A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Also see the UKC Article A Glossary of Climbing terms: from Abseil to Zawn

A

Abseil, to: Descending by sliding down a rope. Sometimes called rappelling.
Acclimatisation: The gradual adaptation to high altitude, necessary over about 4000m for most climbers.
Active rope: The part of the rope, which runs from the belayer to the leader, also called live rope.
Adze: The flat cutting end of the ice axe head. Used to cut steps or for digging snow for belays.
Aid climbing: Moving up a rock using fixed or placed protection as a means of progression (and not just for protection).
Aider: Webbing ladder used for aid climbing. The word was probably coined by someone who couldn't spell the French word étrier.
Aid route: Route that can only be ascended using aid climbing techniques
Air Time: Period of time between loosing all contact with Mother Earth and regaining it.
Alcove: A belay ledge that is surrounded by vertical rock on all sides.
Alpine butterfly: Butterfly knot.
Anchor: Point where the rope is fixed to the rock.
Arete: A narrow (more or less - but often more less than more - horizontal) ridge.
Ascenders: Devices (e.g. Jumars) to ascend a rope.
ATC: 'Air Traffic Controller', belaying device made by Black Diamond.
Avalanche: Lots of snow or ice sliding down a mountain.

B

Bandolier: Sling or stiffened nylon band worn over the shoulder and used to carry gear, used instead of using the gear loops on a harness. Recommended when climbing on sea cliffs to enable easy jettisoning of gear upon falling into the sea to stop you from drowning.
Barn door, to: To lose the foot and hand holds on one side of the body. Usually causes the climber to swing like a barn door.
Base camp: The lowest and largest fixed camp on a major ascent (or multiple ascents in the same area).
Beer: Liquid consumed in large quantities after climbing.
Belay, to: To secure a climber.
Belay plate: Disc with two slots used to assist braking effort of belayer during a leader fall, more commonly seen with an attached spring to allow freer running of the rope whilst belaying, yet retaining the full braking effect of the plate only type. Modern equivalents are the Tuba, ATC, and other manufacturers terms.
Belay station: A safe stance consisting of an anchor, a rope, and a belayer (aka "the belay")
Belayer: The person at the belay station securing the climber.
"Below": Used to warn for impending impact with objects coming from above (e.g. falling rock).
Bent gate Karabiner: Karabiner with the gate bent to accept the rope more easily.
Big wall: Rock climb that is so long and sustained that a normal ascent lasts several days.
Bivouac: Or short, bivi. An uncomfortable sleeping place in the middle of a route.
Blackboarding: Sliding down a slab using the fingertips and fingernails to try to slow descent. Derived from the sensation and sound from dragging fingernails down a blackboard at school.
Black ice: Old ice that was exposed to extremely cold temperatures, scree, and snowfall. Usually found deep in shady couloirs, or on steep north faces. Very hard and dense ice that is difficult to climb.
Blue ice: Very dense ice with a watery hue and few air bubbles.
Bollard: Snow or ice belays cut out from the slope.
Bolt: Permanently placed protection in rock, either of a staple ('U' bolt) form, or bolt hanger as used on climbing walls.
Bomber: Used to indicate that something is exceptionally solid, e.g. an anchor, a hold. See also bombproof.
Bombproof: The illusion that an anchor is infallible
Bong: An almost extinct species of extra wide pitons. Now, large chocks are usually used instead.
Boulder, to: Climbing unroped on boulders or at the foot of climbs to a height where it is still safe to jump off.
Bounce: To crater from an extreme height. Usually lethal.
Bowline: Sailing knot (not to be used for climbing, unless backed up with a second knot)
Break, in rock: A horizontal gap or fissure in the rock varying in width from nail to bodywidth.
Buildering: To climb buildings.
Butterfly knot: Interesting but rarely used climbing knot. Alpine butterfly
Buttress: The part of the mountain or rock that stands in front of the main mountain face.

