FINAL ASSAULT by Epyx
also known as
MOUNTAIN CLIMBER by Infogrames
CONTENTS
The Adventure of a Lifetime ................................ 2
Loading the Game ........................................... 3
Getting Started ............................................ 3
Choosing a Route ....................................... 3
Packing for the Trail .................................. 4
Packing List ........................................... 5
Setting Your Departure Time ............................ 6
On the Trail ............................................... 6
Hiking and Jumping ..................................... 6
Using Your Supplies .................................... 6
Beginner's Luck ........................................ 7
Climbing on Ice ........................................ 7
Climbing on Rock ....................................... 7
Using the Rope ......................................... 8
When You're Cold, Hungry, or Tired ..................... 9
If Disaster Strikes .................................... 10
Ending a Game .............................................. 10
Stopping and Saving .................................... 10
Triumph - and a New Game ............................... 10
Climber's Notebook ......................................... 11
Climbing Terms ............................................. 13
- 1 -
THE ADVENTURE OF A LIFETIME
You're in the Alps, ready to start off on an expedition to the highest
peaks of Europe. And you're going to do it the hard way, avoiding the
easy, well-marked tourist trails with their ladders and handholds. The
more risky and difficult the route, the greater the challenge. That's why
you're here.
Before you go, you think back over the history of the Alps, where
mountaineering began. This great mountain chain runs through the heart of
Europe, beginning on the French Riviera and passing through France, Italy,
Switzerland, and Germany before coming to an end in northeastern Austria.
The best climbing is between Chamonix, in France, and Innsbruck, near the
German border in Austria.
Right outside of Chamonix is Mont Blanc, at 4807 meters the highest
mountain in western Europe. To the east is the great pyramid of the
Matterhorn, one of the most famous mountains in the world. To the
northeast stand the Monch and the Jungfrau - the Monk and the Virgin. Near
them is the Eiger, easily the most dangerous mountain in Europe. This Ogre
has claimed dozens of victims both before and after its "conquest" in 1938.
The Alps have towered over Europe since long before mankind arrived, but no
one tried to climb them until near the end of the eighteenth century.
Villages, farms, and monasteries sprung up at their feet, and sheep and
cattle grazed in the lowland meadows. Armies struggled through the great
passes to invade the countries beyond. The Carthaginian general Hannibal
even managed to drive elephants across the Alps during his daring
midwinter invasion of Italy in 218 BC. (It took 17 years, but the Romans
won.)
On a more peaceful note, Leonardo da Vinci travelled widely through the
Alps on meteorological expeditions. But everyone stopped short of the
summits, and as late as 1725 guides to Switzerland featured detailed
descriptions of the dragons believed to live on the mountaintops.
True mountaineering had to wait for the modern age, with its drive to
understand and explore. In 1787 a wealthy scholar from Geneva, Horace
Benedict de Saussure, reached the summit of Mont Blanc at the head of a
huge expedition that even included his valet.
The French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars effectively closed off the
Alps for the next 30 years, but after peace returned in 1815 an ever
increasing flood of adventurers began. The year 1854 marked the beginning
of the Golden Age of Mountaineering. One after another, the great peaks
were scaled, and at last, after seven failed tries and the death of four of
his companions, Edward Whymper conquered the Matterhorn in 1865.
By now even the great unclimbables, such as the deadly Eiger and the
treacherous North Face of the Matterhorn, have been scaled at least once.
But the Alps are still a climber's paradise. You're up against hazardous
rock and unpredictable weather, but if you plan well and climb skillfully,
you'll earn yourself a place in the select company of Alpine conquerors.
Mount Blanc and the Chamonix Pinnacles 4807m (15,767 ft.)
Eiger 3971m (13,025 ft.)
Monch 4099m (13,445 ft.)
Jungfrau 4159m (13,642 ft.)
Matterhorn 4479m (14,690 ft.)
- 2 -
LOADING THE GAME
1. Set up your system, following the instructions in your manual.
2. If you're using a joystick, plug it into joystick port 1. If
you're using a mouse, plug it into mouse/joystick port 0.
3. Insert the Final Assault disk into drive A, label side up, and
turn on your system.
4. When the mountains appear, press Spacebar or your fire button to
start the game.
GETTING STARTED
CHOOSING A ROUTE
It's almost time to get started on your trek to the summit. You'll soon
see the routes you can choose from. Some are harder than others, but none
of them are easy. To begin, make your selections from the dialog box in
the first game screen.
