UKC

Thanks to the miracle of databases, we've now (as some people have noticed..) got the whole of the UKC Glossary back online (http://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/page.php?id=33).

As some people have noticed, it doesn't have any entries for 'V'. True. But if you're going to suggest some, or indeed other things, remember - it's meant to be explaining (sort of) climbing lingo to people who've not come across the lingo before. "Edge" as a verb has a particular meaning to a climber, for instance.

So "vertical" and "vertigo" don't make it, I'm afraid - those are in the normal dictionary. (Ever looked up 'zawn' in a dictionary?)

More entries are still welcome - email them to me, preferably with 'Glossary' in the subject title. I guess we could do with more entries about winter climbing, which we haven't got much of there.

In reply to Charles Arthur - UKC:
>).

'Void' -Something you touch. refers to a 'shit-or-bust' climbing situation, where you will either die or become a millionaire.

In reply to Charles Arthur - UKC:

v grades?


Chris

In reply to Charles Arthur - UKC:

Vibram?

A.-

In reply to ArnaudG: Varappe?

In reply to Charles Arthur - UKC:
Verglas - a thin coating of fragile ice requiring careful sphincter control to overcome.

In reply to Charles Arthur - UKC:
winger - huge fall
lob - fall
bomber - safe piece of gear

In reply to Charles Arthur - UKC:

"CAMPUS BOARD. Overhung board with thin (one joint or so) wooden holds; meant to be ascended without using the feet. Can destroy tendons astonishingly fast. The acme of achievement is "1-5-9" (double-handed dynos from the first to fifth to ninth hold)."

What? If anyone can do 1-5-9 double dynoing that's very impressive.

In reply to Charles Arthur - UKC:

Waddage- A term used by boulderers to indicate an impressive feat of strength, for example "He just flashed V12? Waddage!"

Wad- Someone who performs waddage.

In reply to andi_e:
ARSE - Anyone who uses the term waddage

In reply to Charles Arthur - UKC:

Couple on the email for you V-thread and Volume, and a tongue in cheek Vesta

In reply to Graham T: good one

In reply to Charles Arthur - UKC:

Spike: A rock formation that can easily have a sling put over it, but it will only stay as long as it doesn't get pulled upwards. Spikes can make good handholds.

Horn: American term for spike. (I think)

If anyone has a better definition for either of these please do say.

mehmet

In reply to Charles Arthur - UKC:
Easy - term used to describe route with horrendous crux and no gear to friend

safe - see above

In reply to Ian:


isn't that "steady"?

In reply to Ian:
Meaning?

Chris

In reply to andi_e: gypo. abbreviated form of the egyptian drop knee. not to be confused with the much maligned gentle honest travelling folk of western europe.

In reply to andi_e:


You've not seen.. what's the vid with the footage of Moon at the Schoolroom? Ah, http://www.chockstone.org/Media/Review.asp?Action=Show&BookID=215&L... - One Summer. "The first proper bouldering video ever made."

In reply to Ste Brom: So that's what throwinjg a gyppo is... here's me thinking the crux to alena involves finding and launching a travelling folk...

In reply to Charles Arthur - UKC:

..oh, though now I see that he only does 1-4-7. Lightweight.

In reply to Charles Arthur - UKC: I suspect that's similar footage to The Real Thing... it isn't a double dyno.

In reply to Charles Arthur - UKC:

Here's a few offerings...

Backing off - planned retreat when one realises that the difficulties on a route exceed your ability.

Benighted - unplanned bivy on route, often attributed to bumbling on a long route and not backing off at an appropriately early time.

Bivy - short for bivouac.

Bumbling - to climb in a generally slow, indecisive and poorly coordinated manner.

Bumbly - A climber who excels at bumbling.

Crag fast - when one is unable to proceed or back off a route. NB. nothing to do with high speed, also see benighted.

Death route - a poorly protected route on which the difficulties are often under estimated, also see desperate.

