L

Largo start

A climb or bouldering problem where the first move starts with a jump for high holds. Named after John Long (or 'Largo').

Layback/Lieback

Somewhat clumsy looking climbing technique where hands and feet work in opposition.

Leader

Person who leads a climb.

Lead, to

To ascend a climb from the bottom up, placing protection (or clipping protection) as you go.

Ledge

Flat bit on a rock (can be miniature or gigantic).

Limestone

Type of rock found in abundance in southern France (usually white and full of pockets and holds).

Locking biner

Karabiner that can be locked (in the UK, a screwgate or twistlock).

Lock-off

To hold on to the rock with one bent arm while using the other arm to reach up for the next hold or to place or clip protection. Lockoffs on small holds will get you pumped in a hurry.

Lowering

To descend something or somebody.

M

Manky

Term used to describe a fixed bolt that looks like it was placed before the last ice age. Use these bolts at your own discretion

Mantle

Difficult balancing move useful to get up on ledges.

Mixed climbing

Climbing with a combination of different methods of ascent. e.g mixed free and aid climbing, mixed rock and ice climbing, etc.

Moat

The gap between snow and ice on a rock wall. Has posed problems ever since the middle ages.

Mountain rescue

The people who put their life on the line when you screw up badly.

Munge

The dirt and vegetation that can sometimes be found in cracks. In the UK: Choss.

Multi pitch climb

Climb that consists of more than a single pitch.

Munter hitch

Knot used for belaying (Aka italian hitch or friction hitch). The Germans love this knot (see HMS).

N

Nailing

An ancient term used to describe direct-aid climbing with pitons.

Needle

Rock with a characteristic pointed shape. Also known as pinnacle, aiguille, gendarme, etc.

Nv

Consolidated granular snow formed by repeated freeze-and-thaw cycles. Also used to indicate permanent snowfields.

Notch

A small col.

Nut

Metal wedge used for protection in cracks.

Nut key

The piece of metal that Americans call a nut tool.

Nut tool

Piece of metal that can be used to remove stuck nuts or cams. In the UK: nut key.

O

"Off Belay"

Yelled when the climber no longer requires a belay (e.g. because she/he has reached a stance). Once the belayer hears "off belay", he/she removes the rope from the belay device and yells "belay off". In UK, Australia and New Zealand: "Safe".

Off width

A climb too wide to jam, too small to chimney. And then I've heard of people who actually like this kind of climbing.

"On Belay ???"

Query to verify if the belayer is ready to secure the climber (US only).

On-sight flash

Leading a climb with no falls and no dogging and without any prior attempts, watching someone do it or beta on how to do the moves.

Open book

Same as a dihedral or inside corner. Two panes of rock join in an acute or obtuse corner that faces left or right.

Outside corner

Also known as pillar or arete.

Over-cam, to

Compressing a cam to its absolute minimum size during placement, effectively eliminating the possibility of extraction.

Overhand knot

A simple (but solid) knot in a double rope.

Overhand loop

The simplest type of knot possible.

Overhang

Rock (or ice) that is "more than vertical".

Over-kilned

A boiler plate or flaky rock

P

Pass

The lowest passage between two mountains. The french - but not just the french - know this as a col. The mathematicians would call this the saddle point.

Party ledge

A somewhat larger ledge used to rest (and party !) during a particularly hard or long climb. Sometimes used to refer to the belay station on a multipitch climb.

pendulum

A swing on the rope, either intentional to gain a distant anchor on big wall climbs or unintentional when falling during a traverse with not enough pro in place.

Pig

The haul bag using for big wall climbing.

Pillar

Outside corner

Pimp, to

To do a short semi-dynamic stab. It's not quite a dynamic move, but it's also not quite static. It's the happy median.

Pink point

To red-point a climb where the pro and runners have been pre-placed.

Pitch

A section of climb between two belays and no longer than the length of one rope (this used to mean 45m, nowadays pitches can also be 50 or even 60m long -- check your topo).

Piton

Metal spike hammered into a crack (has come in disuse for all but some special applications) (Aka "peg" in the UK).

Pocket

A hold formed by a (small) depression in the rock.

Portaledge

A hanging tent with built in bed used on big walls (and big trees).

Pro, Protection

Anchors placed during the climb to protect the leader. Beware: even properly placed pro does not prevent pregnancy or the transmission of STDs.

Prusik

The sliding knot or the method to ascend a rope (named after its inventer Dr. Karl Prusik).

Pumped

The feeling of overworked muscles. Most climbers are familiar with the forearm pump: too much finger work causes the forearms to swell and the strength to disappear. With a serious forearm pump, even holding a glass of beer can become a serious challenge.

Pumpy

Describes a climb that will leave you pumped.

Q

Quickdraw, quick

Short sling with karabiners on either side.

R

Rack

The climbing gear carried during an ascent.

Rack, to

To sort the rack before engaging on the next climb or pitch.

Rad

Not trad. Slang for sport climbing.

