Glossary

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GENERAL TERMS

Scrambling - non-technical climbing, that usually doesn't involve the use of ropes; scrambling can range from easy (steep, strenous hiking), to difficult (climbing that involves use of the hands, and can be very dangerous, if care is not taken). It is a wise precaution to take a short rope, at least, on difficult scrambles, as very steep terrain is far more difficult to downclimb than upclimb.

Mountaineering - the process of getting to the top of a mountain that usually involves glacier and snow travel and climbing; it can also involve scrambling and ice-climbing.

Climbing - ascending a mountain or crag using ropes and protection

 

ALPHABETICAL

A

Abalakov V-thread - an ice anchor that is made by making a V-shaped tunnel in the ice with an ice screw and then threading a sling or rope through the tunnel

Acclimatization - the process in which the body adapts to a new climate or environment; in mountaineering, specifically to the diminishing amount of oxygen in the air at higher altitudes

Aid climbing - gaining height by attaching devices to rock or ice and then climbing the devices, instead of the rock or ice

Anchor - protection that secures the climber to the mountain

Ascender - a mechanical camming device, used to grip and ascend a rope  

B

Bachmann Knot - a friction knot that uses a carabiner; used for the same purpose as a prusik knot

Belaying - the system whereby one climber uses the climbing rope and protection devices to safeguard his/her partner from a serious fall 

Bergschrund - the highest crevasse on a glacier, where the flowing ice pulls away from the stationary ice and snow above

Bivouac - a planned or unplanned camp

Bollard - a tear-shaped trench in snow or ice that is used as an anchor

Bolt - a fixed metal eye through which a carabiner can be clipped for protection

Boot-axe belay - a quick belay technique where the rope is wrapped around an ice axe and your boot

Bowline knot - a knot that makes a loop at the end of the rope that will not slip; a double bowline can be used to tie in the middle person on a three-person rope 

Butterfly knot - simliar to a figure eight on a bight; it will sustain a pull on either strand of the rope or loop and not come undone

C

Cairn - a pile of rocks used to mark a route or the summit of a peak

Camming device - a mechanical device which can be placed in a crack for protection, when leading, or as an anchor for belaying, top-roping, or rappelling

Carabiner - a metal link with a snap gate that allows the climber to clip the rope into protection; can be locking or non-locking

Chinmey - a crack in the rock that is large enough to climb inside

Chock - any piece of protection that has no moving parts and can be place without a hammer; nuts, hexes, and rp's are examples of chocks

Chock pick - a thin metal tool used for removing pieces of protection

Chockstone - rocks, large or small, that are firmly lodged in a crack; can sometimes be used to place protection

Clove hitch - a knot that is easy to tie and tightens when loaded, but is easily adjusted and untied

Cornice - a deposit of snow that overhangs a ridge top 

Couloir - a snow-filled gully

Crampons - a metal device with sharp points that attaches to the bottom of the boot for travel for snow and ice; crampons usually have 10 or 12 points

Crevasse - a crack in the ice of a glacier caused by the glaciers movement over uneven terrain

D

Daisy chain - tied or sewn slings with a loop every 3 to 6 inches; can be used to quickly clip into an aid placement

 

Deadman anchor - any object that you bury in the snow as a point of attachment to the rope

 

Double Fisherman's knot - a knot used for joining ropes together; specifically used for rappelling

 

Downclimbing - climbing down without the aid of a rope; downclimbing steep terrain is invariably more difficult than upclimbing it

E

Etrier - a ladder-like sling used in aid climbing that allows the climber to step up one one placement to the next

 

Exposure - a state of airiness; being susceptible to an unimpeded fall; an unprotected fall from an exposed section would more than likely be fatal

F

Figure-8 device - a low friction belay/rappel device shaped like an �8�

 

Fisherman's knot - a knot used for joining ropes together; most people use the double fisherman's knot instead of the single

 

Fixed line - a rope that is anchored in place along which a climber can ascend

 

Fluke - a specially shaped metal plate with a metal cable attached to it; used as a snow anchor

 

Free climbing - climbing where the climber does not place any weight on the rope system or artificial protection

 

Friction knot - a knot that grips the rope when weight is on it, but can be moved up and down the rope when the weight is released; the most commonly used friction knots are the Prusil, Bachmann, Klemheist, and Munter hitch

 

Front-pointing - a crampon technique where only the front 2 or 4 points of the crampon dig into the ice or snow; used for steep ice and waterfall climbs 

 

Frostbite - freezing of the tissue of a particular body part; can result in the loss of that part; eg. toes, fingers, end of the nose, ears, etc.

G

Gaiters

Giardia

Glacier

Glissading

Grigri belay device

H

HACE (high-altitude cerebral edema) - a high-altitude sickness where leaking in the brain causes it to swell; can be fatal if untreated (by descending)

 

HAPE (high-altitude pulmonary edema) - a high-altitude sickness where body fluids leak into the lungs, interfering with respiratory function; can be fatal if untreated (by descending)

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