Run out - the length of rope between a lead climber and the last runner. Giving rise to the saying, "when in doubt run it out", which as it turns out tends to be bad advice to a bumbly on a death route.

In reply to Charles Arthur - UKC:

Some random, somewhat trans-atlantic thoughts:

ABSEIL: wouldn't it be sensible to give 'Rappel' its own entry rather than as a footnote to 'Abseil'? And 'Rappel' isn't spelt 'Rapell'. And though it is true that americans use the term, it is originally french.

JUG: another usage is as an alternate term for jumars/ ascenders. Thus also:

JUGGING: ascending a rope with jumars/ ascenders. Which reminds me that:

JUMAR: though originally a brand name is now commonly used as a generic term for ascender. Similarly:

CAMS: are a common generic term for Friends, Aliens etc

SEND: "Dude, you really sent that problem" doesn't sound very authentic. I would suggest "Proud send, dude", which conveys the same meaning.

RATTLERS:
RING-LOCKS:
OFF-HANDS:
CHICKEN-WING:
to name but a few, are gobbets of crack climbing terminology you are missing. But I'll leave it someone better informed to add the definitions.

In reply to Charles Arthur - UKC:

Punter - derisory term for someone who either climbs at low grades or is not seen as 'serious' by the 'harder' proponents of the art.

In reply to Tiggs:
or maybe
Punter - derisory term for someone who climbs 2 or more grades lower than you

In reply to Charles Arthur - UKC: Clusterf*ck - adj. 1: term used to describe a large and often unsightly tangle of knoted rope 2: term used to describe a belay which has too many price s of equipment attached to such an extent that it begins to become difficult to see where and how to clip into it. It is often the case that this belay includes a clusterf*ck of rope...

In reply to Charles Arthur - UKC:

and more...

Beddoon - to impale you finger ends on a few sharp crystals on marginal holds on a Northumberland boulder problem.

Ali ali - an encoraging shout by a spotter who's mate's brother-in-law's sister's boyfriend has been bouldering in Font.

In reply to Tiggs and SC:

PUNTER:
from the OED: A customer or client; a member of an audience or spectator; spec., the client of a prostitute.
I think that covers the ground adequately. There's no need for a climbing-specific definition.

In reply to Charles Arthur - UKC:

Whipper: Rapidly initiated trad. leader fall giving second no warning. Usually occurs just at the point leader thinks about how far they are above their last protection, realises they are off route or are thinking about retreating. Always involves significant vertical travel with some lateral movement to add interest. Second usually gets slammed into rock holding fall and leader loses acres of skin. Both are reduced to gibbering wrecks by the experience.

Gaston. Your entry on the historical origin of the term is correct but nobody but nobody climbs cracks that way anymore or describes climbing a crack as that (it's just thrutchiung surely). It is however commonly used also as a noun to describe a sidepull that points the wrong way (a gaston), as well as the act of using such a hold (gastoning sp?) similarly to what you've got.

Similarly for Thumb sprags, I've heard them used to just describe getting your thumb on any pebble or other protruberance, often to turn the hold into a pinch.

Pebble. Temporary hand hold and unsound foot hold.

Have I got these right, below?

Knee bar, you might as well have Heel Toe bar/jam and Toe Hook too.

Open handing + Half crimping. Best have a diagram.

Pressing. A big move at the end of range of motion of a pull move where the elbow moves back or starts to open out (extend). Like mantelling on steep terrain

Guppying. (really guessing) Holding weird slopers with hand parallel to the rock, e.g. gastoning of the heel of your hand.

Cupping. Holding weird shaped slowers with hand perpendicular ot the rock and little finger next to the rock.

Gratton. Small foot edge, often blackened and polished, and in Fontainebleau, poffed.

Poff.

Scoop.

Crozzle. A crozzly bit of rock.

Crozzly. Of or like a crozzle.

