Sport Climbing

Screwgate Carabiner: The Manual Locking Carabiner Explained

A screwgate carabiner is a locking carabiner secured by a threaded sleeve that you manually screw over the gate to lock it shut, preventing accidental opening. Simple, reliable, and inexpensive, screwgates are used wherever a secure connection matters — belaying, rappelling, anchors, and personal attachment. Their one drawback is that they rely on the user to remember to do up (and check) the sleeve, unlike auto-locking carabiners that lock themselves.

HMS Carabiner: The Pear-Shaped Locking Carabiner Explained

An HMS carabiner is a pear-shaped (asymmetric) locking carabiner with a wide, rounded top, designed for belaying, rappelling, and use with the Munter hitch. The wide end accommodates belay devices, knots, and multiple strands of rope and lets a Munter hitch flip smoothly. 'HMS' comes from the German Halbmastwurfsicherung (Munter hitch belay), reflecting its origin as the carabiner made for that technique. It's the standard belay carabiner.

Wiregate Carabiner: Definition, Advantages, and Uses

A wiregate carabiner is a non-locking carabiner whose gate is a single loop of stainless steel wire rather than a solid bar. This design makes it lighter, less prone to 'gate flutter' (the gate momentarily opening during a hard fall, which weakens the carabiner), and less likely to freeze shut in icy conditions. Wiregates are extremely common as the carabiners on quickdraws, slings, and racks, especially where weight savings matter.

Climbing Chalk: What It Is, How It Helps, and Types

Climbing chalk is magnesium carbonate powder that climbers apply to their hands to absorb sweat and moisture, improving friction and grip on holds. Carried in a chalk bag and applied throughout a climb, it's one of the simplest yet most universal pieces of climbing gear. It comes in loose powder, blocks, chalk balls, and liquid chalk forms, each with different convenience and mess trade-offs.

Nut Tool: What It Is and How It’s Used

A nut tool (or nut key) is a thin, flat metal tool used in traditional climbing to extract protection — especially nuts and cams — that has become wedged or stuck in the rock. The follower (second) uses it to clean the route by poking, prying, and tapping stuck gear free, recovering the rack. A simple but essential trad accessory, it's often clipped to the harness with a carabiner.

Cordelette: Definition, Uses, and How It Works

A cordelette is a long loop of accessory cord (typically 5–7mm nylon or high-strength material, around 5–7 meters) tied into a loop, used primarily to build and equalize climbing anchors from multiple pieces of protection. By distributing the load across several anchor points, a cordelette creates a strong, redundant master point. It's a versatile, traditional anchor-building tool, also useful for rescue, rappel extensions, and improvised systems.

Hex: Definition, How It Works, and When to Use One

A hex (hexcentric) is a piece of passive, removable climbing protection: a hexagonal metal chamber on a wire or cord that wedges into a crack, and which can also cam (rotate and grip) when loaded thanks to its asymmetric shape. Cheaper and lighter than spring-loaded cams, hexes work well in irregular and larger cracks and remain popular for budget trad racks and certain placements, though cams have largely replaced them for convenience.

Topo: Definition and How Climbers Use Route Topos

A topo (short for topographical diagram) is a visual representation of a climbing route — a drawing, diagram, or annotated photo that shows the line the route takes up the rock, along with key features, the locations of anchors and protection, pitch breaks, grades, and other useful details. Found in guidebooks and apps, topos help climbers find, understand, and navigate routes before and during a climb. (Note: in hiking, 'topo' instead refers to a topographic map.)

Boulder Problem: Definition and How They Work

A boulder problem is a single, defined route up a boulder or short section of rock, climbed without a rope as part of the discipline of bouldering. Each problem is a specific sequence of moves between set holds, typically short but intense, and is graded for difficulty (on the V-scale or Font scale). 'Problem' reflects the puzzle-like nature of figuring out and executing the moves; problems range from a few moves to longer link-ups.

Offwidth: Definition, Why It’s Awkward, and How to Climb One

An offwidth is a rock crack that falls into the dreaded in-between size — too wide to jam with hands or fists, but too narrow to fit your whole body inside and chimney. Climbing offwidths requires awkward, strenuous techniques that wedge arms, shoulders, hips, knees, and feet against the crack walls (arm bars, chicken wings, heel-toe jams), and is notorious for being physically demanding, technical, and uncomfortable — a discipline climbers either love or avoid.