25 Hiking Terms to Know
If you hike, it’s good to know these terms. If you hike and have Parkinson’s disease, it’s especially good. You may come across these terms in posts on this site, so study hard. Test tomorrow. Just kidding.
back country – areas off the beaten path, characterized by absence of roads, unmarked trails, and pit toilets. Permits are often required to be there.
blaze – colored marks painted on trees or rocks in increments to let you know you’re on the right (or the wrong) trail.
bushwhacking – going off trail, sometimes into dense, scratchy foliage that hides dangerous animals and dropoffs from view.
cairn – rocks piles placed by well-meaning people who want to help others stay on the trail.
camel up – drinking lots of liquids in the days and hours leading up to a long hike to ensure a well-hydrated start.
cat hole – a hole in the ground dug for the purpose of burying human feces. Recommended depth is at least 6-8 inches.
crampons – device with long metal teeth on the bottom that is strapped over the boot to increase traction in snow or ice (see microspikes).
elevation change – the difference in elevation from the beginning to the end of your hike.
elevation gain – the uphill measurement of a trail from beginning to end. Descents are ignored when adding up gains. But not always. It’s complicated.
false summit – that tall peak that gives mountaineers hope they are close to the top, but it turns out that it’s only blocking the view of the real summit.
giardia – a parasite hikers can get from drinking unfiltered water. It can stay with you for years. Ew.
glacier – large masses of ice that form over long periods and flow like slow rivers over land, particularly mountains (see snowfield).
gorp – acronym-turned-word for “good ol’ raisins and peanuts.” Fancier varieties now may include dried cranberries, edamame, sunflower seeds, or medjool dates.
loop trail – a trail that makes a circle, or more likely an oval, whose scenery doesn’t repeat (see out-and-back trail).
microspikes – device with little metal spikes that stretch over your hiking boot for extra traction in snow (see crampons).
out-and-back trail – a trail that reaches a point or an end where you turn around and head for the start on the same path.
postholing – stepping through deep snow that’s too soft to hold you up. It’s exhausting.
scree – loose rocks usually found near the bottom of a slope that range in size from marble to golf ball (see talus).
section hiking – hiking or backpacking over just a portion of a well-known, super-long trail (see through hiking).
snowfield – a patch of snow usually on a slope that may be temporary (see glacier).
spur – an optional, often short, out-and-back trail that breaks off from a main trail.
switchback – trails that zigzag up the side of a mountain or hill. They add distance to a route but allow for a less-steep incline. Among the most infamous arguably are Mount Whitney’s 99 switchbacks.
talus – loose rock on a mountainside ranging in size from a baseball to a volleyball or larger. It’s often flat and shale-like (see scree).
through hiking – hiking and backpacking on a well-known, usually long-distance trail from start to finish.
trailhead – the place where the hiking magic begins, often found near a parking lot or road.
tree line – the point on a mountain where larger trees stop growing due to temperature, longer winters, or lack of good soil. Depending on the climate, tree lines typically occur at 8,000 feet to 11,000 feet in the U.S.