A piton (/ ˈpiːtɒn /; also called pin or peg) in big wall climbing and in aid climbing is a metal spike (usually steel) that is driven into a crack or seam in the climbing surface using a climbing hammer, and which …

The meaning of PITON is a spike, wedge, or peg that is driven into a rock or ice surface as a support (as for a mountain climber).

Nov 12, 2025 · piton (third-person singular simple present pitons, present participle pitoning, simple past and past participle pitoned) (climbing) To put pitons into a rock/ice to facilitate climbing.

With the invention of hard iron pitons, jumars and hammocks, wall climbing exploded in the 1960s and 1970s. They were developed as an alternative to pitons, which are hammered into cracks and are …

a short pointed piece of metal used in rock-climbing. The piton is fixed into the rock and has a rope attached to it through a ring at the other end.

PITON definition: a metal spike with an eye through which a rope may be passed. See examples of piton used in a sentence.

piton, n. meanings, etymology, pronunciation and more in the Oxford English Dictionary

Aug 2, 2023 · Pick a piton where the blade can be hand-fit about one-half to two-thirds of the way into the crack, depending on the rock type. The first hammer blow is very important when you’re leading.

Definition of 'piton' piton in American English (ˈpiˌtɑn ) noun Origin: Fr < MFr, a spike, pointed object, akin to OIt pizza, a point

: a pointed piece of metal used in rock climbing that is hammered into a crack in the rock in order to hold the rope which is attached to the climber.