On-sight climbing

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In climbing, climbing on sight means that a climber is attempting a route that they have never attempted before, nor have they seen anyone else attempt.

Prior knowledge of a route, for example having watched someone do the moves, or having heard them describe the climb, is called beta. This term likely comes from showing Betamax videos of someone making a climb to potential climbers of the same route.

A successful ascent with beta on the first attempt is called a beta flash. A successful attempt after falling off or otherwise trying the route is a red point.

In some parts of the world, on-sight climbing is the preferred style for many climbers. It is a form of adventure climbing emphasizing the skills of route finding, quick thinking and problem solving.

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