Essential Spain-Spanish climbing vocabulary
How to sound really Spanish when climbing in Spain
Photo: Climbing in Bellus, comunidad de Valencia (the wall in sun is el Aventador)
Rock Features
Chorrera: tufa
Cazo: jug
Regleta: crimp
Canto: edge
Romo: sloper
Pinza: pinch
Invertido: undercling
Chimenea: chimney
Diedro: dihedral
Placa: slab
Desplome: overhanging wall
Techo: roof
Paso: the crux
Climbing Moves
Bicicleta: drop knee
Bavaresa: lieback
Belay Commands & Safety
Pilla! Take!
Baja! Lower!
Me voy! Falling! (lit. I’m leaving)
Cuidado! Be careful/watch me! (to the belayer)
Atento! Pay attention (to the belayer)
Estoy contigo! I’m with you!
Cuerda! Give me rope!
Dame cuerda! Give me rope!
Para! Stop! (so you can clean the quickdraw on the way down)
Asegurar: to belay
Me aseguras? will you belay me?
Te aseguro! I’ll belay you
Aseguradora/asegurador: the belayer (feminine/masculine)
Voy! Literally “I go”, but in the context of climbing it can mean “I’m climbing” (starting from the ground or restarting after hanging on the rope)
Listo? (speaking to a guy). Lista? (to a woman): Ready?
Desmonta la reunión! (or simply Desmonta!) Clean the anchor!
Equipments
Reunion: anchor
Mosquetón: carabiner
Cinta or cinta expres: a quickdraw
Chapas or parabolts: Sport climbing bolts
Químicos: glued-in bolts
Pies de gato: climbing shoes (not cat feet:)
Arnés: harness
Misc.
- Rock climbing gym: el rocodrómo (gymnasio = workout gyms with weight machines)
- I want to join (telling the locals you want to go climbing with them): me gustaría (or quiero) apuntarme
- Do you have a seat for me (in the car)? Tienes hueco para mi?
- Climbing crag (literally means “school”): escuela
- topos: croquis or reseñas (de escalada)
- chalk: el magnesio
- climbing route: la vía
- multipitch: largos
- French grades: 5s = quintos, 6s = sextos, 7s = séptimos
Colorful Adjectives and Phrases:
- Cool, awesome (to describe a climb or a crag): es guay/una pasada/chula/guapa/de puta madre ("de" is important otherwise it means something very vulgar)
- Awkward (climbing route, body position): feo
- Polished: pulida
Ways to congratulate your partner after a send:
🤜 De puta madre tía! F’ing awesome! (use tío if talking to a guy): Note: again do not miss the “De” in the beginning,
Eres una máquina or Qué máquina!: You’re awesome/cool (gender neutral phrase)
Eres un crack or eres una crack (feminine): You’re awesome!
Misc.
Me mola! I love it
Me ha flipado or estoy flipando! I’m shocked/freaking out/f’ing crazy.
Venga! or animo! Come on!
A tope! Used alone it’s a cheering expression to mean Come on, be strong, you’re the best!
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Those are some common ones I came across during my two years climbing and living in Spain.
Got any interesting climbing vocabs or phrases to share? Please leave them in the comment below.