C

Cam: Generic reference to the family of spring loaded camming devices (SLCD) such as friends, camalots, aliens, TCUs, etc.
Carabiner: The alternative American spelling of the word Karabiner.
Cartooning: The action of both arms and legs scrabbling frantically at the rock during a fall, derived from Tom & Jerry Cartoons.
Chalk: Magic powder that makes the hands stick to even the smoothest rock.
Chalk: The soft chalk cliffs on the south coast of England have recently provided some enthusiastic winter climbers with a substitute venue. Protection is usually psychological, you need to have had the operation to allow you to remove the brain before climbing this type of rock, if you can call it rock
Chest harness: Bra-like looking harness (to be used with waist harness).
Chimney: A wide crack that accommodates (most of) the body of the climber.
Chimney, to: A climbing technique used to conquer chimneys. Usually requires the use of the back and feet, arms, head and other body parts.
Chipped hold: A hold created with a hammer and chisel by a moron incapable of doing the climb as it is.
Chock: Generic reference to the family of passive wired protection devices, also called nuts, stoppers, wires, and rocks.
Chockstone: A stone wedged between a crack, a chimney, etc.
Choss: Dirt and vegetation found in cracks.
Chossy: Dirty and vegetated climb.
Christmas Curry: Excellent Severe grade climb at Tremadog in North Wales. Has to be done.
Christmas Curry: Annual Ipswich Mountaineering Club Christmas meal in Indian Restaurant. Includes Annual awards, especially 'Lob of the Year', see our 'Roll of Honour' page.
Classic: An occasionally over-used term usually applied to a long-standing route, which has become recognised as being of very high quality. Also used in connection with outdated techniques, e.g. 'classic climbing' using walking boots instead of modern rock boots, and only nuts and hexes.
Clean: Climbing without falling or dogging.
Clean: Aid climbing without hammering.
Clean, to: To remove the gear from a route. Usually done by the second.
Cliff: A vertical piece of rock good for climbing (see also Crag).
Cliff-hanger: Small hooking device used to aid climb up small ledges and pockets. Also name of really grotty film starring Sylvester Stalone.
Climb, to: Method of ascent used by climbers to get to the top of a rock face or mountain alike.
Climb, a: Term used to describe a route up a rock face, usually defined in a guidebook as to its destination, difficulty etc.
Climber: One who climbs.
"Climbing": What the climber shouts after the belayer screams "Climb when you are ready".
Climbing shoes: Shoes made of sticky rubber that would have fit you comfortably when you were ten.
Climbing wall: Artificial man-made facility, usually indoor, for training purposes for rock climbing, or competitions.
"Climb when ready": Call by belayer to climber to indicate that they are ready to belay the climber.
Clip, to: The reassuring action of putting the rope through a karabiner (that is attached to a piece of gear).
Clove hitch: A useful, easily adjustable climbing knot usually used to tie the rope into a Karabiner.
Col: A steep, high mountain pass.
Combined tactics: An increasingly rare technique used on a route, where the leader stands on the second's shoulders in order to overcome some difficulty.
Committing: A move is said to be committing when it is likely to be impossible to reverse or back climb safely.
Cord: Thin static rope (5, 5.5 or 6 mm)
Corner: Inside corner formed by two adjacent rock walls.
Cornice: An overhanging curve of snow often formed by wind at the head of a gully or at the side of a ridge. These are not always obvious from above and are therefore dangerous, collapsing without warning
Crab: Short for Karabiner.
Crack, in rock: A gap or fissure in the rock varying in width from nail to bodywidth.
Crag: Name for a (small) climbing area.
Crampons: Very pointy footwear use to walk glaciers or climb ice.
Crank, to: To pull on a hold as hard as you can, and then some.
Crater, to: To fall and hit the ground, as in "I almost cratered".
Crest: The very top of a ridge or arete.
Crevasse: A crack in the surface of a glacier.
Crimp: A very small hold that accepts only the finger tips.
Crux: The hardest bit of a climb.

