For climbing definitions used within this web site and the world of climbing please select a letter from below.
Passive - adj. Used in conjunction with the word Protection. Passive protection has no special action like a cam. It is simple and has no clutch or gearing device and it is merely wedged into a crack and functions only one way.
Pendulum - v. To swing in an arc on the end of a rope to gain access to an anchor or rock feature to one side of your current position. Or the swing of a dead weight such as an injured climber on the end of a rope after a bad fall.
Pinkpoint - n.vb. A clean (no-falls) ascent of a route on lead with gear pre-placed. The climber need only clip the rope into the preplaced protection while climbing. Note: This term has disappeared from sport climbing terminology with all clean leads called redpoints.
Pitch - n. Generally a rope length between belay stations on a multi-pitch climb. Sometimes sloppily used to refer a route itself or part of the route. Particularly in an indoor wall.
Piton - n. a long-nosed, spike shaped, piece of metal driven into cracks for protection or aid.
Plastic hold - n. a name for the artificial holds in an Indoor Climbing Wall. More commonly referred to as ‘Bolt-ons’ or ‘holds’.
Pocket - n. an indentation in a rock face that can be used as a hand, foot or finger hold.
Pop - adj. What happens to protection when it comes out of its placement. 2.(v.) to make a small throw to the next hold. ie: Pop for the jug. Sometimes used instead of the word Dyno.
Portaledge - n. A portable and colapsable ledge used for sleeping on a big wall or multi-pitch climb requiring more than one day to complete.
Pro - n. short for protection.
Protection - n. Gear/hardware placed on a climb, usually by the lead climber to protect the climber in the event of a fall. ie: nuts, pitons, cams, bolts, quickdraws etc
Protection Point - n. The last point on a climb where the lead climber placed and clipped their rope into a piece of protection.
Prusik Knot - n. A friction knot that when loaded, will lock on a rope. It is used when physically ascending a rope, backing up a rappel or locking off the belay system. It was used widely in the 1960’s before the emergence of Jumars and Trolls, handled mechanical devices with a one way locking clutch which will allow a climber to ascend a rope
Psychological protection - n. A very poorly placed peice of protection that will never hold a fall but makes the climber feel better about having gear beneath them.
Pulley System - n. Where the rope runs through a series of pulley's and Karabiners to gain a mechanical advantage when pulling the rope. Good for lifting dead weights or lowering dead weights by just on person.
Pumped - adj. Tired – The state of the limbs, particularly the forearms experienced when over-used through climbing. The forearms become swollen and unresponsive – quite literally ‘pumped’. “I was too pumped to complete the route so bailed.”
Pumped Out -adj. As above. The feeling
of limbs being ‘pumped’. “I was pumped out just after
the crux and gave up.”
