APPROACH
The route or hike to the base of a climb.

BELAY
Belaying is an essential part of any type of climbing that uses a rope. The belayer is the one responsible for catching or holding the climber if they fall. They do this by running the rope through a belay device to create friction, which gives the belayer the ability to catch or hold the climber. The belay device is connected to the belayer's harness with a locking carabiner. When the rope is appropriately locked into the belay device, the climber is then "on belay" and can begin their ascent. The belayer applies tension to the rope whenever the climber is not moving and removes the tension or slack from the rope whenever the climber needs more rope to continue climbing. An individual should receive instruction and supervision from an experienced climber or trained instructor before belaying.

BELAY DEVICE
A belay device helps control and acts as a brake on the climbing rope by applying friction to it and giving the belayer a mechanical advantage in catching the weight and arresting a climber's fall. The device, along with the belayer's quick braking hand (which locks off the free end of the rope), helps keep tension on the rope and helps protect the climber at the other end. Belay devices usually attach to the harness of the belayer with a carabiner. Some belay devices can also be used as an aid for a controlled descent of a rope, called rappelling.
     Sticht Plate: This was an early mechanical rope brake,, named after its designer, Fritz Sticht. It consisted of a small metal plate with a slot that allows a bight of rope to pass through to a locking carabiner and back out. The locking carabiner is also clipped into the belayer's harness who is then able to control the movement of the rope and lock it off to take a climber's weight or arrest a fall. Some plates have two slots for double ropes. A wide wire spring may be attached on one side of the plate to keep the plate away from the carabiner, resulting in locking the rope. This makes it easier to feed or take in slack in the rope through the device.
     Tubular: A tubular or tube style belay device generally has a tubular or rectangular shape. It is an evolution of the Sticht Plate's concept but has more surface area to dissipate heat from the friction of the rope, and has a stronger degree of friction for greater ability to catch a fall. As a result, this is generally the most common type of belay device used in climbing. Besides arresting the fall of a climber, these devices can also be used for rappelling.
     Assisted Braking Belay Device or Grigri: Assisted braking devices use a sudden load on the rope to engage a camming mechanism or pull the belay carabiner into a pinch point to prevent the rope from passing through the belay device. This will arrest a fall or take the weight of the climber automatically and assist the belayer in locking off the rope. The most common assisted braking device is the Petzl Grigri. Most assisted braking belay devices are designed for single rope use. Therefore, They are not suitable for double rope rappels. A climber will need to bring along a second device if a rappel might be needed.
     Figure 8: Sometimes referred to as an "eight", this device is most commonly used as a descender or rappelling device. A figure 8 can be used for belaying, however, they are not preferred as it tends to twist the rope, causing kinks in it.

BETA
This is one of the most useful terms for beginner climbers to learn. Beta refers to any help, advice or information from another person in regards to a climb. Are you stuck on a move? Request beta from a more experienced climber and it will often help get you past it. Be careful when giving beta however, as it isn't usually wanted unless asked for!

BOMBER
This term comes from being "bombproof", meaning that the rock or hold is very solid and secure. Usually, it refers to a piece of gear, the placement of gear, the quality of the rock, a hold or grip. The opposite of "bomber" is "sketchy".

Chalk
Climbing chalk is primarily made of magnesium carbonate and helps reduce moisture on sweaty hands to improve the friction between skin and rock. Chalk can be broken down into three basic subcategories: block chalk, powder chalk and liquid chalk. Block chalk is, as the name indicates, sold in solid rectangular blocks.  It is the same as powdered chalk, but has not been crushed and filtered into a powder. Therefore, it is most often more economical than other types of chalk. you must break down the chalk yourself before using it. Powder chalk comes in varying degrees of consistency from a super fine chalk to chunky, pebble sized pieces.  Often, it comes in a super find mesh cloth bag that is carried in a chalk bag. Liquid chalk is a combination of regular chalk and a type of alcohol, forming a liquid that can be easily applied to the hands. The alcohol evaporates, leaving an even layer of chalk.