Lock off.

Divot.

Dish.

Offsets.

Swing.

Scumming/ dragging/ squeezing.

Windmilling. 1. Ineffective yet popular warm up technique. 2. Dynamic straightarmed cross over.

Cross over

Cross under

Matching/ Sharing.

Shaking Out

(A) Shake Out

(A) Rest

(A) No hands rest/ No hander.

Cut loose.

Spotting

Matts/ Pads (Bouldering matts).

What about Via Ferrata as a V?

In reply to Charles Arthur - UKC:

Spanking - to spank a sloper ie smack a sloper as hard as you can in order to stick it.

In reply to Charles Arthur - UKC:

BLS (or Big Ledge Syndrome) - that which is sufferred by a leader mid route displaying a reluctance to move from a good in balance stance onto more difficult terrain.

In reply to Flatlander:

I've not heard of that. It's usually what a route does to you.

To everyone: Does Guppying include sort of using an arete as a gaston instead of a layaway, probably also pinching it, not quite aux chevalling it?

Aux Cheval. 1) Climbing with the aid of a horse. 2) Using the legs to shuffle either side of a ridge, being seated either side of it. Or even pinching with the arms and legs to climb an arete (a steeper ridge).

Fin. The end of the climb in france or a particularly pointy arete.

Levitating - Used tongue in cheek to sandbag on
lookers when unsure of the precise technique used.

Levitating is also some kind of offwidth technique - I've heard loads of these (not just stacked jams and butterfly jams) but can't remember them.

In reply to Charles Arthur - UKC:

Thin - description of a route or part of a route with very limited protection and/or holds.

In reply to Charles Arthur - UKC:

Tyrolean - dunno the definition
Screamer - as in the sling kind

In reply to featuresforfeet: Screamer as in 1:N the sling kind 2:adj. a fall of unrelenting ferocity.

In reply to mike kann:

Mike - take the price tags off before you go climbing - no-one is impressed by how expensive your gear is.

In reply to JamieAyres: PMSL... furry muff!

C

crimping
cranking


rich

D

deadpoint

In reply to Charles Arthur - UKC:
What? If anyone can do 1-5-9 double dynoing that's very impressive

I was going to comment on that as well. Do you edit these Charles? Surely you know what doing 1-4-7 and 1-5-9 really entails?

In reply to IainWhitehouse:


I already replied above: the review says it's 1-4-7. And I have seen the footage. If you haven't, perhaps more sensible not to suggest what it doesn't show, hmm?

In reply to Charles Arthur - UKC:
Vegetated - A vertical jungle under which there may be some solid rock. A sharpened nut key is useful for gardening purposes, any any new civilsiations discovered should be reported to the BMC.

In reply to Paz:

Ahem. If there's a crack that needs it (some do) then you do. Hence pictures showing people doing Gastons - often in Yosemite, I think.


I don't think you've grokked the difference between a Gaston and a thrutch.


I've really not heard it used that way, except by people who don't know what it means..



Then again, you've been talking to folk who don't know what a thumb sprag is. For an example, see Johnny Dawes on Best Forgotten Art doing the boulder problem - 7a crack? - at Millstone.



OK, so define them.



OK, point to one - bound to be out there somewhere.



Needs work, but almost there.



Has anyone else heard this ever?



I can't even visualise this. Got an example?



Not heard this one.


I think Pof is in there.

OK, define it.


Recursive: see recursive.


?


Both deserve a definition.

I've got a friend called Matt, but the things on the ground are mats.

My general point being: it's not enough to suggest words. You have to come up with a definition - ideally in the spirit of the existing definitions.

In reply to JLS:



Irrespective of grade. As in E5 bumbly.

In reply to Charles Arthur - UKC:

Spotting - An opportunity to stare at and potentially fondle a cute arse.

