Finnish for busy people

Finnish Climbing Vocabulary – Kiipeily – Hobbies

Climbing (kiipeily) is perhaps not the most common hobby around, but it can be an exciting (jännittävä) adventure (seikkailu). If your hobby is climbing, this page might offer you some help with Finnish climbing vocabulary.

Learn more about how to use the verb “harrastaa” and other sports on my website as well!

Some Basic Finnish Climbing Vocabulary

Finnish English Finnish English
kiipeily climbing korkea high
kiipeilyseinä climbing wall kiipeilyhalli climbing hall
ylös up(wards) jännitys excitement
vaara danger riski risk
vuori mountain kallio rock
vuoren huippu top of the mountain kallioseinämä the face of a rock
vuoristo mountain range maisema view

Kiipeilylajit – Types of Climbing

Climbing can be done in different environments both inside and outside. It can also come with some other challenges, such as ice climbing and speed climbing. We’re not always going up either!

Finnish English
seinäkiipeily wall climbing
kalliokiipeily rock climbing
boulderointi bouldering
urheilukiipeily sport climbing
trädikiipeily traditional climbing
tekninen kiipeily aid climbing
vapaakiipeily free climbing
vuorikiipeily mountaineering
jääkiipeily ice climbing
kilpakiipeily climbing competition
nopeuskiipeily speed climbing
alaköysikiipeily lead climbing
yläköysikiipeily top-rope climbing
köysilaskeutuminen rappelling, abseiling
big wall -kiipeily big wall climbing
Alppikiipeily Alpine climbing

Varusteet ja Välineet – Equipment and Tools

The different types of climbing require different levels of equipment, where the more difficult the climb is the more gear you will need – both to keep yourself safe and to actual advance while climbing. The gear list below isn’t complete, but it lists some important equipment!

Finnish English
välineistö equipment
turvallisuusvälineet safety equipment
mankka magnesium carbonate, chalk
magnesiumkarbonaatti magnesium carbonate, chalk
mankkapussi chalk bag
kypärä helmet
kiipeilykengät climbing shoes
valjaat harness
istumavaljaat sit harness
köysitikkaat rope ladder
nauhatikkaat tape ladder
kiipeilyköysi climbing rope
dynaaminen köysi dynamic rope
jalkalenkki foot loop
varmistuslaite belay device
haka clasp, piton
porahaka, porahaat bolt, bolts
sulkurengas carabiner (locker)
ruuvisulkurengas screw locker carabiner
jousihaka carabiner
nauhalenkki sling
kiila nut
jatko quickdraw
crashpad, pädi crashpad, bouldering mat
kantahuukki heelhook
varvashuukki toehook
ankkuri anchor
yläankkuri top anchor
jääruuvi ice screw
jäärauta crampon
jäähakku ice axe
laskeutumiskahdeksikko figure 8 rappel device
frendi, kamu friend
camalot camalot
prusik-narulenkki Prusik rope loop
prusik-solmu Prusik knot

Verbejä ja Ihmisiä – Verbs and People

I always like to include a small list of useful verbs and the names of people involved in the activity of a page. Kiipeilijä kiipeilee ja varmistaja varmistaa! 😉

Finnish English
Verbejä Verbs
kiipeillä (as a hobby) to climb
kiivetä (once) to climb
ylittää to traverse, pass
valloittaa huippu to conquer the peak
nousta huipulle to rise to the top
roikkua paikalleen to hang in place
liidata to rappel, to lead
pudota to fall
ylettyä otteeseen to reach a handhold
nousta ylös to rise
laskea alas to lower
varmistaa to belay
laskeutua to rappel
Finnish English
Ihmisiä People
kiipeilijä climber
aloittelija beginner
kiipeilykaveri climbing partner
kilpakiipeilijä competing climber
köysistö rope team
varmistaja belayer
spottaaja spotter

Muita Sanoja – Other Words

Below, you can find some other important climbing words that didn’t quite make any of the lists above. If you like seeing how words are adapted into language when borrowed, you can find some pretty interesting loanwords that have been finnishized here. A slab becomes släbi, a move become muuvi and a sloper becomes sloupperi. Too lazy to invent their own words, or going with the new winds of fashion? I’m not judging!

Finnish English
beta beta
lihas, lihakset muscle, muscles
krimppaus crimping
liidaus lead climbing
vaikeustaso difficulty grade
köydenpituus rope length, pitch length
kallioreitti route
kallionseinämä rock wall
matala reitti low route
vaikea reitti difficult route
on-sight on sight
flash flash
red point redpoint
kruksi crux
Finnish English
kiipeilytekniikka climbing technique
kiipeilyliike climbing move
dynaaminen liike dynamic movement
dyno dyno
muuvi move
kiipeilyote climbing hold
pintsi pinch
saideri sidepull
sloupperi sloper
släbi slab
spottaus spotting
lista edge
cräkki, halkeama crack
ständi stand
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