: a spike, wedge, or peg that is driven into a rock or ice surface as a support (as for a mountain climber)
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the WebDemand for Chouinard’s equipment grew, but making pitons was labor-intensive and expensive. Alana Semuels, Time, 23 Sep. 2019 By the first decade of the 20th century, pioneers were experimenting with first-generation climbing inventions such as steel carabiners and soft iron ring pitons. Freddie Wilkinson, National Geographic, 14 Mar. 2019 Now the apparel maker has released a new line of workwear made from a fabric named after the iron forge that was once used to make pitons, chocks, and wedges. Wes Siler, Outside Online, 12 Apr. 2018 The mountain is considered a non-technical climb, which means no ropes, no picks and no pitons — just hiking for seven or eight days. David Skalski, Philly.com, 14 Feb. 2018 Where to hammer a piton into rock or ice to secure a rope on which life might hang? Robert D. Mcfadden, New York Times, 31 Oct. 2017 If a team numbers 10 climbers, six will take the role of worker bees, laying pitons and ropes and tents at camps higher on the mountain. Michael Powell, New York Times, 9 May 2017 See More