Disregard the Resume selection for now. You'll use it later when you play
a saved game. (See the "Stopping and Saving" section for details.)
If you want to practice first, press "T" (or move the pointer to Training
and press the fire button or Return). The training trail is a real climb,
with a glacier to cross and a combination of ice and rock cliffs to scale
before you reach the summit. You don't have to pack your own rucksack
though, and you can follow the on-screen prompts to improve your technique.
Best of all, there are no fatal falls in training! Try a training course
first, and you'll make it to the top - or at least live longer - when you
get out on your own.
If you're ready to go out on your own, decide how many routes to include in
your trek. You can combine up to three at a time. To select a number,
press the 1, 2, or 3 key (or position the pointer on the number you want
and press the fire button or Return).
Now you can see the routes winding into the mountains. Routes marked with
a circle are relatively easy to traverse; those marked with a square are
intermediate; and those marked with a diamond are the hardest. Depending
on the number you chose in the dialog box, you can pick from one to three
routes in any combination.
Route names:
1. Hat Trick 4. Footloose
2. Side-Burner 5. Knucklehead
3. Edge of Fright 6. Consider Me Gone
To select a route, move the pointer to its symbol and press the fire button
or Spacebar. Now you can read its description. You'll see the route's
name, its total elevation gain in meters, the level of difficulty, and the
estimated time it should take you to complete the climb.
Note: You can also press keys 1 through 6 to select routes.
If you want to accept the route, press "Y" (or move the pointer to Yes,
then press the fire button or Return). If you don't want to accept
the route, press "N" (or move the pointer to No and press the fire button
or Return).
- 3 -
If you're selecting multiple routes, repeat this process for the second
(and third) route. After selecting the last route, you'll automatically
proceed to the supply screen where you'll pack your gear.
PACKING FOR THE TRAIL
You rucksack is automatically supplied with a basic selection of provisions
and climbing gear, but it's smart to check it out before you accept it. It
may not contain everything you need, or it may have things you can do
without.
You're the best judge of what you need. If your trip is going to be long,
for example, you should pack more food. On a short trip you might decide
to bring more luxuries. Just as in real life, you may find that your
packing ability gets better with experience. To make sure that you don't
leave out anything essential, go through the Packing List in this section
while you make your selections.
The total weight of your rucksack and rack (the climbing hear you carry
outside your rucksack) can be seen in the upper left corner of the screen.
You can find out what you're carrying by moving the pointer over each
article in your rucksack. You'll see its name, weight, and how many of
that article you have. The first layer you see includes the items that are
packed on top. To see the next layer, select Next and press the fire
button or Spacebar.
Note: The rucksack icons include both rack and rucksack items.
If you decide to accept the basic selection, press "A" (or select Accept
and press the fire button or Spacebar). If you want to modify the basic
selection, press "R" (or select Refuse and press the fire button or
Spacebar).
You'll now see all your potential choices laid out for you. Move the
pointer over each article in turn. Once again, you'll see its name,
weight, and how many you already have. Press the fire button once to add
one of that item. Press the fire button more than once to add more than
one.
To see additional items, press "N" (or select Next under the items and
press the fire button or Spacebar).
To take items out of your rucksack, move the pointer over the item in the
rucksack. On screen you'll see the item's name, weight, and number. Press
the fire button to remove the item. Press more than once to remove more
than one of the same item. When all the items of one type are gone, you'll
see whatever's on the next level.
As you add and discard, you'll see the weight of the rucksack change to
keep track of your total. Try to keep the weight to 25 kilograms or less.
(A kilogram is 2.2 pounds.) If you exceed this limit, you'll tire out more
quickly on the trek and you're more likely to slip on a cliff or fall
through the ice.
Once you've packed the rucksack to your satisfaction press "D" (or select
Done and press the fire button or Spacebar).
- 4 -
PACKING LIST - GEAR CARRIED ON THE RACK
Item Purpose
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ropes Break your falls when you're climbing. Be sure to pack at
least one rope.
Carabiners Metal loops used to hook the rope to your climbing gear.
You can't use the rope without them.
Ice pins Attach the carabiners to an ice cliff. You must have ice
pins in order to use the carabiners and rope on ice.
Pitons Attach the carabiners to a rock face. You must have pitons
or chocks in order to use the carabiners on rock.
Hammer Pounds in the ice pins and pitons. You can't use the
pitons or ice pins without it.
Chock A carabiner anchor you force into a crack in the rock. You
don't need a hammer to use chocks.
