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Common phrases in climbing... TRANSLATED!

Original Post
camhead · · Vandalia, Appalachia · Joined Jun 2006 · Points: 1,240

Uh, yeah, just like the thread title says...

"How's it going up there?" translates to "What the fuck is taking you so long?"

"Are you at a good stance?" translates to "Uhhhh... I threaded my gri gri backwards and I have to poo."

"I'm getting back into it" translates to "I went climbing once six years ago."

"Was/is an experienced climber" (in news media) translates to, "owns a helmet and a harness."

Any others?

Meme Guy · · Land of Runout Slab · Joined Sep 2013 · Points: 325

"Sack up and lead" translates to quit being such a little bitch and climb the damn rock. I often say this, but feel as if it is lost in translation when people give me dirty looks and continue to NOT climb.

Tug · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jul 2007 · Points: 0

"3 cams in a row failed and ripped out of the rock when I asked for a take."

"I don't know how to place gear."

cjdrover · · Watertown, MA · Joined Feb 2009 · Points: 355

"You got this!" = "You look like you're about to pitch off."

"This piece is bomber!" = "Most of the other ones aren't."

camhead · · Vandalia, Appalachia · Joined Jun 2006 · Points: 1,240
Meme Guy wrote:"Sack up and lead" translates to quit being such a little bitch and climb the damn rock. I often say this, but feel as if it is lost in translation when people give me dirty looks and continue to NOT climb.
No, no, no. No. You have no sense of irony or satire. What you did was just restate "sack up and lead" with other words, i.e., "bitches" don't have "sacks," so if you quit being a bitch you are sacking up, and "leading" is just a synonym for "climb the damn rock.

A better translation would be:

"sack up and lead" = "I am too scared to lead this climb myself, but I really want to toprope it."

See how this works?
Jon Zucco · · Denver, CO · Joined Aug 2008 · Points: 245

"watch me here" = "I'm about to desperately thrutch my way up this section and expect to fall at any moment"

camhead · · Vandalia, Appalachia · Joined Jun 2006 · Points: 1,240

"yeah, there are some great footholds there!" = "the hand holds really suck."

"there's some stuff at this crag that you can do!" = "I am a pretentious douchebag who wants you to belay me on my megaprodge after you've hungdogged the one-star warmup."

Jon Zucco · · Denver, CO · Joined Aug 2008 · Points: 245
Tug wrote:"3 cams in a row failed and ripped out if the rock." "I don't know how to place gear."
too soon.
Allen Sanderson · · On the road to perdition · Joined Jul 2007 · Points: 1,203

I'm scared == I'm gonna puke

Yer not scared unless yer gonna puke.

BruceH · · New Harmony, UT · Joined Mar 2011 · Points: 45

"Would you like to lead this pitch?" = "I'm too much of a wuss to lead this pitch." (Not that I am aware of this equivalence from my own words and thoughts of course.)

"Up rope." = "Stop looking at those women and pay attention to me, jerk, even though my TRing is beneath your dignity."

Meme Guy · · Land of Runout Slab · Joined Sep 2013 · Points: 325
camhead wrote: No, no, no. No. You have no sense of irony or satire. What you did was just restate "sack up and lead" with other words, i.e., "bitches" don't have "sacks," so if you quit being a bitch you are sacking up, and "leading" is just a synonym for "climb the damn rock. A better translation would be: "sack up and lead" = "I am too scared to lead this climb myself, but I really want to toprope it." See how this works?
HEY MAN LIKE!
Jamespio Piotrowski · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Sep 2013 · Points: 5

"my arms are totally spent, just lower me" = I'm so scared I'm gonna make you retrieve the gear and I think I just soiled my shorts.

Kevin DeWeese · · @failfalling - Oakland, Ca · Joined Jan 2007 · Points: 981

"I hate climbing" = "you free to go climbing again next weekend?"

"I'd this your cam or mine?" = "I'm pretty sure you won't know if it's yours or not and I'm going to take it if you don't even though I know it's not mine"

"Is my gopro on?" = "you've got SAR on speed dial right?"

NancyN · · Folsom, CA · Joined Feb 2014 · Points: 0

"Take!" = "Let go of the rope."

Dom Caron · · Welsford, New Brunswick Canada · Joined Dec 2007 · Points: 1,370

"I'm a 5.12 climber" = I've hungdog my way up a 12a once at the gym.

reboot · · . · Joined Jul 2006 · Points: 125

"Take your time" => "Hurry the fuck up"
"It's perfect sending temps" => "It's ballz cold"
"It's easier if you have small hands" => "I flailed all over it"

Bill Wa · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Mar 2014 · Points: 20

"You are gonna crush this!" - " don't be taking all day I ain't yer belay bitch"

"How long have you been climbing?" - "you look like a n00b and I don't trust you to belay me"

"Do you climb outside?" - " I am in desperate need of a belayer to do some real climbing cos my buddies all bailed and I'm here in the gym scrounging."

"You can use my rack" - " I need to be dragged up all the crux pitches so I can tic this route."

bearbreeder · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Mar 2009 · Points: 3,065
you should really climb this stem corner ..

translation

i really want to see your lulu clad butt wiggling in my face


from last week ... ALWAYS put lulu clad hawties on stem corners ... it helps with their footwork and technique

kangaroo corner 11a

;)
Jacob Smith · · Seattle, WA · Joined Aug 2013 · Points: 230

I seem to remember a pretty awesome list of climbing terms in Tom Patey's book.
hemp rope - a rope that burns
nylon rope - a rope that melts
solo climber - one man falling
rope team - two men falling together

there were some pretty horrible ones though
the crux - where everyone unropes to watch the leader
female second - a solo

EricF · · San Francisco · Joined May 2012 · Points: 120

hows the approach?= Maybe i'll just go home and watch tv instead

she can only do that because she has small fingers= Lynn Hill is immortal

Rwwon ru · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jul 2012 · Points: 35
Bill Wa wrote:"Do you climb outside?" - " I am in desperate need of a belayer to do some real climbing cos my buddies all bailed and I'm here in the gym scrounging."
I totally did this today. My translation felt like this: "As a complete stranger, what's the quickest way I can ask this person to go climbing outside without them feeling like I am trying to kidnap them."

Another Phrase:

"You got me?"

Translation: "I have completely lost my inability trust my harness, the rope, and you as a belayer. The things in which I vested all my trust 30 seconds ago have all but vanished in my mind and I am afraid I will soon meet my maker if I fall.... Oh crap, all my quickdraws are on the other side of my harness."
Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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