Climbing Safety
Climbing Gear/Equipment
Climbing Terminology
Types of Climbing
100

Reducing tension in the rope, allowing you to move more freely

Slack

100

An adjustable belt with attached leg loops, used to connect a person to the climbing rope

Harness

100

The act of managing the rope for a climber

Belaying 

100

Type of climbing that involves short routes (10 ft - 25 ft)

Bouldering 

200

Something that attaches the climber to the mountain

Anchor

200

A piece of aluminum or steel hardware with a gate that opens and closes, often used to connect pieces of climbing equipment

Carabiner

200

A hold which is only just big enough to be grasped with the tips of the fingers.

Crimp

200

Bridges the gap between hiking and rock climbing

Scrambling

300

The act of attaching the climbing rope to one’s harness

Tying In 

300

How a climber descends independently down a cliff or mountain face

Rappelling 

300

Climbers and their rope start climbing from the ground-up, with no protection or safeguards above them

Lead Climbing 

400

Connects a rope to another object like a carabiner or even another rope

Hitch

400

Any feature on a wall that is usable for climbing

Hold

400

Refers to having the rope through an anchor above and thus limiting the risk of a fall

Top Rope Climbing

500

Refers to using friction created by pressing the rubber soles of your climbing shoes against the wall to support your body weight.

Smearing