Speaking the Language of Rock Climbers

When we were kids, we loved to climb on just about everything. Don’t believe me? Ask you parents. Well, more and more people are taking rock climbing up as adults. To get into the game, you need to know how to speak the language of rock climbers.

A bivouac is one of those things you will only use when you become an advanced climber. It is a sleeping bad/tent that you use in the middle of a climb when night sets. It hands from the wall and is uncomfortable.

The sewing machine is somewhat of a derisive term that most new climbers experience at one point or another. A climber reaches a certain height that makes them nervous. The leg spasms out of control like a sewing machine needle going up and down.

Rock climbing is obvious subject to the weather and the time you have to get out to a particular spot. Given our busy lives, it is little surprise indoor rock climbing has become huge. Climbing gyms offer indoor walls you can climb and work on your technique.

At its core, free solo climbing is the sport at its most pure. It is literally you and the rock. No gear, no ropes, no nothing. You rely on your own skill completely. Of course, you have no safety element if you fall. Only to be done by expert climbers.

Climbing is full of slang terms. A chicken head is one and it refers to a jutting of rock that forms a smooth knob you can use for a handhold. There is a very adult slang term also used for this, which you can probably guess.

As your skills advance, you will advance to top rope climbing. Top rope is a form of climbing where the climb has a rope hanging from the top of the climb down. It allows you to get comfortable moving up vertical surfaces with plenty of safety.

When is freedom not free? When we are talking about free climbing. Free climbing sounds as though it would be done without equipment, but it is not. It actually refers to being on a climb, but not required to haul up gear, rope and what have you.

Once you finish a climb, you need to get down. This process is known as rappelling. Ironically, a lot of people get hurt rappelling, particularly the first couple times they do it. It should be a controlled descent completed by running a rope through a friction device on your belt.

These terms and explanations represent the basics of rock climbing. Every area and group of climbers has their own expressions for various moves, routes and what have you. Just jump on in and you will pick it up quickly.

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