Guide To Boost Your Mountaineering Vocabulary

Mountaineering Vocabulary

• Altitude –It refers to height. In the case of mountains, it refers to the height above sea level.
• Peak –The pointed top of a mountain or mountain itself.
• Summit – The highest point of a mountain.
• Ridge -A long, narrow, elevated part of a surface, especially a high edge along a mountain.
• Ascend- It indicates the upward movement. To move up or climb.
• Descend – It indicates the downward movement. To come down.
• Acclimatization –The process of adapting to the change in altitude, oxygen level, and climatic conditions by the human body.
• Abseil- The act of going down a very steep slope by holding on to a rope that is fastened to the top of the slope.
• Belay – A place where a climbing rope is or can be fixed to protect the climber.
• Cairn – A mound of stones piled up as a memorial or to mark a boundary or path on mountains.
• Valley – The low-lying land between the mountains or hills is often characterized by a river running through it.
• Arête – A high, thin, sharp-pointed area that separates two valleys.
• Map – A drawing that represents a region or place by showing the various features of it such as rivers and roads, and the distances between them so that people can get help in finding their way from one place to another.
• Avalanche – A large amount of snow, ice, and rock falling quickly down the side of a mountain.
• Anchor – A point where the rope is secured to the snow, ice, or rock with either fixed bolts, rocks, trees, or non-fixed gear to provide protection against a fall.
• Chimney – A narrow vertical passage in the rock of a mountain through which a person can climb.
• Screen -The abundant small loose rocks found on the side of a mountain.
• Glacier – A large mass of ice that moves slowly over the land, especially down the side of a mountain.
• Verglas- A thin coating of ice on an exposed surface.
• Base camp –The camp is set at the bottom of a mountain in the initial stages of mountain climbing, a place where food and general supplies are kept.
• Sherpa –Skilled Mountain climber from the Himalayan mountains who guide/helps visiting climbers.
• Compass – A device for finding direction with a needle that can move easily and that always points to magnetic north.
• Crevasse- A very deep crack in the thick ice of a glacier.
• Tent – A shelter made of canvas or similar material and supported by poles and ropes that you can fold up and carry with you.