Aid Climbing - The use of anything other than the natural features to ascend up the rock.

Anchor - The point where the rope is fixed into the rock.

Barn Door - An off balance move that causes a climber to pivot on two points of contact. The result looks like you are opening the barn door.

Belay - To keep the climber safe by controlling the rope.

Belayer - The person keeping the climber safe by controlling the rope.

Belay Device - Usually a metal device which the belayer uses to control the rope. There ae several types of devices, all creating friction against the rope, allowing the belayer to catch a falling climber.

Belay Betty or Belay Bob - The significant other of an addictive rock climber.

Big wall - A long route that takes many pitches or rope lengths to ascend.

Biner - Short for "caribiner", a short loop of metal with a gate that can attach things together.

Boulder - A rock short enough to climb relatively safely without a rope.

Bouldering - Climbing low to the ground and without a rope.

Brake Hand - The hand that holds the rope securely.

Camming Device - A removable, portable protection that helps stop a climber if they fall.

Caribiner - A removable, portable protection that helps stop a climber if they fall.

Crack climbing - Climbing continuous cracks in rocks, requiring specific techniques and protection methods.

Crimp - Gripping so that the fingertips contact the hold with slightly raised knuckles.

Cross through - Reaching with a hand or foot that crosses the other appendage.

Crux - The most crucial., difficult part of the climb.

Descender - The device used for rappelling.

Dirt Me - Climbing speak for "Let me down", after finishing or giving up on a top rope climb.

Downclimb - Climbing downward rather than upward.

Dyno - Climbing move in which the climber jumps from one hold to another.

Elvis leg - A leg shaking uncontrollably during a climb, usually due to nerves or over contraction of the muscles. Sometimes called sewing machine leg.

Enscarfment - A food break at the edge of a cliff.

Epic - The story of an ordinary, well planned, climb that suddenly turns into an adventure thriller! With an eventual happy ending. As the drama unfolds around the campfires at night or to a wide-eyed audience in the local tavern, it becomes increasingly difficult to sift the fact from the fiction.

Flag - Dangling a leg to improve balance.

Figure 8 - A common rappel / belay device shaped like the number "8".

Figure 8 knot - The most common knot used to attach the climber's harness to the rope.

Free Climb - To climb upward using only the natural rock features, and only using man made gear for protection.

Free Solo - To free climb without the use of any manmade protection.

Going To Church - Climbing on Sunday.

Gravical - The adrenaline high a climber may experiences upon a lot of air between climber and the ground level. ( i.e., "This is gravical, dude!")

Gumbie - An inexperienced or new rock climber.

Hang Dog - To rest on the rope while climbing.

Lead - Starting with the rope on the ground, climbing by clipping into protection points on the way up.

Rack - The climbing gear carried during an ascent.

Rappel - Descending down the length of a rope.

Rappeler - One who enjoys sliding down ropes instead of climbing up rocks.

"Rock!" - A warning yelled to anyone below when a piece of rock is falling on a climb.

Scrambling - Easy climbing, usually unroped.

Slab - A climb that is less than vertical.

Summit - The top of a mountain or rock.