CANYONEERING   GLOSSARY

Abseil Descending by sliding down a rope. Americans call it rappelling.
Aid Climbing The use of anything other than the natural rock features.
Anchor Point where the rope is secured to the rock with bolts, rocks, slings, trees or other gear.
Arete A narrow ridge.
Ascenders Devices used to ascend a rope.
Batman To climb the rope hand over hand.
Beer Liquid consumed in large quantities after canyoneering, especially by Lee.
Belay To secure a climber with a rope.
Beta Insider information or advice about a route given by one (or quite often 6) self-proclaimed experts.
Biner Short for carabiner, pronounced "BEEN' er".
Bivouac, Bivi A very uncomfortable sleeping place in the middle of a route. French for "We really screwed up".
Blood A substance commonly used to mark a canyoneering route, especially from  Lee's legs.
Bolt An expansion bolt used by gumbies to simplify or dumb down a route.
Bolt It Last words heard before a major fight breaks out in the barbetween canyoneers .
Bomber Used to indicate that something is exceptionally solid.
Bombproof The illusion that an anchor is infallible.
Bootie Gear (biners, nuts, rope, cams, etc.) that was left behind by the previous party.
Boulder Climbing unroped on boulders or at the base of climbs to a height where it is still safe to jump off.
Bunny Strap A length of webbing or a daisy chain with a carabiner attached which will allow you to hang your pack from your harness while you chimney, climb and stem.
Buttress The part of the mountain or rock that stands in front of the main mountain face.
Carabiner A metal snap link used for purposes such as attaching climbers to anchors. This most essential climbing device is also known as a "biner".
Cheater Stick A long pole with a hook attached to one end. Aka a Happy Hooker.
Chimney A wide crack that accommodates the body of the climber.
Chockstone A stone wedged into a crack or chimney. Can be very small to gigantic.
Chossy Loose or bad quality rock.
Chute A very steep gully.
Couloir A steep gully which may have snow or ice.
Crux The hardest part of the route.
Daisy chain A sling sewn with numerous loops.
Downclimbing What skilled canyoneers do instead of rappelling.
Epic The story of a well planned trip that turned into a grueling adventure that turned out well in the end. As these stories are told over and over again, and they always are, the details get stretched to supernatural proportions for dramatic effect.
Etrier Webbing ladder used for aid climbing. Aka 'aider'.
Exposure Being in a situation in which you are very aware that you are high off the ground or in a remote location.
Figure 8 Metal rappelling/belaying device shaped like an 8.
Fixed pro Bolts, rings, pitons and other pieces of unremovable protection that may be found in a canyon. Use at your own risk.
Gully A wide, shallow ravine on a mountainside.
Gumbie, Gumby An inexperienced or new canyoneer. Unlike posers, gumbies  don't know enough to get hurt.
Happy Hooker A long pole with a hook attached to one end. Aka Cheater Stick.
Hardman A canyoneer with seemingly superhero strength who has survived  epics of grandiose proportions.
Harness Piece of clothing that identifies you as a climber. Hanging things from the harness that go cling can significantly enhance the coolness factor.
Historian Somebody who likes to think they know what they are talking about when discussing "the old days".
Hook A device used in aid climbing.
Jug To climb the rope with some type of ascenders.
Jumar A type of rope ascending device.
Ledge Flat bit on a rock that can be miniature or gigantic.
Left Can mean "right", depends where you are looking.
LDC Looking Down Canyon.
Locking biner Carabiner that can be locked.
LUC Looking Up Canyon
Mantle Difficult balancing move useful to get up on ledges.
Mae West A slot canyon so narrow that it is impossible to pass through. Usually requires climbing over with major exposure.
Natural Anchor Trees, rocks, or gear that is placed in cracks, pockets or around objects so that it can be removed with no harm to the rock.
Pitch A section of climb between two belays and no longer than the length of one rope.
Piton Metal spike hammered into a crack.
Poser A novice canyoneer who thinks he knows it all.
Protection, Pro Anchors placed in the canyon to protect the canyoneer. Beware: even a properly placed pro does not prevent pregnancy or the transmission of STDs.
Prussic A sliding knot method used to ascend a rope.
Ramp An ascending or descending ledge.
Rappel, Rap Descending by sliding down a rope. Known outside the US as abseiling.
Rover Is a grade of Scout in Australia, similar to Eagle Scout in the US.
Runner A loop of tape or webbing either sewn or tied, Aka sling
Scrambling Easy climbing, usually without a rope.
Scree Loose rocks and stones that cover the slope below a cliff.
Search & Rescue, SAR The people who put their life on the line when you screw up.
Sling What Americans call a runner.
Smearing Foot technique where a big part of the shoe is used to generate as much friction as possible
Softman A former hardman who can accomplish canyons of epic proportion in comfortable style. Always has the warmest jacket, the biggest sleeping pad, the best food, and the finest of consumables. A title to aspire for.
Soloing Canyoneering alone without a partner.
Stem Bridging with the feet between two holds.
Swami A climbing harness constructed from webbing.
Talus Large blocks of rock. A coarse variation of scree.
Teva's River rafting footwear or sandal.
Third class Climbing without a rope on easy ground.
Traverse Horizontal climbing.
Webbing Strong flat strip of nylon.
YDS Yosemite Decimal System. The North American climbing rating system.  Click here for a complete description.