Glossary of Climbing Terms

Panic Bear: A panicking novice climber clinging to hand holds while searching desperately for a foot hold.
Peak-bagging: To systematically attain designated summits under prescribed conditions.
Peel: To fall.
Pendulum

Swinging on taut rope to reach the next hold in a pendulum traverse.
A swing during a fall when the last piece of protection is far to one side.

Pickets: Long, tubular rods driven into snow to provide a quick anchor.
Pied à plat: A crampon technique in the French style: to climb on high-angle ice with feet flat on the ice (as opposed to front-pointing).
Pied assis: A crampon technique in the French style: to rest on high-angle ice with one foot tucked under the buttocks, toes pointed straight down-slope.
Pied d'Elephant: A short, light sleeping bag covering the lower half of the body only. It is designed to be used in connection with a down jacket for lightweight bivvies.
Pied en canard: A crampon technique in the French style: to walk on moderate-angle ice with toes pointed outward; literally, "duck footed".
Pied marche: A crampon technique in the French style: to walk on low-angle ice with toes pointed straight ahead.
Picknick stop: A No-hand rest.
Pinch Hold: This is a hold where you must pinch it to hold on. They come in various sizes.
Pinkpoint: To complete a lead climb without falling or resting on the rope (hangdogging), but with pre-placed protection and carabiners. Also see clean and redpoint.
Pitch: In the strictest climbing definition, a pitch is considered one rope length (50–60 metres). However, in guide books and route descriptions, a pitch is the portion of a climb between two belay points.
Piton: A flat or angled metal blade of steel which incorporates a clipping hole for a carabiner or a ring in its body. A piton is typically used in "aid-climbing" and an appropriate size and shape is hammered into a thin crack in the rock and preferably removed by the last team member.
Piton catcher: Clip-on string fastened to piton when inserting or removing, so as to avoid loss.
Plunge step: An aggressive step pattern for descending on hard or steep angle snow.
Pof: An alternative to chalk made from pine resin. Popular in Fontainebleau but discouraged (or actively forbidden) everywhere else since it deposits a thick, shiny resin layer on the rock and friction can only be achieved by using more pof.
Polish: On popular routes, the sheer passage of traffic can polish the rock to such an extent as to make the climbing much more difficult. This is most noticeable at the crux, and more common on certain rock types.
Positive: A hold or part of a hold, having a surface facing upwards, or away from the direction it is pulled, facilitating use.
Pressure Breathing: Forcefully exhaling to facilitate O2/CO2 exchange at altitude. Also called the "Whittaker wheeze".
Problem: Used in bouldering, the path that a climber takes in order to complete the climb. Same as route in roped climbing.
Project: A potential new route or bouldering problem that is being attempted, but has not seen a first ascent yet.
Protection

Process of setting equipment or anchors for safety.
Equipment or anchors used for arresting falls. Commonly known as Pro.

Prusik

A knot used for ascending a rope. It is named after Dr Karl Prusik, the Austrian mountaineer who developed this knot in 1931.
To use a Prusik knot for ascending a rope.

Pseudo Leading: To climb a wall Toprope with having another rope connected to the climber, for practice of Lead climbing clipping. The other rope is normally not connected to any belayer below and is only there to practice the clipping. Usually practiced while learning how to Lead Climb.
Psychological protection: A piece of protection that everyone knows will not hold a fall, but makes the climber feel better about having gear beneath them anyhow.
Pumped

To have such an accumulation of lactic acid in the forearm, that forming even a basic grip becomes impossible. A climber who is pumped will find it difficult to hold on, and may struggle to lift or clip a rope.
(Psychology) A feeling of anticipation and energy before a challenging climb.