D

Daisy chain: A sling sewn (or tied) with numerous loops, used as an adjustable sling in aid climbing.
Deadman: An extremely effective snow belay device, consisting of a thin alloy plate, rectangular in shape with the lower end gently pointed and the upper end reinforced to take hammer blows. It has a long cable loop attached for securing the rope/slings to.
Deadpoint: A dynamic move where the next hold is grabbed at the very top of the motion (if you lunge upwards, that is just before you start falling again). By grabbing a hold in its 'deadpoint', you place the smallest possible loads on the holds.
Deck: The usually unfriendly surface that welcomes you at the end of a ground hitting fall.
Descender: Device used for abseiling.
Disco leg: A leg under tension that suddenly starts jerking up and down like a sewing machine. Drop the heel, take a deep breath, and don't think of falling...
Dog (to dog a move): Climbing, lowering, climbing again till a certain move is made (the usual mode of ascent...).
Double fisherman's knot: Solid knot used to tie two ropes or pieces of webbing together.
Double rope: Same as a half rope. Also the technique using two half ropes.
Down climbing: Descending the difficult way, usually down a low-grade climb, or backing off a too difficult climb.
Drag: Friction generated by a rope running over rock features, jamming in cracks etc. Minimised by using a double rope and by careful placement of protection.
Dynamic belay: A belay method in which some rope is allowed to slip during severe falls. A dynamic belay can severely reduce the impact force from a serious fall, but can also severely kill you if not done properly.
Dyno: Dynamic movement towards a distant hold.

E

EB: A legendary brand of sport climbing shoes - started the free climbing revolution. Johnny Gearman still has a pair!
Edge: A sharp edge on a rock face.
Edging: Foot technique where one uses the edge of the climbing shoe to stand on small foot holds. The opposite of smearing.
Epic: The story of a well-planned climb that turned into a gruelling adventure that turned out well in the end. As these stories are told over and over again - and they always are - the details get stretched to supernatural proportions for dramatic effect.
Etrier: (Pronounce with a French accent). Webbing ladder used for aid climbing. Also known as 'aider'.
Exposure: The awareness or feeling of a large drop beneath a climber.
Extenders: Also known as quickdraws, nylon tape slings with a pair of karabiners used to join the rope to protection, or to extend such protection, especially with long extenders, to reduce rope drag.

F

Face climbing: Not crack climbing.
Fall, to: A dynamic retreat from a climb (free-solo abseil). Note that it is never the fall that kills, it's the landing.
"Falling": Yelled when a climber is (about to) fall.
Fall factor: The length of the fall divided by the amount of rope paid out.
Fifi hook: An open hook used to allow easy clipping during aid climbing. Usually found on aiders, daisy chains, etc.
Figure 8: Metal rappelling/abseiling/belaying device shaped like an 8.
Figure of eight: Very popular and solid tie-in knot.
Fingerboard: Training device consisting of a board, or similar, with holds on, placed above doorway to be used for training up finger strength.
Finger jam: Masochistic technique to twist and wedge the fingers into a crack.
First Ascent: The climbing of a route for the first time.
Fisherman's knot: Simple knot to tie two ropes together. The double fisherman knot, however, is more popular.
Fixed protection: Bolts, rings, pitons, stuck nuts and cams and other piece of unremovable gear that may be found on a climb. Use at your own risk.
Flail, to: To become very unsure and sketchy. When the flailing goes into frantic grabbing for holds, a fall is not far away.
Flake: A thin bit of rock that is detached from the main face. Piece of crumbly chocolate often found in an ice cream cone after climbing.
Flapper: A piece of skin torn off your hand that creates a bloody wound. Usually happened when holding on too hard when gravity is winning.
Flared: A crack or chimney with sides that are not parallel, but instead form two converging planes of rock.
Flash, to: To lead a climb with no falls or dogging and with no previous attempts on the climb. Two variations exist: the onsight flash (where the climber has never seen the climb before) and the beta flash (where the climber has studied the climb before or has seen someone do the climb).
Following: Not leading a climb, commonly referred to as seconding.
Free climbing: Moving up a rock using only hands, feet, and natural holds. Ropes and gear are only used for protection of the climber and not for progression.
Free solo: Free climbing while using no ropes for protection. You fall - you die.
Friend: Trade name for the original camming devices, now also available as Camalots, TCU's, Quads, Aliens, Big Dudes, etc. Useful person to have when climbing, unless you are into soloing.
Front pointing: Front pointing in crampons involves kicking in the front points of the crampons into either snow or ice, not recommended on rock!

