Flagging is a climbing technique in which the climber extends a free (non-weighted) leg out to one side or behind to act as a counterbalance, keeping the body in balance and preventing it from swinging out of control (barn-dooring). Used when there's no useful foothold for one foot, flagging shifts the center of gravity to maintain balance and body tension, allowing reaches and moves that would otherwise spin the climber off the wall.
Mantling (or a mantle) is a climbing technique for getting your body up onto a ledge, shelf, or the top of a boulder when there are no holds above to pull on. The climber presses down on the ledge with their hands (and forearms), like pushing up out of a swimming pool, then rocks a foot up onto the ledge and stands. Mantling relies on pressing (pushing) strength and balance rather than pulling, and is the classic way to top out a boulder.
Jamming is the fundamental crack-climbing technique of wedging a body part — fingers, hands, fists, feet, or even arms and the whole body — into a crack and expanding or torquing it to create a secure, weight-bearing hold where there are no holds on the rock face. The specific jam depends on the crack's width, from finger jams to hand jams to wide-crack techniques. Jamming is the skill that makes crack climbing possible.
A sloper is a rounded, smooth climbing hold with no positive edge or lip to grip — held instead by pressing the open hand against it and relying on friction and body position. Slopers reward maximum skin contact, an open-hand grip, and keeping your body weight positioned below the hold to pull the friction in the right direction. They're the friction-dependent opposite of a crimp, demanding good technique over finger strength alone.
A crimp is a small climbing hold with a narrow edge, and also the grip used to hold it: the fingers are bent at the first knuckle with the fingertips on the edge. Crimping lets climbers hold tiny edges but places high stress on the finger tendons and pulleys, making it a leading cause of climbing finger injuries. Grip variations (open crimp, half crimp, full crimp) trade power for safety.
Smearing is a climbing footwork technique in which the climber presses the sole of the shoe flat against the rock to generate friction, rather than standing on a distinct foothold. Used when there are no positive footholds — especially on slabs and friction-dependent rock — smearing relies on the sticky rubber of climbing shoes, maximum sole contact, and keeping weight over the feet. It's a fundamental skill, particularly for slab climbing.
Edging is a climbing footwork technique in which the climber stands on a small foothold using the edge of the stiff sole of the climbing shoe — typically the inside edge by the big toe, or the outside edge by the little toe. Edging provides precise, powerful purchase on small edges and ledges, relying on a stiff shoe, accurate foot placement, and weighting the edge directly. It's the friction-independent counterpart to smearing.
A prusik is a friction hitch tied with a loop of thin cord (a prusik loop) wrapped around a thicker rope, which grips the rope tightly when weighted and slides freely when unweighted. This grab-and-release behavior makes it invaluable for ascending a rope, backing up a rappel, and rigging haul systems in crevasse and self-rescue. It must use cord appropriately thinner than the main rope to bite.
A crash pad (or bouldering pad) is a portable, foldable foam mattress placed on the ground beneath a boulder problem to cushion a climber's fall. Made of layered firm and soft foam to absorb impact without bottoming out, it is the primary protection in outdoor bouldering, used together with spotting to reduce the risk of injury from falls onto uneven ground.
A chalk bag is a small pouch that holds climbing chalk (magnesium carbonate), worn at the waist or clipped nearby so a climber can dip their hands mid-climb to dry sweat and improve grip on holds. Standard chalk bags hang from a belt for roped and gym climbing, while larger chalk buckets sit on the ground for bouldering, where two climbers can share.
