| Means | Clean ascent, no falls/rests |
| Includes | Onsight, flash, redpoint |
| Opposite | Falling / hangdogging |
| Difficulty | Beginner concept |
Climbing slang, popularly traced to 'send it', meaning to commit fully.
To send a climb is to complete it cleanly from start to finish without falling or resting on the rope or gear. The word covers any successful clean ascent — an onsight, flash, or redpoint all count as sends. ‘Sending’ has become general climbing slang for nailing a goal.
What counts as a send
A clean top-out with no falls and no weighting the rope. The style — onsight, flash, or redpoint — describes how much you knew beforehand, but all are sends.
Send vs working a route
Falling, hanging, or resting on gear (‘hangdogging’) while figuring out a project is not a send — the send is the eventual clean ascent.
Good to know
‘Send it’ began as commitment slang and now means giving an attempt your full effort.
Frequently asked questions
What does 'send' mean in climbing?
It means to climb a route or boulder cleanly — topping out without falling, hanging on the rope, or resting on gear. Any clean ascent is a send, whether it's an onsight, a flash, or a redpoint after many tries.
What's the difference between a send and a redpoint?
A redpoint is one specific type of send — a clean lead ascent after practice. 'Send' is the umbrella term that also covers onsights and flashes. All redpoints are sends, but not all sends are redpoints.
Where does 'send it' come from?
It's climbing and broader action-sports slang for fully committing to an attempt. Over time 'send' became shorthand for successfully completing a hard climb, and now appears widely as motivational slang.
Sources
- Climbing terms — American Alpine Club