CLIMBING SHOES
A climbing shoe is a specialized type of footwear designed specifically for rock climbing. Typically, climbing shoes have a tight fit, very little (if any) padding, to conform closely to the wearer's feet. They have a smooth, sticky rubber sole with an extended rubber rand (an edge that extends over the toe, heal, and sides of the shoe). Climbing shoes should be tight to support the foot and allow the climber to use small footholds effectively. Most climbers do not wear socks in order to achieve a more precise fit and feel. As a result of the tight fit, climbing shoes are uncomfortable to walk in, therefore, it is common to see climbers wearing other shoes to approach climbing areas, belay or walk around indoor climbing facilities.

CRAG
This is a general term for an outdoor climbing area with many different routes. It can also be used as a verb, so "cragging" is the activity of spending the day at a climbing spot, working on a project, sending some moderate routes or having a great time outdoors with friends.

CRASH PAD
What looks like mattresses that boulderers carry around on their backs are crash pads. When bouldering outdoors, climbers will strategically place crash pads in the fall zone of whatever their attempting to provide a softer landing surface.

CRUX
The crux of a climb refers to the most difficult move or series of moves on a route/problem. Climbs are rated based on the crux, not on their average difficulty. While moves in indoor climbing facilities are usually fairly consistent with their ratings, when climbing outdoors, the difficulty can vary greatly. Reading guidebooks and researching routes is imperative to understand routes and problems.

FLAPPER
The rock or hand hold tears a massive chunk of flesh that hangs from the finger. It may look like a bloody mess, but don't fear- flappers heal quickly and are an inevitable part of the rock climbing experience.

PROJECT
A project is a route or problem that a climber is dedicating time to work on. Generally, it will be at or just above their level of ability. While not terribly specific to climbing, it is a term you will hear a lot. It is often used as a verb, as in "projecting"

PUMPED
This term describes the sensation of extreme fatigue in the forearms. Lactic acid builds up and accumulates in the muscles as the forearms fatigue, making them feel inflated, tight, and clumsy.

RACK
A rack refers to a climber's gear, usually organized onto a sling or a harness. What is actually selected for one's rack on any specific day or climb depends on the rock type, length and grade of the route(s) that are expected to be climbed. Don't climb with more weight than necessary!

SEND
Sending a route is the most common use of the term. This means successfully reaching the top and finishing a climb. One may hear someone yelling at other climbers to "send it!" If one is climbing strong, the people yelling this are encouraging to not give up and keep going!

SPOTTING
Spotting is a safety measure used in bouldering and sometimes before a lead climber has clipped the first piece of protective gear or quickdraw on a trade or sport route. A spotter remains below a climber, with arms raised, prepared to help guide their fall to a crash pad to ensure hey do not fall headfirst or backwards. There is a lot that goes into being an excellent spotter, and it not done correctly, spotting can lead to injury. Be sure to read up on proper spotting techniques before offering to spot others!

SUS
to "sus" is to check something out. It is shorthand for suspicious or suspect. Before a first attempt on a boulder problem, there may be questions on the difficulty of the overall climb, or a specific hold. Therefore, it may be beneficial to sus it out first. Inspect the holds, visualize the movement, feel the texture of the rock, etc...

TAKE
This is a command phrase used in roped climbing. The phrase refers to taking up slack in a rope system. For example, when a climber completes a route they will often shout "TAKE!" Their belayer then knows to tighten the rope by  taking slack out through the belay device, allowing the climber to sit back and place their weight on the rope without being lowered.

TOP-OUT
At an indoor climbing facility, one usually jumps or downclimbs from the final holds of a bouldering problem, in a few facilities, top out boulders are available. Many outdoor boulders must be "topped-out" in order to complete the problem. Topping out, by definition is the final act of climbing a problem, up and over until you are standing on the top of the boulder. After pulling through some of the hard, pumpy moves, topping out can sometimes be the hardest part of the climb!

WHIPPER
A whipper is a big fall. It is called this because when a climber falls on lead from above their last piece of protection, they will plummet in an arcing manner and the slake in the rope will create a whip like motion. If you take an impressive fall, you might hear another climber exclaim in admiration, "that was quite a whipper!" Hopefully, the verbal support will reduce the sting of the fall.