Climbing Terms Explained: The Ultimate Encyclopedia for Bouldering & Climbing

Crimp, Sloper, Beta, Dyno, Flash, Heel Hook – and why on earth does someone shout “Allez!” across the entire gym?

Anyone starting out with climbing or bouldering will quickly realize that climbers have almost their own language. Many terms come from English or French, while others have simply become established in the scene over time.

So that you’re not completely lost on your next visit to the gym, we’ll explain the most important climbing and bouldering terms here – from types of holds and climbing techniques to competition terms and some rather curious climbing slang.

And don’t worry: you don’t have to memorize them. At the very latest, when someone shouts “HEEL!” next to you while you’re desperately hanging onto a boulder problem, you’ll know what they mean.

The most important climbing terms at a glance
Begriff Kurz erklärt
Crimp Kleine Leiste oder Griffposition mit stark belasteten Fingern
Sloper Runder, abschüssiger Griff ohne klare Kante
Pinch Griff, der zwischen Fingern und Daumen zusammengedrückt wird
Dyno Dynamischer Sprung zu einem Griff
Heel Hook Die Ferse wird zum Ziehen oder Stabilisieren eingesetzt
Toe Hook Die Oberseite des Fußes wird hinter einen Griff gehakt
Mantle Hochdrücken des Körpers über eine Kante
Beta Informationen darüber, wie ein Boulder oder eine Route geklettert wird
Crux Die schwierigste Stelle eines Boulders oder einer Route
Flash Erfolgreich im ersten Versuch – mit vorherigen Informationen
Onsight Erfolgreich im ersten Versuch ohne vorherige Informationen
Rotpunkt Eine Route nach vorherigen Versuchen ohne Belastung des Seils klettern
Topout Einen Boulder oben auf dem Fels beziehungsweise Block beenden
Dab Unbeabsichtigtes Berühren von Boden, Matte oder Umgebung
Send Einen Boulder oder eine Route erfolgreich klettern

Types of Grips in Climbing

What is a crimp?

A crimp is usually a small edge that only accommodates part of the fingers.

However, the term describes not only the hold itself, but also how you hold it. The more the finger joints are bent, the more it is referred to as crimping.

Typical variations are:

  • Open Hand
  • Half Crimp
  • Full Crimp

The full crimp, in particular, puts a lot of strain on the fingers and should not be used unnecessarily often, especially by beginners.

In short: Small edge, a lot of finger strength.

What is a sloper?

A sloper is a rounded or sloping hold without a distinct edge.

You cannot simply hook your fingers anywhere on it. Instead, grip is primarily generated through:

  • friction
  • as much surface contact as possible
  • body tension
  • proper positioning under or relative to the hold

On slopers, therefore, good body positioning is often more important than raw finger strength.

What is a pinch?

Pinch means squeezing something together.

In a pinch or pinch grip, you squeeze the handle together between your fingers and thumb.

The wider the grip, the more demanding it can be for the hand and forearm.

What is a Pocket?

A pocket is a hole grip.

Depending on the size, the following can fit inside:

  • one finger
  • two fingers
  • three fingers

Especially small one- and two-finger holes can put a lot of strain on the fingers. That is why, here too, you should gradually adapt to the strain.

What is a jug or a handle?

The dream of every tired forearm.

A jug, or simply handle in German, is a large, easy-to-grip handle.

You can usually fit several fingers inside and hang from it fairly comfortably.

If someone shouts to you:

“There’s a handle coming up!”

… then there’s a good chance your suffering will soon come to an end.

What is an undercling?

In an undercling, or undercling, you grab a hold from below.

Instead of pulling down on it, you pull it up while simultaneously applying pressure through your feet.

Underclings work especially well when you position your center of gravity accordingly.

What is a Gaston?

With the Gaston, you push outward against a handle.

Imagine pushing two elevator doors apart with your hands.

The movement may initially feel unfamiliar and often puts more strain on the shoulder and upper body than a standard pulling motion.

Climbing Movements and Techniques

What is a Dyno?

