Hiking Terms Part 2

Every sport has its lingo, shorthand and acronyms. Hiking, trekking, climbing and camping (we cover all) has tons. Here is Part 2.

10 Essentials: an ever-evolving list of "essentials" that everyone should take on every hike, in case of an emergency or if they get lost and need to spend an unplanned night out.

Alpine Zone: the area near the tops of tall peaks where it's too windy and the soil is too thin to allow trees or large plants to grow.

Beta: specific, insider information about a hike, usually coming from someone who just completed it. 

'biner: hort for carabiner, those metal clips that climbers use to secure rope, slings and other gear. Often used by hikers to attach things to their pack or hang things up around camp.

Bluebird Day: day marked by completely cloudless, clear blue skies. Such great weather has been known to cause a strong sense of euphoria and a hearty fist pump.

Book Time: a reference to the estimated amount of time a hike should take, following this simple formula: 30 minutes for each mile plus 30 minutes for each 1,000 feet of elevation gain along the hike. 

Col: the lowest point on the ridge between two peaks. Sometimes referred to as a "Notch" or "Saddle," it is the point where you stop descending one peak and start ascending the next one.

Dirtbag: avid outdoorist who eschews the comforts of civilization in order to more fully realize their outdoor passion. Often dirty with unkempt hair and living in a vehicle, they're usually seen wearing flannel shirts and ski boots or climbing shoes.

False Peak: depending on the shape of a mountain, you may look up the trail and think you see the peak just ahead. But once you reach that spot, you may be dismayed to see that it was just a shoulder or small bump - a False Peak - and that the real peak still likes farther up the trail.

Glissade: sliding down a snow-covered field on your rear end, like sledding without the sled.

GORP: traditionally, Good Old Raisins and Peanuts. Some claim it's Granola, Oats, Raisins, Peanuts. Either way, it's usually a big bag full of salty and savory snacks that you eat by the handful.

Herd Path: an unofficial trail that's formed when a large numbers of hikers decide to all follow a similar footpath over time, similar to how game trails are formed by animals. They're usually created as hikers take a natural shortcut or easier path around some obstacle.

Hump: to begrudgingly carry an excessively heavy load. It's often the responsibility of the guide or leader of a group to carry a ton of extra group gear that they wouldn't normally take. Monorail

Monorail: term used to describe the narrow band of snow and ice that remains down the center of a trail into late spring, even after most of the other snow has melted. It forces hikers to either walk on it like a balance beam or else forces them into the mud on either side.

Posthole: when hiking through fresh, deep snow, Postholing is when each step you take sinks far down into the snow, sometimes burying your entire leg.

PUD: "Pointless Ups and Downs" are areas of annoyingly rolling terrain that don't actually result in any elevation gain.

Scree: a field of loose rocks smaller than the size of your head. It can be very tricky to keep your footing in a Scree field.

Section Hike: when someone isn't able to complete a Thru Hike in one contiguous effort, they may instead choose to complete the trail over a longer period by hiking smaller sections of it and returning to society in between.

Slackpacking: carrying a minimal load of food, water and gear, usually because someone else in your group is Humping everything else, or because you're planning to stay in Huts along your route.

Trail Name: often Thru Hikers will adopt a moniker or nickname while they're on the trail. It usually has an interesting backstory and tends to be given by another Thru Hiker after a particularly memorable experience. It can be a way for the Thru Hiker to dissociate their "real" identity back home with the antics they're up to on the trail.