G

Gardening: The limited removal of vegetation from a rock climb, revealing holds and making an ascent easier. Popular activity for rock climbers partners who are not into rock climbing and stay at home. Single rock climbers gardens tend to desperately need this due to lack of time spent at home during the climbing season.
Gate: The part of the Karabiner that opens.
Gear: Collective term for climbing equipment. This includes nuts, hexes, camming devices, extenders, belay device, descender, nut key, spare karabiners, slings etc,
Gear Rack: All the climbing equipment a climber owns, from the bear essentials through to a complete rack or more, as owned by Johnny Gearman. Can take a long time to build up a complete gear rack due to the cost, but climbing can be achieved with a minimal gear rack.
Gearing up: Adorning a climber's body in all the gear they own, either attached to the harness, or a bandolier, and draped around the neck.
Grade: An adjectival and/or number denoting the seriousness of a route.
Granite: A deep-formed, volcanic rock, with a crystalline structure and course grain. Much of the World's best climbing is on Granite, which can form superb pillars, faces and slabs.
Grass Skirt: Large amount of gear hanging from the gear loops of a harness, visually similar to South Pacific Skirt. Usually accompanied by extremely loud clattering as gear hits gear whilst the climber is walking between climbs.
Grounder: A fall where the kinetic energy is not absorbed by the rope and gear, but rather by mother earth itself. Can hurt badly.
Grigri: Nifty but somewhat controversial belaying device made by Petzl.
Gripped: Paralysed with fear and utterly confused.
Gritstone: A sedimentary rock allied to Sandstone but with rougher particles of quartz embedded in the matrix along the feldspar. Extremely grippy rock which usually makes up for the lack of square cut holds, usually referred to as 'Rounded Gritstone Holds' where the climber has to trust in friction, on steep faces, of both rock boots and hands.
Guide Book: Essential equipment for rock climbers to be able to find suitable climbs within their grade capability, unless you are into first ascents and want to get your name into a guidebook. Contain much useful information about access, history, local features and/or peculiarities of the area covered.
Gully: A wide, shallow ravine on a mountainside.

H

Half rope: A rope of 9 or 8.5 mm that has to be used in pairs with a second rope when leading a climb. Safer than a single rope, and can reduce rope drag on long runouts, especially on routes that wander across the rock face.
Hammer: Hammerhead on ice axe used for bashing in pegs, pitons, and ice screws.
Handjam: Slightly masochistic technique where the hand is wedged into a crack. On Gritstone results in 'Gritstone Rash'.
Handle: Big banana-shaped hold often found in indoor gyms. Great for waving hello to admiring bystanders. It may sound bizarre, but I've never seen one of those outdoors...
Hangdog, to: See Dog.
Harness: Piece of clothing that identifies you as a climber. The coolness factor can be significantly enhanced by hanging things from the harness that go cling.
Haul bag: Large and robust bag used to haul food, water, climbing gear, sleeping bag, television, satellite dish, and other essential equipment that is required, up a big wall.
Hawser Laid Rope: Old style of rope made from hemp, modern nylon versions safer to use on Sandstone than Kernmantle rope.
Headwall: Where the face of a mountain steepens dramatically.
"Help": The vocal alternative to 6 signals a minute. In far away countries try SOS
Helmet: Solid plastic device that can sometimes protect the head from falling stones or impact.
Hex: Short for Hexentrix. A type of nut with an eccentric hexadiagonal shape. Works for wedging (as a nut) but also for camming.
HMS: Karabiner with one wide side used for belaying with a munter hitch (aka pearabiner). From the German term for munter hitch belay:
Hold: An irregularity of rock which can be used by a climber for progress or rest.