A dyno is a dynamic move in which you actively push off the wall and catch the target hold during the movement or even completely in the air.

Typical:

  1. Build momentum
  2. Use your legs explosively
  3. Jump off
  4. Catch the target hold
  5. Hope

Especially in modern competitive bouldering, dynos are now almost indispensable.

What is a deadpoint?

A deadpoint is somewhere between a static pull-up and a full jump.

You move your body dynamically upwards and reach out exactly at the moment when your body is almost weightless for a brief instant.

This allows you to reach further without fully jumping off the wall.

What is a Heel Hook?

In a heel hook, you place your heel on or behind a hold and actively pull with your leg.

This can:

  • take weight off your hands
  • stabilize your body
  • prevent you from swinging off the wall
  • provide extra reach

If someone suddenly shouts “HEEL!” at you while bouldering, it’s usually a well-intentioned tip.

Whether you wanted to hear it is another matter.

What is a Toe Hook?

With the toe hook, you hook the top of your foot or toes behind a hold or structure.

You actively pull your foot towards you.

Toe hooks are particularly useful on overhangs and during movements where your body would otherwise swing away from the wall.

What does flags mean?

When flagging, you extend an unweighted leg out to the side or behind your other leg.

This shifts your center of gravity and often prevents your body from unintentionally rotating away from the wall.

Sometimes it looks like the leg is just standing around completely uselessly.

In fact, this very leg can make all the difference.

What is a drop knee or Egyptian?

In the drop knee, often called the Egyptian in German, you turn one knee inward or downward.

This allows you to:

  • bring your hip closer to the wall
  • gain reach
  • relieve strain on your upper body

The Egyptian is a very effective technique, especially on steeper terrain.

What is a Mantle?

In a mantle, you don't simply keep pulling yourself up; instead, you switch from pulling to pushing.

Typical example:

You reach the top edge of a boulder, get your upper body over it, and then push yourself up with your arms—similar to getting out of a swimming pool.

And yes:

This climbing move is exactly where our name MANTLE comes from.

What does it mean to be at odds with someone?

Sometimes there simply isn't a proper foothold.

In that case, you place your foot directly on a flat section of the wall and rely solely on the friction of your climbing shoe sole for support.

The larger the contact area and the better you position your center of gravity over your foot, the more reliably this works.

Terms for Boulders and Climbing Routes

What does beta mean?

Beta refers to information about how a route or boulder can be climbed.

For example:

  • where each foot goes
  • which hold is taken with which hand
  • where a heel hook is useful
  • whether a move works dynamically or statically

If someone tells you the solution, you get beta.

What is beta spray?

Beta spray is beta that no one asked for.

You have been working on a boulder for 20 minutes and want to figure out the crux yourself.

From behind:

"You just have to heel hook right and then cross left!"

Congratulations.

You have just been beta sprayed.

If someone wants to figure it out themselves, it is therefore polite to ask beforehand:

"Do you want beta?"

What is the crux?

The crux is the hardest part of a route or boulder.

Sometimes the crux consists of a single extremely difficult move.

Sometimes it is a longer sequence.

And sometimes the real crux is simply having the courage to finally let go.

What does flash mean?

A flash means:

You climb a boulder or route on your first try, but had information beforehand.

For example:

  • you watched someone else do it
  • you know the beta
  • someone explained the sequence of moves to you

Nevertheless, it only counts as one try.

What does onsight mean?

Onsight is also a successful first try – but without prior information about the route.

You have:

  • not watched anyone do it
  • not received any beta
  • not tried the route beforehand

Onsight is mainly used in rope climbing.

What does redpoint mean?

In redpoint climbing, you may have tried the route before.

However, the successful attempt must then be done entirely under your own power:

  • starting from the bottom
  • without falling
  • without putting tension on the rope
  • correctly clipping all intermediate protection

If you finally make it after several tries:

Send.

What is a project?

A project is a boulder or route that you work on over several tries or sessions.

The longer the project takes, the more often the following happens:

You know:

  • every hold
  • every foothold
  • every move
  • every rest position

… and yet you always fall at the same spot.

Welcome to projecting.

