Equitment
What kind of knot is used when belaying?
Figure 8
What is a large, easily gripped hold called?
A jug.
What do you say when you would like the belayer to pull excess rope taught?
Take.
What is it called when a climber consistently works on the same climb until they can complete it?
projecting
Early climbing ropes were made of what material, before nylon was common?
Hemp
What do you call the multi-sided climbing feature that attaches to the wall as an extension of it?
A volume.
What is it called when, during a boulder climb, a climber places a foot onto the wall (and not on a hold) to help distribute weight and steady themself?
Smearing. Smearing is when the climber uses the wall, but not a foothold as a contact point
What is the difference between lead climbing and top roping?
In top roping, the rope is anchored at the top of the hold and is tightened as the climber advances. In lead climbing, the rope is not anchored to the top, and the climber must clip the rope into clipping points as they go.
What type of climbing uses bolts drilled into the rock instead of natural cracks?
Sport climbing
What is a training board with fixed ladder style rungs to hold onto and is primarily focused on developing one's upper body strength, especially of the grip?
Campus board
What is a small hold that requires you to grip it with your fingertips?
A crimp.
What move is it when a climber lunges to reach a hold, briefing having no points of contact with the wall?
A dyno is when a climber lunges to reach a hold, jumping and releasing all points of contact before purchase.
This is the term for the highest point a climber reaches before falling.
top out?
Who was the first person to free solo El Capitan?
Alex Honnold
What are the names of the two types of belay devices we use, and how are they different?
An ATC and a grigri. An ATC has no auto-locking function, whereas the grigri autolocks the rope and only releases when the level is pulled back.
What is a “micro-pocket”?
Tiny pocket that fits only one fingertip
What is it called when a climber uses their knee to push against a feature to use as support?
Name the three main climbing styles typically practiced indoors.
Top roping, lead climbing, bouldering
Is rock climbing a fully fledged mandatory event in the Olympic Games?
No. It was first introduced as a discretionary sport in the 2020 games and appeared again as a discretionary sport in the 2024 games, but the first time it will appear as a mandatory event will be in the 2028 Olympic Games.
What is the main difference between a bouldering harness and a lead harness?
Bouldering: lightweight, minimal padding, smaller tie-in points
Lead: more padding, gear loops, reinforced tie-in points.
What is the edge of the climbing wall (or the lip of the climbing wall) that can be used as a feature for a climb called?
Using small hand and footholds with precise foot placement is called what?
edging
What is the main difference between a “highball” boulder problem and a regular boulder problem?
Highball: taller problem with higher risk of injury if falling; requires mental control and precise technique.
Indoor climbing gyms first became popular in which decade?
1980s