Understanding climbing lingo

1. Cams: Also known as ‘friends’, small spring-loaded devices that climbers insert into cracks, creating removable anchors in the rock face. 2. Clog: An old brand of cams and

other climbing gear. 3. Bomber: Climbing slang - a solid anchor that’s so well made, it might as well be bomb-proof (not to be taken literally). 4. Belay: A method to protect the climber by holding the rope of the person ascending in a particular way, using a specific device. 5. Pitch: One rope length. Typically

between 40 and 60 metres. 6. Deck: Climbing slang for the

ground. 7. Scree: The rocky rubble usually found at the base of cliffs and rock faces. 8. Rappel: A method to descend a rock face, alone, by means of an anchored rope and the aforementioned belay device. 9. Trad: Short for ‘traditional’. A style of climbing using removable equipment such as cams etc, instead of permanent fixed gear such as bolts. 10. Bouldering: The sub sport of rock climbing, very short and difficult routes, on boulders under 20 feet high approximately, without ropes or equipment. 11. Topos: Topographical maps by climbers for climbers, giving detailed information on the rock route, its features, difficulties, anchors, etc. 12. Solid nut and maillon: A nut is a small metal chock, inserted into a crack to make an anchor. A maillon is a metal link. 13. Piton: A kind of large metal nail or stud hammered into a crack. No longer used in modern climbing except in special circumstances (such as first ascents). 14. Carabiner: A metal link used to connect the anchor (cam, nut or piton) to the rope.