I

Ice axe: Device used for ice climbing, glacier crossing, or scaring away burglars.
Ice screw: A protection device for ice climbing. Looks like a large bolt that can be screwed in hard ice.
IMC: Ipswich Mountaineering Club.
Interesting: Term used to describe a climb that just scared the living daylights out of you, but which you don't wish to admit to. Usually used to prompt another climber to have a go to see if they find it frightening as well.
Italian hitch: Munter hitch knot or HMS knot

J

Jam, to: Wedging body parts in a crack.
Jug: Very large hold (short for jug handle)(also associated with slang term for female breasts)
Jumar: A type of rope ascending device.
Jumar, to: To ascend a rope using ascenders.

K

Karabiner: Metal connecting device, sometimes spelled with a 'c' in the US. This most essential climbing device in large quantities is also known as "crab" or "krab".
Kernmantle rope: Modern climbing rope consisting of bundles of continuous nylon filaments (Kern) surrounded by a braided protective sheath (Mantle).
kN: Kilonewton. An abbreviation usually found on karabiners and other climbing gear. For those of you who are not engineers, one kilonewton is about 100 kg or about 220 lbs. (And for those of you who are, don't bother lecturing me).
Krab: Short for Karabiner.

L

Layback/Lieback: Somewhat clumsy looking climbing technique where hands and feet work in opposition. Position Johnny Gearman can be found in at climbing venues, watching other climbers, offering helpful advice on climbing moves, taking photos, eating lunch and generally relaxing.
Leader: Person who leads a climb.
Lead, to: To ascend a climb from the bottom up, placing protection (or clipping protection) as you go.
Ledge: Flat bit on a rock (can be miniature or gigantic).
Limestone: A sedimentary rock of marine origin, often containing fossil remains. Limestone crags are often steep and smooth, and with the passage of time and many climbers becomes very polished, useful if you have left your mirror at the campsite.
Line: The way taken by a route, and followed by climbers. A good line may be one, which follows some strong, natural weakness up the rock face or mountain.
Locking Karabiner: Karabiner that can be locked, also known as a screwgate or twistlock.
Lock-off: To hold on to the rock with one bent arm while using the other arm to reach up for the next hold or to place or clip protection. Lock-offs on small holds will get you pumped in a hurry.
Lowering: To descend something or somebody by the belayer paying out the rope in a controlled manner, often used as the only means of descent at climbing walls when the climber has completed the route, when not done in a controlled manner often followed by verbal abuse from the climber.

M

Manky: Term used to describe a fixed bolt that looks like it was placed before the last ice age. Use these bolts at your own discretion
Mantleshelf: Difficult balancing move useful to get up on ledges.
Micronuts: Extremely small protection, used especially on Slate climbs, and made from brass for its ability to absorb the shock of a fall by deforming in shape. Due to their small size they tend to be used in groups to spread the load of a fall as individually they are not capable of withstanding the forces applied by a fall.
Mixed climbing/route: Climbing with a combination of different methods of ascent. e.g. mixed free and aid climbing, mixed rock and ice climbing, etc.
Moat: The gap between snow and ice on a rock wall. Has posed problems ever since the middle ages.
Mountain rescue: The people who put their life on the line when you screw up badly.
Multi pitch climb: Climb that consists of more than a single pitch. Requires extra skills over single pitch climbing, but is the ultimate goal of all rock climbers.
Munter hitch: Knot used for belaying (Aka Italian hitch or friction hitch).