In reply to Charles Arthur - UKC:

Thumb Spragg- the equivalent of Palming(pushing of with your palm) but with your thumb

In reply to Charles Arthur - UKC:

It's a French term. Not necessarely a foot edge. It's just a small sharp edge. Smaller than a reglette, bigger than nothing at all. I've mostly heard of it at Font where it designates those very sharp edges that are sooooo painfull but sooooo good at the same time often made of quartz. Generally requires the use on fingernails to be used effectively. When they pop they normally rasp your knuckles and trash your nails.
Can't see the point of figuring in a British glossary.

A.-

In reply to Jon Greengrass:

Thumb Spragg- the equivalent of Palming(pushing of with your palm) but with your thumb

Is that right? I though it was when you pressed with thumb on one side of a crack and you fingers on the other. Coming in two type the "over grabber" (thumb points down) and the "under grabber" (thumb points up).

In reply to ArnaudG: Has been - to have been a has been to have to have been a been.

tagman - talks a good climb; someone who climbs better in their head than in reality.

In reply to JLS:

or cusp.

Francis. (Verb) To stand at the bottom of a ridiculously difficult route cocking ones head to either side whilst pawing at imaginary holds. Used to give the impression that you climb at this grade - when in fact there's more chance of Jonny Vegas getting up it.
Example: "What's Fred doing at the bottom of that E8?!" reply "He's just francising"

In reply to Charles Arthur - UKC:

OK, I see gastoning as a face climbing technique, and anyone climbing a thin crack like that is probably just using face technique on a crack. I'll admit it's a crack technique if you like but there're so few cracks in the UK where it works compared to the huge number of sidepulls in the world that you could be the wrong side of and have to gaston.

Enough people I know use gastons (seriously, loads)
and refer to it when talking about climbs (sport mostly).

Guppying and Cupping are esoteric but are definitely used by people like they have specific meaning. I think cupping just means `as if you were cupping your hand over something'
and guppying is one of those things that you'll know what it is when you do it and get to the top of a problem.
We need to include these, and grattons to make it the best damn climbing glossary in the world!

The list of ommissions was taking me long enough I'll fill them in later if I have time. Someone must be able to find
scoops and crimps/ open hand grip positions etc.

Thanks, I always wondered how `mats' was spelt but I still can't find Poff.

In reply to Charles Arthur - UKC:

Surprised there isn't a V for Verglas in there. Actually, there's not a lot in the way of winter definitions, so maybe add Torquing, Hooking, Front-Pointing, Hoar, Mono-Point, Sketching, Adze, Self-arrest, Calf-burner etc.

Oh, and if Northumberland VS is in there then surely Scottish VS should be too?

In reply to tobyfk:

But then you'd have to include the wonderful Merkin mis-spelling, e.g. beener or repelling

Cupping. Suppose your favourite cylindrical coffee mug had its handle broken off and its top glued to a wall somewhere near the centre of your body. Assuming your footholds aren't high enough to undercut it (or you just don't want to), the most natural way to then pull on is to cup the hold (the mug) by putting your hand over it with your palm perpendicular to the wall, little finger away from you (and your thumb over the base if you like).

In reply to Charles Arthur - UKC:

Crank - to climb with heavy reliance on arm muscle rather than leg muscle either by choice or as a result of a lack of suitable foot holds.

In reply to Charles Arthur - UKC:

Seal impression: The initial phase of a hands-free top out, achieved by wriggling over the edge on your stomach (similar to a belly traverse). Named as this hands and feet-free position resembles a seal begging for fish. Often employed when drained of energy and it is all you are able to manage.

In reply to Charles Arthur - UKC:

Still needing an X entry?

How about, "death route warning in US grades"? ie 5.12X

In reply to Charles Arthur - UKC:

Elephants ars* - rounded rock feature typically assosiacted with problematic top outs on Font boulder problems.

In reply to Charles Arthur - UKC:

You did have ice axe, crampon etc. in 2005... courtesy of ME!!! but you seem to have lost those definitions.

