A runout describes a long stretch of climbing between pieces of protection, where a fall would be long because the last bolt or piece of gear is far below. 'Runout' routes are bold and committing, demanding confidence that you won't fall, and a route's runout sections contribute to its seriousness beyond its technical grade.
Z-clipping is a lead-climbing error where the climber accidentally pulls up rope from below the previous quickdraw to clip the next bolt, creating a 'Z' shape in the rope. It dramatically increases rope drag, can pull the climber off balance, and means the new clip provides little protection. The fix is to clip rope coming from above the last draw.
A soft catch is a belaying technique where the belayer adds a little slack or jumps slightly as they catch a leader's fall, letting their body absorb some energy so the climber stops more gently. It reduces the jarring force of a fall, protecting the climber and the gear, and is a hallmark of attentive lead belaying.
A neutral climbing shoe has a flat, relaxed shape that keeps the foot comfortable and supports all-day climbing, crack climbing, and beginners. It sacrifices some power on steep terrain compared with downturned aggressive shoes, but its comfort and versatility make it the usual choice for a first pair.
An aggressive climbing shoe has a strongly downturned (cambered) shape and an asymmetric toe that concentrate power onto the big toe, making it excel on steep, overhanging rock and small holds. The trade-off is comfort: aggressive shoes are tight and not designed for long days or beginners.
An auto belay is an automated belay device installed at the top of a climbing-gym wall that takes in slack as you climb and lowers you smoothly if you let go or fall. It lets climbers practice roped climbing alone, without a human belayer — though clipping in correctly every single time is essential.
A figure-eight device is a metal '8'-shaped descender used mainly for rappelling, where the rope threads through the large ring to create friction. Once common for belaying too, it is now largely a rappel and rescue tool, valued for dissipating heat on long descents but prone to twisting the rope.
A plaquette is a tube-style belay device with extra slots that allow 'guide mode' — belaying one or two following climbers directly off the anchor, with the device automatically locking if a follower falls. This makes plaquettes the standard choice for multi-pitch climbing, where they free the leader's hands at the belay.
An assisted-braking device (ABD) is a belay device with a mechanism — usually a camming lever — that helps pinch and lock the rope when it's loaded suddenly, adding a margin of safety in a fall. The GriGri is the best-known example. Crucially, ABDs still require a hand on the brake at all times; they are not hands-free.
An offset nut is a wedge-shaped passive protection piece with one face larger than the other, designed to fit flaring or piton-scarred cracks where parallel-sided nuts won't seat. Their asymmetric taper makes them especially useful on aid routes and old trade routes pocked with pin scars.