Rally, to

To climb exceptionally well, especially on normally difficult climbs.

Ramp

An ascending ledge

Rappel, to

Also: to rap. Descending by sliding down a rope. Known in Britain (and Germany) as abseiling.

Rappeler

Individual who enjoys sliding down ropes instead of climbing up rocks. The second-lowest form of life on earth (second only to the  touron)

Rating

A number denoting the technical difficulty of the climb.

R.D.S.

Rapid Deceleration Syndrome. Military term for the very sudden illness that happens at the end of a long fall.

Redpoint

To lead a climb without falling or dogging after a number of attempts. This is different from onsight, where the climb is lead without falling or dogging on its first attempt.

Resin

An alternative to chalk. Resin (or "pine tree resin" to use its full name) is made from the yucky stuff that sticks to your hands when you touch a pine tree. Because resin is mostly colorless, it is preferred to chalk in some areas. But caution: Don't let the color fool you. Resin can do permanent damage to the rock and in fact is not allowed anywhere in the US for that reason.

Resident protection

Fixed pro.

Rib

A slender buttress. Something between a buttress and an outside corner.

Ridge

The high divide extending out from a peak.

Ring

A large (2 inch diameter) ring that is cemented in the rock as a bolt. Rings are very common in Germany and France and are excellent for rappelling and hanging belays.

"Rock"

Scream let out to warn people down below that a piece of rock has been overcome by gravity. The loudness, number of repetitions, and/or panic in voice with which this word is uttered is often an indication of the seriousness of the rock. In the UK, you're more likely to hear "Below", beware!

Roof

Seriously overhanging part in a climb (more or less horizontal).

Rope

Long and round nylon fabrication. Climbing ropes are generally between 10 and 11 mm in diameter (with the exception of "half ropes" which are between 8.5 and 9mm in diameter).

"Rope"

Should be yelled when a rope is about to be thrown to the base of the crag (though most of the time it seems like "rope" is shouted about 1-2 seconds after the rope is thrown). In the UK, shout "Rope below".

Route

A certain path up a rock or mountain.

Runner

A loop of tape or webbing either sewn or tied (Aka sling, especially in the UK). In the UK, a 'runner' is a running belay.

Runner

A runner threaded or looped around chockstones, flakes, horns or chickenheads for protection.

Runout

Distance between two elements of pro. A route is "runout" when the distance between those two elements of pro becomes uncomfortably long.

S

Saddle

A high pass that looks somewhat like the horsewear. Not quite as steep as a col.

"Safe"

The British equivalent of "Off Belay".

Schwag

Terrible rock conditions.

Scrambling

Easy climbing, usually unroped.

Screamer

A very, very long fall.

Screamer

Special piece of equipment meant to reduce the impact of a screamer (the fall) on the belay system.

Scree

Loose rocks and stones that cover the slope below a cliff. With every step, scree slides under your feet.

Screwgate

The type of karabiner that can be locked with a screw. See also twistlock. In the US this is usually called a 'locking biner'.

Scrube

A hammer-in, screw-out type of ice screw.

Second

The climber who follows the leader. See also following.

Send, to

To climb a route with ease. "I'm gonna send this route, dude!"

Serac

A block or tower of ice on a steep glacier or in an ice fall. Since seracs are created by the force of gravity working on the glacier or ice fall, they can come down at any moment.

V

Verglas

Thin water ice on rock.

Vigen

Great, super. "Everything's vigen."

W

Warthog

A roughened spike hammered into certain kinds of ice or frozen turf for protection. Very popular on mixed climbs in the UK

"Watch me"

Call to indicate the climber is about to do something stupid -- like fall.

Water ice

Ice formed directly from frozen water. Water ice is clear and brittle and contains few air bubbles. Sometimes water is even flowing around the ice. Can be found in the couloirs of the High Sierra in autumn (and in many other places).

Water knot

See tape knot.

Way

Extremely. “I was way scared on that run-out”.

Webbing (tubular)

Flat and strong strip of nylon, that is hollow in the inside.

Webbing (loop of)

A runner made of webbing.

Weighting

The delicate test of placing weight on a piece of pro after placing it. Usually with aid climbing.

Whipper

A very long fall.

White ice

Ice with lots of air bubbles that forms from melted-and-frozen snow. Good climbing stuff.

Wombing

Doing a no-hands-rest.

Woodie

A homemade climbing wall.

X

Y

Yabo

As in 'yabo start'. A 'sit start'. Named after John Yablonski a stud southern California climber, who was nicknamed Yabo.

Yard, to

To pull on a piece of protection. Strictly speaking aid climbing.

YDS

Yosemite Decimal System. The North-American rating system.

Z

Zawn

A deep and narrow fold or inlet in a sea cliff. British.

Zipper

A fall where the protection pulls out one after the other as the leader succumbs to gravity. Often ends with a grounder (or a cardiac arrest).

Z-Pulley System

Complicated rope setup that allows you to hoist heavy weights with relatively little force. Excellent for rescuing or hauling bags.