I am a fairly new climber. I do it for the fun of the challenges that the out doors have to offer. I have learn my way around the sport by asking a lot of questions. Along the way I have found a constant annoyance, and that is that no one seems to make up their minds on what to call anything from equipment, moves, to rock formations. At times this has discouraged me from trying new things in climbing because I end up so confused by the info. I get. It is an intimidating sport to start up with and SOME just make it look like the sport is for some elite society that knows all this code words and names. Books and trial and error have been my best help so far aside from a good FEW that have helped me along the way, but it shouldn't be this way, it's way to dangerous for new people. What do you all think?

Gotta say I've never run into this problem. From my experience the crux is the crux and a stem is a stem. As for gear sure it can get confusing. Every company has its own name whether it be wire, nuts, friends, cams its just the nature of the buisness. There are lots of variations out there but for the most part its all the same once you learn the basics. On a side note if your climbing with people who can't seem to stay consistant with what you already know it should raise a question mark. The last thing you want to do is hook up with a partner who just bought a bunch of shinny new gear and is looking for partners to belay him even though he has no clue what he's doing.

Miguel, I wouldn't say that climbing is so much elitist as it is more taking time getting to know people that climb well & protected; it is dangerous just to go to the store, buy some stuff, and experiment.

This sport takes patience and commitment; maybe you are taking things too personally or are impatient about seeing results.

If this is the case, you should give some thought as to joining a club like the CMC and/or participating in guide service programs and get to know these people. There are a bunch of climbers in this state willing to help people accomplish their goals. For which I am grateful, Colorado has some of the best to offer.

Every activity has its specific jargon, but for me, learning the terminology is half the fun in becoming engrossed in a sport. If you think climbing is riddled with bizzare terminology...take a look at sailing! Those guys call ropes sheets. Talk about confusing.

Miguel:

Many of us can relate to your frustrations.

I suggest hiring an AMGA guide for a day or two, or signing up for a class with one of the guide services. (Many local guide services have AMGA certified rock and alpine guides - Colorado Mountain School, or Total Climbing, or whatever they are calling themselves these days, for one.)

These are not amateurs who learned how to climb last year themselves. The focus of most guide services these days is on teaching: if you tell them that you want to spend the day learning particular things, vs. get hauled up a route, they happy to do that. The terminology that they use is the correct terminology, and you can ask as many questions as you like and get advice about gear and any confusions cleared up. Whatever they teach you will be the current best practices in safety and technique. You can be totally confident about climbing and learning with them. Yes, it is somewhat expensive, but in my opinion, well worth it.

Bee

Read many books. If your local library does not have a great collection of mountaineering/climbing books you can have your library's interlibrary loan clerk get them for you from anywhere in the country! Your local library can also arrange to have current climbing magazines interlibrary loaned to you. Forget the corporate stronghold of Borders and Barnes and Noble---support your local library!

Maybe I went on a rant on my opening comment. It was a thought that cross my head when I saw the different subjects on the forums. I have enough experience now to get around. I just remember the frustration of learning the sport at the beginning , along with having the luck of meeting the wrong people that made it not so enjoyable. Yeah it was a little personal and why not It was only something that I was trying to enjoy and SOME were not so helpful. How ever, I just moved here (Aurora) from Texas a month ago, and I have to say that the climbers here have been nothing but friendly and have enjoyed my time here so far. Thanks yall, looking forward to a LOT of good climbing days.

Now adding to my original thought. So far reading the directions on how to get to the climbing spots here in CO are not to clear. The directions on the Falcon guide are more user friendly. That sucks because this website has pics for almost every major climbing spot but for the most part not so good directions on getting to them. May be we can start adding at least made-up maps for better description of the area. A visual along with words will surely help.

As for your frustrations on directions to the crag - welcome to the club. I try to be as specific as possible, but I've found that 90% of guides tend to be vague in their directions, almost as if following their instructions is their way of making sure you're committed before you get there. The best thing to do is talk to someone who has been there.

Yup, Nate, I agree. This website is all about helping each other so I'll try my best in the future to be as descriptive as possible. And about the guides, that's pretty funny stuff. But in a positive note, it seems like this site is full of people that are committed to the sport and willing to share what they know and where they've been.

Miguel,

personally, half the fun of climbing is bushwhacking and getting lost. some guidebook authors do make directions vague in an effort to keep the uninitiated away.

probably the best way to break into the sport is to climb with a mentor whom you can follow and learn the ropes so to speak.

as far as terminology goes, there are many variations. what i've found is that as long as you climb with someone who is competent consistently and share a common lexicon with them then that's all that matters. whether you call a feature a dike or an intrusion, a corner or a book is immaterial as long as you climb with safe experienced partners. enjoy the process of learning, it's also a HUGE part of the fun.

I wish you much adventure and fun on your journey.

