walls. See also: Stemming.
Bucket
big handhold that is easy to hold onto. Usually a depression, hole or scoop (concave) in the rock. See also jug.
Bump
To move from one hand hold to another with the same hand in a sequential move, typically from an intermediate hold in a linear fashion.
Buildering
To climb on buildings or manmade structures. Often done for training for rock climbing.
Buttress
A part of the mountain or rock formation that stands out from the main face. May also be used to describe the corner of a rock formation, e.g., the East Buttress of Middle Cathedral.
No comments:
Post a Comment