What does top mean?

In the bouldering gym, top means that you have controlledly reached the designated final hold.

In competition, the top hold must normally be controlled with both hands.

What is a topout?

In a topout, there is no classic final hold.

Instead, you climb up the boulder or rock face and end up standing on top of it.

The final mantle can quite easily become the crux.

Terms related to bouldering, gyms, and rock

What is Spotting?

When spotting, a person on the ground tries to guide a falling boulder climber so that they land as controlled as possible on the crash pad.

The goal is not to catch the person.

Rather, it is intended to prevent them from landing, for example, on their head or back outside the mat.

What is a crash pad?

A crash pad is a portable bouldering mat for bouldering on rock.

It is placed under the boulder to cushion falls to the ground.

Depending on the boulder, several pads may be used and repositioned as needed during the attempt.

 To our crash pads

What is Chalk?

Chalk is the white powder on the hands of almost every climber.

It consists mainly of magnesium carbonate and helps reduce moisture on the hands.

Chalk is available in several forms, including:

You can find out more in our Climbing Chalk Crash Course.

 About our chalk

What is a chalk bag?

A chalk bag is a small bag for chalk that can be worn on your body while rope climbing.

This allows you to re-chalk during a route.

 To our chalk bags

What is a boulder bag?

A Boulderbag, or chalk bucket, is larger than a classic chalk bag and usually sits on the ground while bouldering.

It often provides extra space for:

 To our Boulder Bags
MANTLE Loses Kletterchalk 150 g in Paper Tube

What is a tick mark?

A tick mark is a small chalk mark next to a hold or foothold.

It helps you find poorly visible holds more quickly during a session.

However, when climbing on rock:

Brush off tick marks after your session.

Curious Climbing Terms and Climbing Slang

And now we come to the terms that probably cause non-climbers to occasionally look a little confused in a bouldering gym.

"Allez, allez!"

Allez is French and means roughly:

"Go!", "Come on!" or "Keep going!"

In climbing, it is used as a cheer.

Especially at international competitions, you regularly hear:

"ALLEZ! ALLEZ! ALLEZ!"

How many times you have to shout "Allez" in a row has not yet been conclusively determined by science.

"Gamba!"

Also "Gamba!" can be heard in parts of the climbing scene as a cheer.

The word comes from Italian and actually means leg.

Figuratively, the shout is intended to remind you to use your legs or keep fighting.

And indeed:

"Use your legs!"

is probably one of the most common pieces of advice beginners hear when climbing.

"Psyche!"

Psyche! or "Psyched!" means roughly in the climbing scene:

motivated, excited, full of anticipation.

Example:

"I'm really psyched about the project."

Or:

"The new boulder makes me mega psyched."

What does Send mean?

A Send is a successful ascent.

When you finally climb your project:

"I sent it."

This also gives rise to terms like:

Send Go: the successful attempt.

Sending Season: the supposedly perfect season for hard projects.

What is a Dab?

A Dab happens in bouldering when you touch something during an attempt that is not part of the boulder.

For example:

  • Ground
  • Crash pad
  • neighboring boulder
  • Tree
  • Spotter

Then the attempt is strictly speaking no longer clean.

Especially tragic:

You hold the last hold of your project – and your foot very lightly touches the crash pad.

Dab.

What is a Barn Door?

Barn Door literally means barn door.

In climbing, it describes the moment when your body swings uncontrollably sideways off the wall – roughly like a door opening.

Countermeasures can include:

  • Flagging
  • Heel Hook
  • Toe Hook
  • better foot position
  • body tension

What is an Elvis Leg?

Everyone who has ever stood significantly above their last hold probably knows the Elvis Leg.

One leg suddenly starts shaking uncontrollably.

Like Elvis on stage.

Usually helps:

  • relax briefly
  • lower the heel
  • distribute weight better
  • keep breathing

Panic rarely makes it better.

What does Pump mean?

The Pump is the typical feeling of completely exhausted forearms when climbing.

The forearms get hard, the fingers no longer want to close properly and suddenly even the biggest hold feels surprisingly small.

