Glossary of Rock Climbing and Mountaineering Terms and Phrases

No guide to climbing would be complete without definitions for all the terms and phrases associated with rock and ice climbing, bouldering and mountaineering. As in all sports, climbing has its own language and terminology, which has developed to enable climbers to easily communicate their ideas and stories to other climbers, and to work with a standard set of safety calls.

We've put together a handy A to Z guide to the most commonly used climbing lingo, along with information on where this differs between the UK and the US. To get started, simply select a letter for the menu below.