The crux is the hardest move or section of a climb — the part most likely to stop you. A route's grade is largely set by its crux, and climbers focus their beta, strength, and mental preparation on getting through it. A climb can have one crux or several.
Beta is any information about how to climb a particular route or boulder problem — which holds to use, the sequence of moves, foot positions, rests, and clever tricks. Climbers share beta in person, in guidebooks, and in videos, and using it changes whether an ascent counts as an onsight, flash, or redpoint.
A crimp is a small, narrow hold that offers only enough room for fingertips, and the technique of gripping it. Climbers bend the fingers at the knuckles to load the edge, using an open, half, or full crimp depending on the hold. Crimping is powerful but a leading cause of finger injuries.
Smearing is a footwork technique where you press the sole of your climbing shoe flat against the rock to grip through friction, rather than standing on a defined hold. It's essential on slabs and featureless faces, relying on sticky rubber, body position, and trusting your feet on seemingly blank rock.
Edging is a footwork technique where you stand on a small hold using the stiff edge of your climbing shoe, usually the inside edge near the big toe. It gives precise, powerful purchase on tiny ledges and crystals, and works best on vertical to slightly overhanging rock with defined footholds.
A crash pad is a portable foam mattress that boulderers place beneath a climb to cushion falls. It combines a stiff top layer of closed-cell foam that spreads impact with a softer open-cell base that absorbs it, and folds with backpack straps so it can be carried to the rock.
A chalk bag is a small pouch worn at the waist that holds climbing chalk. A climber dips a hand in mid-route to coat the fingers with magnesium carbonate, which absorbs sweat and improves grip on holds. Most have a fleece lining, a drawcord closure, and a stiffened rim for easy one-handed dipping.
A locking carabiner is a metal connector whose gate can be locked shut so it cannot open accidentally. Climbers use it for critical connections — attaching a belay device, clipping into an anchor, or rappelling — where an open gate could be catastrophic. Locks are either manual (screw) or automatic (twist or magnetic).
Approach shoes are a hybrid between hiking shoes and climbing shoes, built for the rough, rocky walk to the base of a climb. They use sticky climbing-style rubber and a precise toe so you can scramble and edge on rock, while keeping enough cushioning and tread to hike comfortably.
Top-rope climbing is a style in which the rope runs from the climber up to an anchor at the top of the route and back down to the belayer. Because the rope is always anchored above, a slip results in only a short fall, making it the safest and most common way for beginners to start climbing.