The climbing world, like any subculture, operates with a unique vocabulary, and it’s important that prospective climbers gain a firm grasp of this language before they embarrass themselves (or worse) at the crag. Words like “pitch,” “draw,” and “deck,” after all, will conjure up entirely different images at Camp 4 than they will in an architecture class. Of course, the aforementioned terms at least have some sort of meaning to the population at large; the aspiring climber will eventually have to distinguish between a number of otherwise incomprehensible labels (the Seussian pink point, red point, head point, and dead point come quickly to mind).

Jason enjoys leashless freedom on Genesis II — Hyalite Canyon

The climber’s apprenticeship period will cover such subjects as Mallory’s highest position and the benefits of swinging leads, and advanced pupils might be able to show you which finger, hand, or fist size corresponds to which color of their preferred cams. Finally, once fluency is achieved, the enterprising youngster will be marked as a real member of the climbing community, free to enter into age-old debates about bolt-chopping and hold-chipping, the merits of the multi-pitch GriGri, and whether or not “crusty old sport climber” [Read More]