Then it's time to:

Shake out.

What does Shake Out mean?

During a Shake Out, you try to relax and shake out one arm during a route.

Ideally, you find a good rest position for this and then switch arms.

Pros look relaxed doing this.

Beginners sometimes look like they are desperately trying to shake water off their hands.

What does Sandbagged mean?

A boulder or route is sandbagged if it feels unusually hard for the stated difficulty grade.

For example:

"This is supposed to be 6B?!"

Welcome to the sandbag.

The opposite is often called soft.

So a "soft 7A" feels relatively easy for 7A.

What does Highball mean?

A Highball is an unusually high boulder.

Since the consequences of a fall also increase with height, the line between bouldering and free soloing becomes blurred with very high highballs.

Highball therefore does not simply mean:

more crash pads.

But also often:

more head.

What is a Sit Start?

In a Sit Start, a boulder starts very low or actually sitting on the ground.

The prescribed starting holds and footholds determine from when the attempt counts.

What does "No Hands" mean?

A No-Hand Rest Position is a place in a route where you can position yourself so that you do not need a hand to hold on.

For example by:

  • Wedging
  • Stemming
  • good balance

Ideally, you can shake out both arms there and recover.

And ask yourself why you wasted so much strength on the last five meters.

Competition Terms in Bouldering

What is a zone?

In competitive bouldering, in addition to the top, there is often an additional scoring hold: the zone.

Anyone who controls the zone receives a score, even if the boulder is not topped.

The deciding factors include:

  • Number of tops
  • Number of zones
  • attempts required

What does Attempt mean?

An Attempt is an attempt.

In competition, the number of attempts required can be crucial.

Two athletes may top the same number of boulders – the one who required fewer attempts may be ranked higher.

What is isolation?

In some competition formats, athletes wait in isolation before their start.

This means they cannot watch how others solve the boulders or routes.

This is especially crucial in the onsight format.

The best way to learn the language of climbing is on the wall

At first, terms like Gaston, drop knee, beta spray, or barn door might sound a bit absurd.

After a few months, you'll probably find yourself standing next to a boulder one day saying things like:

"I think you need to get a right heel on the left undercling, then drop and dyno the sloper at deadpoint."

And someone who is at the climbing gym for the first time will look at you in confusion.

Then you'll know:

You've arrived.

But you don't actually have to actively learn most climbing terms. As soon as you start climbing regularly, you'll come across them naturally.

And if you don't know a term?

Just ask.

Climbers usually love to explain.

Sometimes even when you haven't asked at all.

See:

Beta spray.

Frequently Asked Questions About Climbing Terms
What does beta mean in climbing?

Beta refers to information about how a boulder or route can be climbed. This includes, for example, sequences of holds, foot positions, and specific climbing techniques.
What is the difference between Flash and Onsight?

A flash involves climbing a route or boulder on the first attempt, but prior information or observations are allowed. An onsight also allows only one attempt, but without prior beta or watching other climbers.
What does Crux mean?

The crux is the hardest part of a route or boulder problem.
What does Dyno mean?

A dyno is a dynamic climbing move in which the climber actively pushes off the wall and reaches the target hold during the movement or while airborne.
What does top-out mean in bouldering?

In a top-out, the boulder does not end at a defined final hold. Instead, you climb up the rock face or boulder.
What does "Allez" mean in climbing?

“Allez” comes from French and means approximately “Go!” or “Keep going!”. In climbing, it is used internationally as a cheer.
What does “gamba” mean in climbing?

“Gamba” means “leg” in Italian and is used in parts of the climbing scene as an encouraging shout—essentially: use your legs and keep fighting.
What is a dab in bouldering?

A dab is defined as unintentionally touching the ground, crash pad, or other objects not part of the boulder during an attempt. Strictly speaking, the attempt is then no longer considered clean.
What does "send" mean in climbing?

A send refers to the successful ascent of a boulder or route.
What is Beta Spray?

Beta spray means giving someone unsolicited information about the solution to a boulder problem or route. It is more polite to first ask whether the person even wants beta.

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