L.A. SPEAK

When “flashing” is not cause for an arrest: select sport climbing koine. crater: v . to fall during a climb and hit the ground. “John cratered off of Double X today. He hit so hard they practically had to use a backhoe to get him out, but he’s OK.” dyno: n . a dynamic move that involves jumping from one hold to another with unpredictable results. flash: v . to climb a new route from bottom to top without falling. “I flashed eight hard routes today!” goby: n . a wound. “I ripped a huge goby in my finger today. Bled all over the place.” jingus: adj. used to describe any route a climber can’t do for a reason that is, of course, not the climber’s fault. “That route is completely jingus!” manky: adj. Bad or unsafe. “That gear is totally manky . I know it would rip if I breathed on it hard.” plastic master: n . A person who climbs mainly in indoor climbing gyms. Slightly derogatory when used by a trad, a compliment when used by a rad. “Jeff is a plastic master, but can’t climb rock to save his life.” rads and trads: n . a rad believes in short, safe routes where the emphasis is on physical difficulty and complicated moves. A trad believes in long, scary routes to extremely high summits and relies more on climbing gear. slapped: v . To fail spectacularly on a climb, often with minor injuries such as gobies or bruises. strobe: v . To move so fast that the climber looks like a dancer illuminated with strobe flashes. “I strobed the final move on Yak Crack today.” whipper: n . a really long fall with a snap at the end of the rope. S yn. screamer.