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.
A heel hook is a climbing technique where you place your heel on a hold and pull with your leg, using it almost like a third hand. It lets you take weight off your arms, stay close to the wall on steep terrain, and lock into position on overhangs, aretes, and around bulges.
A dyno, short for dynamic move, is a climbing move in which you spring off the wall to reach a hold too far away to grab statically. At full extension all four limbs may briefly leave the rock before your hands latch the target hold. It trades control for reach and is a signature move of modern bouldering.
The Yosemite Decimal System (YDS) is the rating scale used in the United States to describe how difficult terrain is to travel, from flat walking to hard rock climbing. It runs through five classes; Class 5 covers technical roped climbing and is subdivided with decimals from 5.0 up to 5.15 for increasing difficulty.
A redpoint is a successful lead climb of a route from bottom to top without falling or resting on the rope, after having practiced it. It is the standard benchmark for 'sending' a hard route and contrasts with an onsight (no prior knowledge) and a flash (first try, but with beta).
The figure-eight follow-through is the standard knot climbers use to tie the rope into their harness. It is strong, easy to inspect at a glance, and holds securely under load, which is why it is taught as the primary tie-in knot worldwide. Climbers finish it with a backup or stopper knot.
The GriGri is an assisted-braking belay device made by Petzl that uses a camming mechanism to help lock the rope when a climber falls. Widely used in sport climbing and gyms, it adds a margin of safety over tube-style devices but still requires a hand on the brake strand at all times.
A belay device is a piece of equipment that creates friction on the climbing rope so a belayer can hold a fall, lower a climber, and manage slack with controlled effort. Designs range from simple tube-style devices to assisted-braking devices that help lock the rope automatically.
Rappelling, also called abseiling, is the technique of descending a rope in a controlled way using friction from a belay or rappel device. Climbers use it to get down from routes and anchors. Because it depends entirely on the system being built correctly, rappelling is a leading cause of climbing accidents and demands rigorous checks.
Climbing shoes are tight-fitting shoes with sticky rubber soles designed to maximize grip and precision on rock. A snug fit and a flat or downturned shape let climbers stand on tiny holds and edges. They are the most important piece of climbing footwear, chosen mainly by fit and aggressiveness.