Strap Fastens you onto a rock face. You'll need this in order to
get into your pack while climbing.
Jummar A support that protects you while you haul up the rope.
Without it you may have to abandon the rope when you come
to its end.
Stirrups Slings you attach to the carabiners. Useful on very steep
rock faces where you have no footholds.
PACKING LIST - GEAR CARRIED IN THE RUCKSACK
Item Purpose
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Crampons Boot spikes, essential for traction on ice cliffs.
Soft shoes Smooth-soled climbing shoes, very helpful on rock.
Helmet Protection from falling rocks.
Chalk Improves your grip on rock.
Anorak A warm jacket. Essential.
Gloves, wool Warmth.
hat, mittens,
wool socks
Gaiters Protect legs and keep snow out of boots.
Goggles, Block sun and snow glare.
mask
Shoelaces Spare pair.
Hammock, tent, To sleep in. Use the hammock for cliffs, the foil cover
sleeping bag, for emergencies.
foil cover
Snow shovel To build an igloo when you don't have a tent.
Knife For opening cans (you can't eat the canned goods if you
don't have the knife).
First Aid Box Emergency medical aid.
Sun cream Protects your skin from sun glare.
Lamp, candle Light in the darkness.
Stove, gas Cooking.
Canteen Plates and eating utensils, needed for eating soup and
drinking coffee and tea.
Flask To carry water. Essential.
Matches, Light the stove.
lighter
Rum, wine Warm you up.
Champagne For celebrating at the top.
Food & drink Take what you like and need, but watch the weight.
Save Game Disk Lets you save your game.
- 5 -
SETTING YOUR DEPARTURE TIME
Set your departure time in the dialog box that appears. Trips are
automatically set for a 9 A.M. start. If that's OK, move the pointer over
the time and press the fire button or Spacebar. If you want to change the
time, move the pointer to "+" or "-" and press the fire button or Space
until you see the 24-hour time you want. Then move the pointer over the
time and press the fire button or Spacebar again.
You'll now see a dialog box asking if you want to leave in summer or
winter. Choose your season by pressing "S" or "W" or by moving the pointer
to your selection and pressing the fire button or Spacebar. The screen
changes to bring you to the trailhead, ready to begin your climb.
ON THE TRAIL
HIKING AND JUMPING
Now you're ready to head for the summit. Begin walking at a steady pace
(see the table below). If the ground ahead looks unstable, test it by
poking it with your ice ax. (By the way, you always have your ice axes.
That's why they're not on the list).
Jump over crevasses. If you make a mistake and fall, try to catch yourself
with the same joystick or keyboard motion. If you catch yourself, or if
you fall all the way but survive, you'll have climb out. Climbing out of a
crevasse is the same as climbing an ice cliff, so turn to that section
(Climbing on Ice) for advice on technique. Once you get back on the
glacier, continue walking, but be more careful this time.
Action Joystick Moves Keyboard Controls
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Walk. Move handle steadily Press the right and left
left and right. arrow keys; one after the
other in a walking rythmn.
Test the ground. Press fire button. Press Spacebar.
Jump. Push handle up. Press up arrow.
USING YOUR SUPPLIES
To open your pack, press Return to bring the pointer onto the screen. Move
the pointer onto the pack and press the fire button or Return again.
You'll see a list of the pack's contents. Push the joystick handle up and
down or press the up and down arrow keys to scroll through the list. When
the article you want is highlighted, press the fire button or Return. You
hear a chime, and the article disappears from the list (or you have one
less of that type) because it's now outside the pack.
To put something back in the pack or to use any rack item (such as the
rope, strap, or stirrups), press Return. Move the pointer onto the
climber's head and press the fire button or Spacebar. You'll see a list of
what you're carrying. Again, use the joystick handle or arrow keys to
scroll through the list. When the article you want is highlighted, press
the fire button or Spacebar. You hear a chime, and the article disappears
from the list because you're now using it or it's back in the pack.
- 6 -
When you select some items, either in your pack or on your body, you won't
hear the chime (but a tone will sound) and the items won't disappear from
the list. These items are used automatically. For example, you have to
have pitons, carabiners, and a hammer to secure yourself with the rope
while you're climbing on rock. But all you have to take out is the rope
itself.
BEGINNER'S LUCK
The first time you take what should have been a fatal fall, you'll see this
message: "You were lucky this time. Keep trying." On an easy course,
you'll get two, and on a hard course, just one. You don't have to climb
out when you're saved by luck. Just press ESC.
