Glossary
Classic - A term that refers to a climbing route which is renowned, usually locally and nation-wide.
Cleaning - Removing protection while seconding or rappelling.
Cornice - Overhanging lip of snow, formed by wind, on the top of ridges. The lip overhangs in the leeward direction. If you're on or underneath it when it breaks...
Crank - To pull up hard on a hold.
Crevasse - A deep crack in a glacier.
Crimp - A small feature or hold which only your fingertips can contact.
Crux - The hardest part of a climb or pitch.
Deadpoint - The top of a swing or controlled lunge, when upward motion has stopped but downward fall has not yet begun.
Draw - Short for "quickdraw".
Dyno - a dynamic move or lunge.
Edging - Technique in which the climber places his/her feet on narrowly protruding edges.
Epic - Slang term for a climbing adventure that was long, arduous or somehow much more than you bargained for.
Equalised - Usually used in reference to anchors set in such a way that the weight of the climbing team and/or the force of a fall is distributed equally among all the pieces that are part of the anchor.
Face climbing - Using the features that protrude from a rock face (rather than cracks in the face) to climb.
Flag - A move, in which a foot is placed off to one side, not necessarily on a hold, in order to prevent barn dooring.
Flash - Redpoint ascent, first try on lead, utilising prior inspection, information or beta from others.
Follow - After one climber leads a pitch, a second (or third or fourth, ad inf.) will climb it while the leader belays them from above.
Friends - The original spring-loaded camming device with a trigger to retract the cams.
Gaston - Pulling with both hands in opposite directions and away from each other.
Grade - The difficulty rating attached to a climb.