| Shape | Outward edge where two faces meet |
| Opposite of | Dihedral (inside corner) |
| Key techniques | Layback, flag, balance |
| Difficulty | Intermediate |
From the French arête, meaning fishbone or sharp ridge.
An arete is a narrow, outward-facing edge or ridge of rock where two faces meet, often formed by glacial erosion. In climbing, aretes offer distinctive, frequently photogenic lines that require balance and techniques like laybacking and flagging to climb the edge itself rather than a face or crack.
The word is French for a sharp ridge or fishbone.
How you climb one
You use the edge as a feature — pinching or laybacking it, smearing feet on both sides, and flagging to stop barn-dooring off the prow.
Arete vs dihedral
An arete is a convex outward edge; a dihedral is a concave inside corner. See arete vs dihedral.
Frequently asked questions
What is an arete in climbing?
It's the outward-pointing edge or prow of rock formed where two faces meet at an angle. Climbers ascend the edge itself, which is exposed and balance-intensive, often using the arete as a pinch or layback feature rather than relying on holds on either face.
How do you climb an arete?
By using the edge as a feature — pinching or laybacking it, smearing feet on either side, and flagging a leg to counterbalance the tendency to swing off. Body position and balance matter more than power, since the holds are often shared between two planes.
What's the difference between an arete and a dihedral?
An arete is a convex outward edge that you climb on the outside of; a dihedral is a concave inside corner, like an open book, that you climb between two facing walls. They're opposites in shape and demand different techniques.
Sources
- Rock features and movement — American Alpine Club