CLIMBING ON ICE
Sooner or later, you'll come to your first ice cliff. The best thing to do
is to stop just before you get there, open your pack, and put on your
crampons. Then select a rope and proceed.
If you find yourself on the cliff and you haven't had a chance to put on
your crampons, play it safe and attach yourself to the wall with the strap.
This allows you to get into the pack even while climbing. Put your
crampons on, choose a rope, and proceed. The strap automatically unfastens
when you start moving.
To climb, first dig your axes into the ice (see the table below). Then set
your first foot. With your foot secure, pull yourself up. Now set your
second foot and pull yourself up. Then repeat the process, starting with
digging in your axes.
Action Joystick Moves Keyboard Controls
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dig in axes. Push handle up. Press up arrow.
Set first foot. Pull handle down. Press down arrow.
Pull yourself up. Press fire button. Press Spacebar.
Set second foot. Pull handle down. Press down arrow.
Keep an eye on the little man to the right of the cliff. He'll tell you
how far you've come and how far you have to go. You'll make steady
progress as long as you're wearing crampons. Without them you'll find it
takes several tries to set each foot.
Climb this way until you're back on level ground. For best results move
quickly enough to climb steadily, but not so quickly that you interrupt ax
or foot work.
Note: See the section "Using the Rope" for more information on ice
climbing.
CLIMBING ON ROCK
As soon as you've conquered the ice, a new challenge confronts you: a steep
rock face. If possible, stop just before you get there. If you go
straight from ice to rock, with no flat ground to stop in, secure yourself
with the strap when you first get on the rock.
- 7 -
Take off your crampons if you're still wearing them. (You can't climb rock
with crampons on.) Open your pack, put on your soft shoes and helmet, and
take out your chalk. Finally, select a rope and start climbing. The strap
automatically removes itself when you set off.
Climbing on rock is the ultimate test of skill and coordination. You have
to find secure handholds for your hands and feet, pull yourself up smoothly
and quickly, and sometimes even dodge falling boulders.
It's best to have three strong holds at all times, so that you can move the
fourth limb safely. The hand and foot icons to the right of the rock face
are your guides. If an icon is steady, you have a secure hold with that
hand or foot. A slashing icon shows a weak or tenuous hold that you should
move as soon as possible. If you don't see an icon, you don't have a hold.
You can move one hand or foot at a time (see the table below). The limb
that's selected will flash on your climber. To choose a different limb,
press the fire button or Spacebar enough times to move the selector
clockwise to the limb you want.
Action Joystick Moves Keyboard Controls
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Select hand or Press fire button. Press Spacebar.
foot.
Move hand or foot Move handle up or down. Press up or down arrow keys.
up or down.
Move up, down, or Press fire button while Hold down an Arrow key and
sideways. moving handle in press Spacebar.
direction you want to go.
Dodge boulders. Move handle away from Press right or left arrow
boulder's path. keys, whichever is opposite
boulder's direction.
Your first concern should be placing a hand or foot that doesn't have a
hold. Then secure any hold that's weak (flashing icon). If all your holds
are secure, move the limb that will best help you advance.
When you're positioned well enough so that your arms can pull and your legs
can push, hoist yourself up. Move sideways to dodge boulders and get to
some holds. Sometimes you'll have to move downward to reach a secure hold.
You may be able to change position and even hoist yourself up with one or
more weak holds, but you have to move quickly. Look carefully at the rock
as you climb. Try to place your hands and feet in the cracks. They're the
most secure places.
It takes practice to climb well. If you can maintain a smooth, steady
pace, moving quickly from one good hold to another, you'll make it to the
top.
USING THE ROPE
The rope can save your life on either ice or rock. But you can only use it
if you've packed a supply of carabiners, ice pins, and either pitons or
chocks, plus a hammer to fasten the pitons and ice pins.
- 8 -
Selecting the rope automatically selects the needed accessories. It also
displays a message box which reads "Security: Recover/Abandon". After
you've climbed either 20 or 40 meters, depending on the rope you're using,
Security begins to flash. You've come to the end of a pitch and you must
recover your rope and equipment.
If you've packed your jummar, you can use it to recover the rope and all
the climbing aids you used. Press Return to bring the pointer onto the
screen, move it to Recover, and press the fire button or Spacebar.
If you've forgotten the jummar, Recover won't work. You must select
Abandon. You get the rope back, but you leave your climbing aids behind.
If you've exhausted your supply of climbing aids, you won't be able to use
the rope again.
