| Means | Clean first try, with beta |
| Ranks below | Onsight |
| Ranks above | Redpoint |
| Difficulty | Intermediate concept |
A flash is climbing a route or boulder problem cleanly on your first attempt, but with the benefit of beta gathered beforehand — watching someone climb it, getting hold descriptions, or studying video. It ranks just below an onsight, which allows no prior information at all.
Flash vs onsight
The only difference is information. An onsight uses none; a flash uses beta. Both must be clean and first try.
Where it sits
In the style hierarchy a flash ranks above a redpoint (which allows practice) and below an onsight. All are a send.
Good to know
Flashing is especially common in bouldering, where short problems make watching others almost unavoidable.
Frequently asked questions
What counts as beta for a flash?
Any prior information about the climb: watching another climber on it, reading or hearing a move-by-move description, studying a video, or having holds pointed out. Using any of these and still sending first try is a flash rather than an onsight.
Is a flash harder than a redpoint?
At the same grade, usually yes. A flash gives you one shot using only gathered beta, while a redpoint lets you rehearse the moves over many attempts. So flashing a grade is a bigger achievement than redpointing it.
Is flashing mostly a bouldering term?
It's used for both, but comes up most in bouldering, where problems are short and watching others makes a true onsight hard to achieve. On roped routes, climbers often distinguish carefully between onsight and flash.
Sources
- Climbing styles and ethics — American Alpine Club