Glossary

alpine: pertaining to, on, or part of any high mountain.

alpenstock: a strong stick with an iron tip used by hikers and mountain climbers.

anchor: an arrangement of one or more pieces of gear set up to support the weight of a belay or rope.

backpack: a pack or knapsack, often of canvas or nylon, to be carried on one's back.

belay: to protect a climber from falling using a rope, friction, and an anchor.

bergschrund: a crevasse that forms on the upper portion of a glacier where the moving section pulls away from the headwall.

billie can: a can or thin-walled pot, generally taller than it is wide, usually with a lid and handle for lifting and hanging it over a fire.

bivouac: a camp, or the act of camping, for mountaineers may be small half sheltered areas like ledges, cracks in rocks or a trench dug in snow to provide a basic refuge.

blue grouse: a type of bird native to western North America.

bushwhack: to make one's way through thick woods or undergrowth, branches, etc.

carabiner: metal ring with spring-loaded gate, used as a connector.

carbide lamp: simple lamp that produces and burns acetylene which is created by the reaction of calcium carbide with water.

col: a small pass or "saddle" between two peaks.

crevasse: a deep fissure or chasm, as in a glacier.

crampon: metal framework with spikes for attachment to boot soles to increase safety on snow and ice.

etrier: miniature rope ladders with three or four rungs used in climbing.

glacier: an extended mass of ice formed from snow falling and accumulating over the years and moving very slowly, either descending from high mountains, as in valley glaciers, or moving outward from centers of accumulation, as in continental glaciers.

gully: a small valley or ravine originally worn away by running water.

Halqemeylem: native language spoken in the southwestern portion of British Columbia.

harness: a sewn nylon webbing device worn around a climber’s waist and thighs; designed to allow a person to safely hang suspended in the air.

hex (hexagonal): eccentric hexagonal nut attached to a wire loop for protection, to be inserted into a crack; it holds through counter-pressure.

hobnailed boot: a hobnail is a short nail with a thick head, put into boot soles to increase durability

ice bridge: a frozen natural structure formed over a crevasse or other chasm.

ice screw: a screw used to protect a climb over steep ice or for setting up a crevasse rescue system.

knickers: baggy trousers or pants that extend down to the knee, short for “knickerbockers.”

lanyard: a small cord or rope for securing or suspending something, as a whistle about the neck.

magma: molten rock material under the earth's crust.

microblade: small stone blade produced by chipping silica-rich stone such as obsidian or chert.

nut: a metal wedge attached to a wire loop that is inserted into cracks for protection.

quickdraw: device used to attach a freely running rope to anchors or chocks for protection.

piton: a flat or angled metal blade of steel which incorporates a clipping hole for a carabiner or a ring in its body. An appropriate size and shape is hammered into a thin crack in the rock as an anchor.

plateau: a land area having a relatively level surface considerably raised above adjoining land.

protection: process of setting equipment or anchors for safety.

puttees: long strips of cloth wound spirally round the legs from ankle to knee to provide protection for lower legs.

range: a chain of mountains forming a single system.

ridge: a long, narrow elevation of land; a chain of hills or mountains.

Skwxwú7mesh: a linguistic spelling of a native name often rendered as “Squamish” in English; name of an aboriginal Nation.

snow cave: climbers sometimes dig caves into snow for shelter; the temperature inside is around freezing, but provides better shelter than a tent, particularly from winds.

vasculum: a container used by botanists to keep field samples viable by maintaining a cool, humid environment. Vascula are typically flattened tin cylinders carried horizontally on a strap, so the specimens lie flat, lined with moistened cloth.

whistling marmot: large North American burrowing rodent, found in mountain environments.