To continue climbing with the rope, select it again from the rack and keep
going. If you come to a difficult pitch and you can't make progress, try
using your stirrups. These are slings that fit into the carabiners to make
artificial steps. To use the stirrups, first select a foot and place it in
the desired position, the press Return to move the pointer onto the screen.
Point to the climber's head and press the fire button or Space to access
the rack. Select the stirrups and press the fire button or Spacebar again.
You foot will now be in a stirrup. When you move that foot, the stirrups
are returned to your rack.
WHEN YOU'RE COLD, HUNGRY, OR TIRED
Climbing is strenuous and the weather in the mountains changes fast, so
you're going to get cold, hot, hungry, thirsty, and tired. When you do, a
little climber appears in the lower right of the screen to tell you in
words or gestures what he needs.
You can ignore your alter ego's demands and keep going, but you'll get
steadily weaker and less able to concentrate. Pretty soon you'll find
yourself hurtling down a rock face or falling into a crevasse. Before that
happens, it's best to stop and take care of your needs as soon as you can.
You can follow basically the same procedures to eat, drink, and warm up.
Press Return to bring the pointer onto the screen. Move the pointer to the
rucksack and press the fire button or Spacebar. Find something that fills
the bill, and press the fire button or Spacebar again.
If you've satisfied his/your needs, the little climber and/or his message
disappear. Sometimes, though, whatever you've chosen isn't enough. For
example, the little climber is shivering. You get him a wool hat, but he's
still cold. Go back into the pack and take out the anorak. That should do
the trick.
Follow the reverse procedure if the little climber gets too hot. Press
Return, move the pointer over the climber's body, select the extra clothes
in the list and return them to the pack.
- 9 -
When the climber get tired, he needs a nap. If you're on level ground,
take out the tent. This automatically puts him to sleep. If you've
forgotten the tent, take out the shovel to dig an igloo. If you've
forgotten both the tent and the shovel, you're in trouble. You can keep
going, but you'll get more and more tired. If you get the cold message
while in the tent, take out the sleeping bag. If that doesn't work, try
the foil cover or some warmer clothes.
The clock speeds up while the climber sleeps. The tired graphic or message
will disappear when the climber's ready to get up.
When it's time to wake up. reverse the procedure to put the tent or shovel
and the sleeping bag back in the pack. You'll probably want something to
eat, and then it's time to get back on the trail.
If you get hungry, thirsty, or tired while climbing, check your progress by
looking at the little man on the right. If you're close to the top, keep
going and then open your pack on level ground.
If you don't want to wait, secure yourself with the strap, open your pack,
and take out what you need. If you're on a rock face, you can even sleep
during your climb, using the hammock instead of the tent. Of course, if
you've forgotten the hammock, you'll have to keep climbing.
IF DISASTER STRIKES
Moutaineering is dangerous, and no matter how skilled you become, you may
still make a fatal miscalculation while climbing or overlook a crevasse
while trudging across the glacier. If you've used up your beginner's luck,
that's the end of the game. Fortunately, it's easy to bring yourself back
to life and start over. Just press ESC and you'll find yourself at the
trailend, ready to start for the summit again. Better luck this time!
ENDING A GAME
STOPPING AND SAVING
To stop the clock while you take a break, press the "P" key.
To save a game in order to resume it later, be sure to pack the Save Game
Disk when you're selecting items for your rucksack. When you're ready to
stop and save, open your pack and take out the disk. Your game will be
saved at that point.
When you're ready to resume play, load the program. When you're asked to
choose a route, select Resume. You'll start climbing again from where you
saved the game.
TRIUMPH - AND A NEW GAME
After a day or even longer of hard work and danger, you reach the last
summit of your trek. You may be tired, but this is your moment of triumph.
Enter your name in the scoring screen that appears and then press Return.
When you're ready to start again, press the fire button or Spacebar.
You'll find yourself back at the trailhead, ready to choose a new route and
strive for new heights.
To quit the program at any time, press "Q".
- 10 -
CLIMBER'S NOTEBOOK
Trail ____________________________________ Season _____________________
Departure Time ___________________________ Finish Time ________________
Gear Taken ______________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
Notes ___________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
Trail ____________________________________ Season _____________________
Departure Time ___________________________ Finish Time ________________
Gear Taken ______________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
Notes ___________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
- 11 -
Trail ____________________________________ Season _____________________
Departure Time ___________________________ Finish Time ________________
Gear Taken ______________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
Notes ___________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
Trail ____________________________________ Season _____________________
Departure Time ___________________________ Finish Time ________________
Gear Taken ______________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
Notes ___________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
- 12 -
CLIMBING TERMS
AID CLIMBING. Climbing by actually pulling yourself up on the rope, or by
using attachments such as a jummar and stirrups, instead of using the rope
for protection only. Compare to FREE CLIMBING.
