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Abseil: Rappel.
Ascendeurs or Ascenders: A mechanical device used
to ascend a fixed line. Will allow movement in one direction only,
creating a handhold for the climber.
Avalanche: A release of ice, snow or rock (either caused
by humans or natural conditions) which sends debris down a slope;
can be extremely dangerous.
Barn Door: (n) An off-balance move that causes a climber to pivot on two points of contact making it difficult to cling to the rock.
Belay: A method the climber uses to secure the rope to another person to catch a fall, if that should occur.
Beta: (n) Information about a route.
Carabiner: A metal snap link through which climbing equipment (rope, protection) may be attached.
Chalk: (n): Standard magnesium carbonate chalk to keep a climber's hands dry.
Chimney: (n.) A parallel sided constriction wider than body width.
Choss: (n.) Loose, bad-quality rock.
Col: The lowest point on a ridgeline connecting two peaks.
Couloir: A deep mountain gorge or gully.
Crampons: Steel frames with projecting spikes that are attached to the soles of boots to prevent slipping on steep ice or snow.
Crevasses: Chris uses the analogy of the glacier as
a snickers bar. The glacier cracks in the same way a snickers bar would
if you were to bend it. These cracks are the crevasses. As the glacier
is forced to bend around/over obstacles, crevasses are created.
Crux: (n) The most crucial, difficult part of the climb.
Dihedral: (n) A flaring structure shaped much like an open book. Often conducive to "stemming" techniques.
Dry-tooling: The act of using ice climbing tools to climb when there is no ice on a route.
Dyno: (n or v) Abbreviation for "dynamic movement", a move that requires momentum.
Edge: (n) A small horizontal hold; (vb) to stand on an edge with the corner of a shoe.
Flag: (vb) To stretch out a leg in a way that improves balance.
Free Climb: (vb) The use of only natural features of rock or artificial climbing holds to make upward progress on a route.
Gaiters: Nylon material formed into a cuff that
goes on over a mountaineer's boot to prevent snow, ice or rocks from
getting into the boot.
Hand Jam: (n.) A climbing technique involving
insertion of a hand into a constriction and expansion of the hand so
that it will not pull out.
Hoar Frost: A particular kind of frost. Hoar frost
forms when water vapor hits a freezing surface. It freezes immediately,
leaving spikes called hoar frost. The temperature of the air is usually
around freezing when there is hoar frost, but the ground must be a lot
colder than freezing. The air must be warm enough to carry water vapor.
Jug: (n) A large, easy-to-hold feature.
Jumar: A mechanical ascending device.
Lay Back: (n.) A move requiring pulling with both arms to one side and pushing with the feet in the opposite direction.
Khumbu: The name of the major icefall which sits at
the foot of Mt. Everest and also describes the general geographic
region in which Mt. Everest lies.
Lead: (vb) To climb starting with the rope on the ground, clipping into protection points on the way up.
Lenticular (see picture above): Lenticular clouds
are lens or ufo shaped clouds that form on top of or on the leeward
side of mountains, often in wave patterns. They are indicative of VERY
high winds and are usually seen on otherwise clear days.
Mantel: (n.) A climbing technique involving the
transfer of upward force from a pulling action to a pushing action, much
like a child would climb onto a kitchen counter to reach the cabinets above.
Moraine: A mass of rocks, gravel, sand, clay, etc.
carried and deposited directly by a glacier, along its side (lateral
moraine), at its lower end (terminal moraine), or beneath the ice
(ground moraine).
Onsight: (n) A clean ascent with no falls, first attempt, with no prior knowledge of the route.
Penitentes: Ice formations that resemble
small pyramids, created by the wind. These are often found in groups
resembling a miniature forest.
Pinnacles: A spire of rock or ice.
Pumped: (adj) Tired. Referring to the state when the forearms are swollen and unresponsive.
Rappel: The act of lowering oneself on a rope with a device to control the friction and speed of descent.
Redpoint: (n) A clean ascent with no falls, after initial attempt(s).
Send: (vb) To complete a route successfully.
Seracs: Large towers/blocks of ice that are a part
of a glacier system. Often unstable, these blocks form as a glacier drops over cliff bands. The glacier cracks and breaks off into
these blocks.
Slab: (n.) A ramp, or any climb that is less than vertical.
Smear: (vb.) The act of placing a large surface area of shoe rubber on the wall to create maximum friction.
Snow Pickets: Metal protection (2-3 feet long and formed in a T) used to secure a mountaineer on steep snow.
Stem: (n) Movement requiring opposing outward pressure, much like a child climbing a door jamb.
Top Rope: (n) A climb that has rope anchors preset at the top of it.
Undercling: (n.) A hold that requires fingers to face upward rather than downward.
Whipper: (n) A big fall.
Yosemite Decimal System: (n) The most common system
to rate route difficulty in the US. Most technical rock climbing is
rated on a scale of 5.0 to 5.14d, with higher numbers representing
harder climbs. At ETCC we use the Yosemite Decimal System for rating.
At the base of any climb you will read information pertaining to that
climb.
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