N

Nailing: An ancient term used to describe direct-aid climbing with pitons.
Needle: Rock with a characteristic pointed shape. Also known as pinnacle, aiguille, gendarme, etc.
Névé: Consolidated granular snow formed by repeated freeze-and-thaw cycles. Also used to indicate permanent snowfields.
Nut: Metal wedge used for protection in cracks. Fitted on either a wire loop, or rope loop.
Nut key: Piece of metal that can be used to remove stuck nuts or cams.

O

Off width: A climb too wide to jam, too small to chimney. And then I've heard of people who actually like this kind of climbing.
On-sight: Leading a climb with no falls and no dogging and without any prior attempts, watching someone do it or beta on how to do the moves.
Outside corner: Also known as pillar or arete.
Over-cam, to: Compressing a cam to its absolute minimum size during placement, effectively eliminating the possibility of extraction.
Overhand knot: A simple (but solid) knot in a double rope.
Overhand loop: The simplest type of knot possible.
Overhang: Rock (or ice) that is "more than vertical".

P

Pass: The lowest passage between two mountains. The French - but not just the French - know this as a col. The mathematicians would call this the saddle point.
Party ledge: A somewhat larger ledge used to rest (and party!) during a particularly hard or long climb. Sometimes used to refer to the belay station on a multi pitch climb. Get the kettle out.
Peg: More common name for Piton.
Pendulum: A swing on the rope, either intentional to gain a distant anchor on big wall climbs or unintentional when falling during a traverse with not enough gear in place.
Pillar: Outside corner
Pink point: To red-point a climb where the gear and runners have been pre-placed.
Pitch: A section of climb between two belays and no longer than the length of one rope (this used to mean 45m, nowadays pitches can also be 50 or even 60m long -- check your topo).
Piton: Metal spike hammered into a crack (has come in disuse for all but some special applications) (Aka "peg").
Pocket: A hold formed by a (small) depression in the rock.
Portaledge: A hanging tent with built in bed used on big walls (and big trees).
Pro, Protection: Anchors placed during the climb to protect the leader. Beware: even properly placed gear does not prevent pregnancy or the transmission of STDs.
Prusik: The sliding knot or the method to ascend a rope (named after its inventor Dr. Karl Prusik).
Prusik loops: Loops of cord using Prusik knots to ascend a rope, used in self-rescue
Psychological protection: The placement of protection which is known to be poor, but whose existence gives a leader a psychological 'boost', often enough to make the difference between failure or success. This mild example of self-delusion is acceptable in moderation. Leaders who insist on continuing to lead on a succession of such protection soon find it difficult to obtain seconds prepared to partner them. However technique which has to be used in great abundance when climbing chalk cliffs.
Pumped: The feeling of overworked muscles. Most climbers are familiar with the forearm pump: too much finger work causes the forearms to swell and the strength to disappear. With a serious forearm pump, even holding a glass of beer can become a serious challenge.
Pumpy: Describes a climb that will leave you pumped.

Q

Quartz Holds: These are found on metamorphic rocks such as gneiss and schist. They should be used with care, as the mineral is brittle and can fracture very easily.
Quickdraw: Short sling with karabiners on either side, more often called extender