BELAY. Any means of breaking the fall of a climber on a rope. Also, to
take in or let out the rope in order to protect a climber.
BOMBER. An extremely secure hold. Also called "bombproof".
BOULDERING. Climbing on boulders, usually to practice difficult moves
before rock climbing.
BUCKET HOLD. A secure hold around which the climber can curl all the
fingers of one hand.
BUILDERING. To climb on buildings or other man-made structures. Notable
assaults have included the World Trade Center in New York and the
Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco. The prospective skyscraper
builderer should be prepared for a fine and a short stay in the city jail,
in addition to the chance to be on TV.
CAIRN. A small pyramid of rocks used as a trail marker.
CARABINER. A metal link with a gate for opening to insert a rope and
locking to secure it. Used to connect the rope to climbing gear. Usually
called "beener" by climbers.
CHALK. Special chalk used to keep the hands from slipping during rock
climbing. Often called "gymnastic chalk" because it was first developed
for gymnasts. It is available in colors that blend with the rock.
CHOCK. An artificial anchor to wedge into natural gaps in the rock. It
consists of a piece of metal with a rope or metal sling to which a
carabiner is attached. Chocks come in a wide range of sizes.
CLASS. The difficulty of a climb. Climbs are rated from class 1, which is
essentially flat ground climbs, to class 6, which are climbings requiring
artificial aid. Most expert rock climbers are interested in high class 5
climbs, which are extremely difficult but can be accomplished without aid.
Classes are called "grades" in Europe.
CORNICE. A permanent lip-shaped snowdrift formed on the lee (windless)
side of a ridge or summit.
CREVASSE. A fissure (crack) in a glacier. Crevasses can be very deep and
dangerous and are often hidden by surface snow or thin ice.
CRUX. The hardest part of a climb.
DECIMAL SYSTEM. A subdivision system for rating the difficulty of a climb.
Class 5 climbs, all of which require rope but must be done without aid, are
rated from 5.1, which is fairly easy, to 5.13, which is almost impossible.
All climbs are rated according to their most difficult, or crux, move.
EPIC. A dangerous climb that's more fun to talk about than endure.
- 13 -
EXPOSURE. Any situation where a fall could be lethal. How frightening
this is tends to increase with the distance to the ground, regardless of
the actual increase in danger.
FREE CLIMBING. To climb on the natural holds on the rock or ice. A rope
can and should be used, but for protection only.
FRIEND. A special chock that automatically adjusts to a wide range of
crack sizes and shapes.
FROSTBITE. Freezing of flesh, usually resulting in its destruction.
Frostbite is most common in the fingers, toes, and face, and can be
prevented by protective clothing.
GLACIER. A large expanse of ice, often many thousands of years old, which
moves slowly downhill.
GLISSADE. A controlled slide down a snowy slope.
GRADE. In the United States, a rating system based on the length of time
it takes an experienced climber to do a route. Grade I routes take about
an hour; grade VI routes take two days or more.
GRIPPED. Taken by sudden fear, usually caused by EXPOSURE.
HYPOTHERMIA. Cooling of the body core. Hypothermia can be fatal if it is
not treated quickly.
ICE PIN. A pin which is hammered into ice for protection. It has an eye
to which a carabiner can be attached.
JUMMAR. A mechanical device used in aid climbing. It will slide up but
not down. Also called "ascender".
MINIMUM IMPACT. Ecologically sound camping, in which no signs of the
camper's presence are left behind.
PITCH. The distance between belay points, usually one rope length.
PITON. A pin which is hammered into rock for protection. It has an eye to
which a carabiner can be attached.
PROTECTION. Anything to which the rope is attached. usually called "pro".
RAPPEL. To descend from a cliff by sliding down the rope.
RACK. All the protection the climber carries, usually slung over the
shoulder outside the pack.
SOFT SHOES. Specialized shoes for climbing rock. They are very tight,
with treadless soles of sticky rubber, similar to the rubber used for drag-
racing tires.
SNOW PACK. The accumulation of snow on the ground.
WHITE OUT. A combination of heavy snowfall and high wind that reduces
visibility to near zero.
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