L Layaway A technique for improving the grip on a hold by leaning away from it Layback A technique used to climb features such as arête's and cracks using the hands and feet in opposition i.e. the hands pull on the crack using a layaway, while the feet push. Leader The person first up the climb who places the protection as they go Lead The act of leading a climb Ledge A flat area of rock. Can be very narrow or large enough to park a car on. Useful for belays and bivi's Lock off A technique where you hold onto one hold with a bent arm while reaching for another. Can lead to pumped arms very quickly! Lowering The act of control the descent of somebody. M Mantleshelf The technique used to climb onto a ledge. Similar to that used by swimmers getting out the side of a pool Mixed Climb A climb which is tackled using a variety of techniques. These could be free and aided or rock and snow & ice. Mountain Rescue The voluntary organisations (in the UK) which come to your assistance when in difficulty. Multi Pitch Climb A climb that requires one or more intermediate stances/belays before it is completed. Munter Hitch A type of note used to provide friction and generally used in conjunction with an HMS Krab. Useful for belaying or lowering a second. Also known as an Italian or Friction hitch N Needle Rock structure with pointy shape. An example in the UK would be Napes Needle in the Lake District Névé Well consolidated snow that has been formed by repeated freeze thaw cycle. Usually found in areas which have permanent snow fields or which hold the snow for long periods of time. Nut A small metal wedge which is threaded with a steel wire. These are placed into crags and are the simplest form of protection Nut Key An essential item to remove nuts that have become jammed in the rock O Offwidth Refers to a crack that is too wide to hand jam and to narrow to climb as a chimney. Usually involves sticking whatever body part into it that you can (arm or leg or both) and struggling to the top Onsight Similar to flash climbing a route but without the benefit of any beta. Probably the purest form of climbing. Over cam When the cams on a friend are compressed to their smallest size. If the cam has been placed this usually results in a trip to the gear shop as its unlikely to come out. Overhand knot A very simple and solid knot. Can be used to to join two ropes together (two knots and with plenty of tail) in what is referred to as the European Death knot by Americans. Does has the benefit of giving a knot with a flat underside which when pulled, is less likely to get caught on edges during retrievable abseil's than a double fisherman's. Overhang Any rock or ice face that is more than vertical