R

Rack: The climbing gear carried during an ascent.
Rack up, to: To sort the rack before engaging on the next climb or pitch.
Rad: Not trad. Slang for sport climbing.
Ramp: An ascending ledge
Rappel, to: Also: to rap. Descending by sliding down a rope. Known in Britain as abseiling.
Redpoint: To lead a climb without falling or dogging after a number of attempts. This is different from onsight, where the climb is lead without falling or dogging on its first attempt.
Resin: An alternative to chalk. Resin (or "pine tree resin" to use its full name) is made from the yucky stuff that sticks to your hands when you touch a pine tree. Because resin is mostly colourless, it is preferred to chalk in some areas. But caution: Don't let the colour fool you. Resin can do permanent damage to the rock and in fact is not allowed anywhere in the US for that reason.
Resident protection: Fixed pro.
Rib: A slender buttress. Something between a buttress and an outside corner.
Ridge: The high divide extending out from a peak.
Ring: A large (2 inch diameter) ring that is cemented in the rock as a bolt. Rings are very common in Germany, France and Southern Sandstone and are excellent for rappelling and hanging belays.
Roof: Seriously overhanging part in a climb (more or less horizontal).
Rope: Long and round nylon fabrication. Climbing ropes are generally between 10 and 11 mm in diameter (with the exception of "half ropes" which are between 8.5 and 9mm in diameter).
"Rope below": Should be yelled when a rope is about to be thrown to the base of the crag (though most of the time it seems like it is shouted about 1-2 seconds after the rope is thrown).
Route: A certain path up a rock or mountain.
Runner: A loop of tape or webbing either sewn or tied (Aka sling). In the UK, a 'runner' is a running belay. A runner threaded or looped around chockstones, flakes, horns or chickenheads for protection.
Runout: Distance between two elements of gear. A route is "runout" when the distance between those two elements of gear becomes uncomfortably long.

S

Saddle: A high pass that looks somewhat like what horses wear. Not quite as steep as a col.
"Safe": The call which indicates to the belayer that the climber is secure and the belay can be released.
Sand Bag: To induce another climber to attempt a route that is well under graded.
Sandstone: A sedimentary rock formed by grains of quartz held together by cement. Soft sandstone weathers very readily and can be very loose and offer no possibility of using protection resulting in either soloing or top roping. The harder types can give excellent climbing, often of a strenuous nature, with steep walls and rounded holds.
Scoop: A shallow depression in a rock face, sometimes providing a resting place on an otherwise strenuously steep wall.
Scrambling: Easy climbing usually unroped. Rush to get to the pub in the evening, especially through the doorway.
Screamer: A very, very long fall. Special piece of equipment meant to reduce the impact of a screamer (the fall) on the belay system. Designed so that the stitching rips apart in a controlled way.
Scree: Loose rocks and stones that cover the slope below a cliff. With every step, scree slides under your feet.
Screwgate: The type of Karabiner that can be locked with a screw.
Seagull Basher: Large Hex. Term derived from the use of a large hex to defend oneself from attacking seagulls when climbing on sea cliffs.
Second: The climber who follows the leader. Amount of time available in order to begin ice braking with an ice axe during a fall.
Self Rescue: Technique used to ascend a climb upon failure using prusik loops on either the climbing rope to reach the last protection, or the abseil rope.
Sewing-machine leg: A leg under tension that suddenly starts jerking up and down like a sewing machine. Drop the heel, take a deep breath, and don't think of falling... See also Disco leg.
Sheep: Climber's mobile pleasure centres!!!
SH** !: Often heard during a fall... (Well-educated climbers in the UK sometimes say "sugar" - but only if they're not in too much trouble).
Side pull: A hand hold that needs to be held with a horizontal (sideways) pull.
Side runner: A runner placed off-route, often in an adjacent route, when protection is required but not available in the route being climbed, may stop decking out but usually results in a pendulum.
Sit start: To start a bouldering problem from a sitting position.
Skyhook: A particular type of hook used for aid climbing
Slab: Flat and seemingly featureless, not quite vertical piece of rock.
"Slack": Yelled when the climber needs more rope (e.g. to clip into protection).
Slate: This metamorphic rock is usually climbed on in disused quarries, particularly in Wales. The most difficult type of rock to climb due to its smooth and extremely brittle nature. Different skills are required for slate climbing, for example, tapping the rock as you ascend to find the hollow bits, which abound on much slate due to winter frosts splitting the slate. Good rope work essential as slate is very sharp and will slice through a rope like a knife through butter.
Sling: Loop of tape or rope, used for belays, runners, etc.
Sloper: Pathetic downward slanting hold. (Usually look like jugs from below.)
Smearing: Foot technique where a big part of the climbing shoe is used to generate as much friction as possible. The opposite of edging.
Snaplink: A truly British word for a karabiner.
Soloing: Climbing alone, without the protection of a rope. Often performed by climbers who can no longer find climbing partners due to their gung-ho attitude to climbing.
Sport climbing: Climbing routes of (extreme?) gymnastic difficulty while protecting oneself by clipping copiously numbered and generously spaced preplaced free protection.
Spot, to: Action of standing immediately behind soloer ready to catch them should they fall, especially used at climbing walls which offer very poor matting, or if the wall is very busy with climbers waiting to climb. Also performed whilst bouldering on rock where the landing site is not favourable for landing comfortably. Usually psychologically helpful to the soloer and often helps them complete the move, which they might not be able to do if not 'spotter' available.
Summit: The top of a mountain or rock.
Summit, to: To reach the summit.
Sustained: A pitch or route with a level of difficulty which is relentless for most of the way, offering no opportunity to rest comfortably.