I'll try and find the old email.

<ungrateful... mutter... unappreciated...>

In reply to Paz: Enough people I know use gastons (seriously, loads)
and refer to it when talking about climbs (sport mostly).

I learnt this off Seb about 15 years ago, it is an excellent term and should be included, as it is widely used.

In reply to The Crow:

aychteateapee://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_climbing_terms

See, this is why you want crozzle, gratton and guppy in the UKC version. We don't want to get burnt off by an Encyclopedia Britannica wannabe.

Being burnt off. Witnessing an impressive feat of waddage and possibly having feelings of inferiority afterwards

Burning such a such a person off. Carrying out a feat of superior waddage in front of such a person who gives a damn
about it.

Show boating. When a climber stylishly sends (a circuit of) problems they have previously gotten (seriously) wired over a considerable period of time. It is not required to feel burnt off by another's showboating.

Crimp grip. "The crimp grip is a classic rock climbing handgrip where the fingers are flexed at the proximal interphalangeal joints and hyperextended at the distal interphalangeal joints, with the thumb wrapped over the distal phalanx of the index finger." A RELIABLE AND VALID STRENGTH MEASUREMENT OF THE CRIMP GRIP IN ROCK CLIMBING. D.M.Binney University of Sheffield Centre of Sports Medicine

About half way down this article is an ideal set of photos:

http://www.planetfear.com/article_detail.asp?a_id=206

But this is absolutely excellent:

https://www.moonclimbing.com/index.php?form_action=school&school_id=19

In reply to ttmor:

Wat about Mega Route X?

In reply to 2pints: birdbeak; technique on sloping pockets where stacking the middle finger on top of the index and ring finger.

breck 5b: immediate rection on climbing a superhard problem on any other crag.

In reply to Paz:
Anyone got a definition of this?

My best one would be: Obvious feature on a climb only visible having gone off-route looking for it!

If someone has a definition or a pic I would be grateful!

Ade

In reply to Chris Tan Ver. XLVIII:

Guilty your Honour, and would the court to take 127 other offences into consideration.

In reply to Charles Arthur - UKC:
The Bristol start: A technique used for boulder problem sit-starts which involves having your toes on the starting footholds and your heels still on the ground, hence making the problem significantly easier...
I assume it comes from UCR where the mats in the bouldering area are higher than some of the footholds making it near on impossible to avoid the Bristol start if you are tall (well that's my excuse).

Cheers,
Al

In reply to mike kann:

I both the defintions you offer are mis-uses of the term. The first one you describe above is more properly called a fankle (and it's a noun, not an adjective).

"Clusterf*ck" already has a perfectly good meaning:

clusterf*ck
A disastrous situation that results from the cumulative errors of several people or groups. In semi-polite company this is referred to as a Charlie Foxtrot (from the NATO phonetic alphabet). (From the wikipedia entry for military slang).

The point of the term is that a number of stupid and/or avoidable errors get made one after the other, leading to a disastrous consequence (in the military sense, usually several people getting killed to no good purpose). Divers have a similar term The Incident Pit - the hole you get in to as one after another thing goes wrong and someone eventually ends up injured, dead or at least badly scared.

A badly-organised belay is just a badly-organised belay. It can contribute to a clusterf*ck (as, indeed, can a fankle) but isn't one in itself. IMHO.

In reply to soveda:

How about "a non-linear concave rock feature"?

In reply to gimmer:

Yeah this is actually still used in keen bouldering circles outside of Bristol where they don't think anyone from Bristol will hear. As I understand it, it refers to the old now defunct UCR woody* board before they introduced the crash matts with sloping edges there, and I've only heard it as the Bristol Heel.

I really like the Bristol BR* and Bristol PR* from the new Gower & SE Wales guide though too!

* - there you go we need one for -Woody, BR, PR-.

