belay slave n.— «The technical term for the climber who goes first is the “leader”; that’s the climber on the “sharp” end of the rope—the end you can hurt yourself on. The term for the climber who holds the rope and follows the route is “belay...
sharp adj.— «The technical term for the climber who goes first is the “leader”; that’s the climber on the “sharp” end of the rope—the end you can hurt yourself on.» —“A Match Made in Canada” by Michael J. Ybarra Wall Street Journal Nov. 12, 2008...
king line n.— «“I want to climb hard routes, but I want something that inspires me” Sharma, 26, has the ability to climb just about anything anywhere. But he said he turns up his nose at any problem—no matter how challenging—that’s not also...
highpointer n.— «“This guy’s an animal, physically,” said Jack Longacre, a climber and adventurer who presides over the Highpointers Club, an actual organization dedicated to reaching state and national high points.…“They call themselves...