T

"Take in": Term used by the leader to indicate there is too much slack in the rope system, also used when tackling the crux move and airtime is expectant.
"Taking in": Heard often in British crags, meaning the climber is "off belay" and about to pull up the slack between him and the belayer.
Tape knot: Knot used solely for joining a length of tape to form a sling. Only knot that can be used for this purpose.
Tarn: A small lake.
"That's me": Part of the climbing dialogue. Courtesy call to the belayer to indicate that the slack in the rope is all taken up and that further pulling is pointless.
Thrutchy: Requiring a whole lot of strength (and enthusiasm in a way). Used in Australia - where all the climbing is upside down.
Tick marks: Little smears of chalk used to locate holds when bouldering.
"Tight rope": Or just "Tight". Urgent request to the belayer to take the slack out of the system.
Toe: The bottom of a buttress.
Topo: A short drawing of the route. Good topos will allow you to spot the line right away, show the placement of bolts and belay stances, indicate where the crux is and what rating it has.
Top-rope: Free climbing a route that has the safety rope attached to the top of the climb (usually one walks to the top to set up the top-rope belay).
Traditional climbing: Characterised by the placing of protection (cams, nuts, etc.) in natural cracks and pockets, lacking in bolts and other forms of fixed protection.
Traverse: Horizontal climb.
Tuba: Alternative belay device.
Twistlock: A locking karabiner where the gate is locked with a spring-loaded clip.

U

Undercut: A hold that would be a perfect bucket if gravity were upside down. As it is, undercuts are usually awkward holds that require lieback type moves.

V

Vegetation: Pure rock climbing has only one place for vegetation, the tree belay. Other vegetation, grass, moss, lichen, heather etc. is regarded as a nuisance, obscuring holds, retaining moisture.
Verglas: Thin water ice on rock.

W

"Watch me": Call to indicate the climber is about to do something stupid -- like fall.
Water ice: Ice formed directly from frozen water. Water ice is clear and brittle and contains few air bubbles. Sometimes water is even flowing around the ice.
Water knot: See tape knot.
Webbing (tubular): Flat and strong strip of nylon, that is hollow in the inside.
Webbing (loop of): A runner made of webbing.
Weighting: The delicate test of placing weight on a piece of gear after placing it. Usually with aid climbing.
"Wellard": Descriptive term used by a climber immediately after completing, or failing to complete a climb of a difficult, strenuous, sustained, or pumpy nature. Derived from combining the 2 words 'Well' and 'Hard'.
Whatsyours?: Expression used at Pubs when standing near bar with wads of money in the hand. Usual reply is 'Minesa...........'. Very welcome amongst climbers.
Whipper: A very long fall.
White ice: Ice with lots of air bubbles that forms from melted-and-frozen snow. Good climbing stuff.
Wires: Another name for nuts, mounted on wire loops.

X

Xmas Curry: See Christmas Curry.

Y

Z

Zawn: A deep and narrow fold or inlet in a sea cliff.
Zipper: A fall where the protection pulls out one after the other as the leader succumbs to gravity. Often ends with a grounder (or a cardiac arrest).