In reply to Charles Arthur - UKC:
EB - synonymous with "climbing boot" in the 1970s
Super gratton - small gratton.
Goutte d'eau - literally "Drop of water" type of finger pocket found on continental limestone.
Deadpoint - finely controlled dynamic move. Normally you build height, then move a hand quickly and precisely to the next hold.
Ballpoint - To claim a route hou haven't actually climbed.

In reply to Charles Arthur - UKC:
Bashie - Soft nut used in aid climbing.
Bong - A kind of peg big enough to fit a wide break.
Copperhead - A nut something like an RP?
Rurp - a peg with a very short blade
Shunt - a kind of ascender. Also to climb using a shunt.
Sky-hook - A metal hook used in aid climbing, also sometimes optimistically used in free climbing.
Fifi-hook - kind of pointy sky-hook designed for pockets rather than edges.

In reply to Paul Robertson: some of those definitions are wrong
eg Fifi hook - might look a bit like a sky hook but its for attaching etriers to a krab
For RURP the point is the thiness, also it really needs the derivation -Realised Ultimate Reality Piton or something similar

In reply to Martin W:



I thought for the millitry this happens so often the the correct term ought to be SNAFU.

In reply to Paul Robertson:

Copperheads are not nuts either - they are basically copper bashies I believe.

In reply to Paul Robertson: Isn't a copperhead similar to a bashie (source: Mountaineering the Freedom of the Hills)

In reply to Southampton Tom:

They can be the same (same job) but bashies can also be made of lead.

Chris

In reply to Doug: what's a diedre?

In reply to malk: a french 'corner'

In reply to Charles Arthur - UKC:

Charles, I made no comment about the footage. I know Ben could double dyno from 1 to 4 to 7, I've seen the film too. That doesn't mean that that is what is meant by most people by the term 1-4-7.
From Ben's site:
"As stated above each rung will be numbered, when explaining exercise I will state rung numbers in a particular order. You should campus between these rungs with alternative hands. For example if I state 1-4-7 leading with the left hand, you should start matching on rung one. Then campus up to rung 4 with the left hand, then pull straight through to rung 7 with the right hand without matching"
Iain

In reply to Chris Craggs:

Indeed, bashies is a catch-all term. It is most usually used for the largest sizes of 'heads (now usually alloy)

In reply to Charles Arthur - UKC:

err...

Bong - large tube like piece of hardware for really big rocks

Head - climber who uses a lot of bongs, or one bong a lot

Crack head - gritstone officionado

Chicken head - brave climber who passes a bong without pulling on it

Alloy head - obscure Irish sea cliff

Copper head - undercover DS

Head point - ascent using a bong

Dead point - attempt using too many bongs

Hammered gear - the result of over zealous bong use


.......OK, I'll get me coat.

In reply to Charles Arthur - UKC: F*ck - well used word (by me) when i get scared/pumped/tired/can't find any gear/think i might fall!

In reply to Charles Arthur - UKC:
What about white point; red point at night with artificial light i.e. head torch and also black point; red point at night without artificial light? I think they are probably both American in origin and of no use to anyone, but keep the sport purists happy!

In reply to Charles Arthur - UKC: Hi Charles here is one for you, 'poons! meaning crampons. I first saw it in a Tami Knight cartoon book (Climbing Tales of Terror?) in the early nineties when climbing in Canada. It is certainly in use here in Scotland, don't know if it is suitable for inclusion in the glossary.
Regards, Pete

In reply to Charles Arthur - UKC:

As an aside, I've tried to look up "zawn" with, presumably, the same success as you. I have been in touch with OED and they sent me an email accepting the word, so watch out for it in a dictionary near you!

In reply to Charles Arthur - UKC:

I don't think anyone has mentioned the word HONG.

As in: The HONG Jagged Route of Death in Vivian Quarry.

For quite some time HONG was my favourite climbing related word.

In reply to brothersoulshine:

What does it mean?