An anchor is the system of connected points — bolts, removable gear, or natural features — that secures climbers to the rock for belaying, rappelling, or top-roping. A sound anchor is redundant, equalized, and strong enough to hold any expected load. Building reliable anchors is one of the most safety-critical skills in climbing.
A piton is a metal spike that a climber hammers into a crack and clips for protection — an older form of gear largely replaced by removable cams and nuts on free climbs. Pitons are still used in aid climbing and remain fixed on many classic routes, but because hammering them damages rock, their use is now limited.
A bolt is a permanent anchor point drilled and fixed into the rock, used in sport climbing for protection and at the tops of routes for anchors. A climber clips a quickdraw to the bolt's hanger and the rope to the draw. Bolts make hard climbing accessible, but where and whether they're placed is governed by local ethics and access rules.
An ice screw is a hollow, threaded tube that an ice climber twists into solid ice to create protection or build an anchor. Modern screws have a hanger and a fold-out crank for fast placement with one hand. Their holding power depends entirely on ice quality, so reading the ice is as important as the placement itself.
A sling, or runner, is a loop of strong nylon or Dyneema webbing used throughout climbing — to extend protection and reduce rope drag, build anchors, attach to the rock, and carry gear. Slings come sewn in standard lengths and are a fundamental, versatile part of any climbing kit.
An ascender is a mechanical device that grips a rope when loaded downward but slides freely upward, letting a climber ascend a fixed rope. Used in pairs with foot loops, ascenders are essential for big-wall aid climbing, rope access, and crevasse rescue. The handled type is commonly called a jumar.
A static rope is a low-stretch rope used for rappelling, ascending, hauling, and rigging, where stretch would be a disadvantage. Because it does not absorb fall energy, it must never be used to lead climb or take a top-rope fall on — that role belongs to dynamic rope. Static ropes are common in caving, canyoneering, and rescue.
A dynamic rope is a climbing rope engineered to stretch and absorb the energy of a fall, reducing the force on the climber, gear, and belayer. Its stretchy kernmantle construction — a core sheathed in a woven cover — makes it the standard rope for lead climbing and top-roping, distinct from low-stretch static rope used for rappelling and hauling.
An ATC is a lightweight tube-style belay device. The name comes from Black Diamond's 'Air Traffic Controller' and is now used generically for similar tubes. The rope bends through a slot and against a carabiner to create friction for belaying and rappelling. Simple and versatile, it works with one or two ropes and has no moving parts.
A nut, also called a stopper or chock, is a passive piece of trad protection — a tapered metal wedge on a wire cable that a climber slots into a constriction in a crack so it jams when pulled downward. Nuts are light, cheap, and reliable in tapering cracks, forming the foundation of a traditional rack.