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).

PITON definition: 1. a spike (= a piece of metal with a sharp point at one end) that climbers put in cracks in the…. Learn more.

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.

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.

Dec 17, 2018 · Pitons are one of the oldest types of rock protection and were invented by the Victorians in the late 19th century. Pitons are metal spikes which are inserted into cracks in the rock and …

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