I can't help but wonder if it has something to do with your old location.
This guy Scapper has been trying to convince everyone that onsighting a route includes toproping it. That Toproping a route is more admirable. And that you can onsight-redpoint a route. He just happens to be from Austin.

http://www.rockclimbing.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=115762

Miguel,
Would you like us to dumb it down and condescend to you?
I didn't think so.
I bet you would prefer we use the language that climbers use and expect you to either figure it out or ask what it means. Self-responsibility is, to some extent, an element in this sport.

I am new too climbing as well and felt obligated too speak on the "Made up terms" scenario.
I too am finding alot of "Names" words, verbs, adjectives and objects being used that I see, hear and feel and found that when "I" do not understand what someone is saying or utilizing. I ask what they mean, meant, show me again and help me understand. I also research something I hear and have found much of the answers on this site as well as others.
If you are new to the sport, you cannot justify ridicule to other climbers who have been doing it for many years and have learned specific ways of doing something.
When you are in the sport for a couple of years, you will be doing the same thing to the Newbees as well. Just be patient and it will all fall into place.

This term is a great example" Gotta say I've never run into this problem. From my experience the crux is the crux and a stem is a stem."

Hey what is a crux and what is a stem??

The funny words are part of the fun.

Lieback, stem, jam, gaston, dyno, crimp, sloper, jug, undercling, whipper, deck, runout, smear, mantle, crux, send, onsight, flash, redpoint, flail, hangdog, dihedral, seam, crystal, chickenhead, choss, are all part of the vocabulary because they're the easiest way to get an idea across to people who are already familiar with the concept. If you don't like learning new words, you're going to have a hard time taking up any new activity, especially anything as awesome as rock climbing.

While sitting on the sidelines of an Ultimate Frisbee tournament on Sunday, a woman ran up and down the sidelines, waiting to sub in yelling "Value! VALUE!!!"

You'd think she was running some sort of clearance sale, but actually she was telling her team not to throw "swill."

I thought about climbing and how each and every sport and other association (career, etc) has it's own 'jargon.'

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jargon

Or we could just make this easy on you and give you the Climber's Dictionary
It'll have you speaking the lingo in no time, because knowing is half the battle!

As an old trad climber that learned in the 70's I have to admit that most of the terminology used in "sport" climbing totally befuddles me. Also, a lot of the old terminology that we used to use seems to have gone away. Example: in the old days everyone knew what you were talking about when you said "that crack is perfect, about 40 feet of "Joe Browns". Does anyone out there remember that term? For those of you that do remember, what is the new term?

and don't forget the brit version of a lot of these terms:

UDGE (need some more of this in the tank to finish the desperate climbing)

THRUTCH (honoring determination over style like in an offwidth)

SPRAG (thumb bridge in a crack)

GRITSTONE RASH (hand Gobis)

MARE (having major issues on a route ie "He is having a mare!")

LAYAWAY (sidepull climbing)

DISCO LEG (uncontrollable shaking of one or both legs on a climb)

COMBINED TACTICS (leader stands on the shoulders of the second to begin the pitch)

and my personal favorite of Brit understatement:
INTERESTING

Pick up a copy of "Mountaineering: Freedom of the Hills". This may not have all the terms, but it will have all the standard terms and is a knowledge foundation for all types of climbing.

Dude, just the other day I asked my bro to gimme a catch while I sent this sickass .12c XRS offy at the Woo. Anyhoo, I was gastoning and ringlocking a nice fingy up the arête just after my bud gave me a holler “SEND IT BRO!!!” After smearing a dihedral into a left facing corner I mantled onto a sloper after missing the chicken head when I peeled and flossed the sky on a 50’ whipper! My leg got caught in the rope so it flipped me and then when I hit the wall below the roof of course off went all my friends, wallnuts and aliens as well as my ATC and TCU’s! POW! Shoulda wore a brain bucket ‘cuz my noggin is ringin’ today. Careful when liebacking the flakes on pitch 3 as well, but I don’t wanna suss the beta or spray too much so I’ll leave it at that.

The other day I was talking to a mortgage lender, and they kept throwing out all this slang like ARMs, good faith estimates, points, ext. What a bunch of elitist pricks. He told me I should go with a 30 year Fixed and I asked him why anyone would jug a fixed rope thats been fixed there for 30 years. Besides, I'm sure someones figured out a free variation by now, even if it does involve a lot of ARM bars and good-faith-only pro.

Maybe he was one of those adventure racer dudes. Don't they get points for jugging fixed ropes faster?

I don't know, I was climbing with a bunch of newbies the other day and the lingo was flying around like you wouldn't believe. I was getting questions like:

"Can you teach me to use your clippy thingys to take down the belts and slide back down the rope with my new tuber?"

"How many half moon catches do you take with you up that rock route?"

And one of the most baffling questions: "I'll need some of your alpha-beta to climb that fifty eight."

Has anyone ever heard of a half moon catch? If we're going to be effective teachers we need to be able to communicate with beginners, some kind of translative guide could go a long way.