Part III:  M | N | O | P | Q R | S | T | U V | W | X Y Z

Word / Phrase

M

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male blindness

n.

when a male hiker watches a beautiful female walking over rough terrain and stares intensely at all the jiggling parts, making him too dizzy to see straight when it's his turn to walk the same terrain!

Mantle

n.

Difficult balancing move useful to get up on ledges.

Mantrap

n.

hole covered with autumn leaves, resembling solid earth and effective at trapping the unsuspecting hiker.

Mitt

n.

Hand

mixed climbing

v.

Climbing with a combination of different methods of ascent. E.g walking, scrambling and mixed free or aid climbing, mixed rock and ice climbing, etc.

mo

n.

momentum. "If you stop at the bottom of that hill, you'll lose your mo."

Moat

n.

The gap between snow and ice on a rock wall. Has posed problems ever since the middle ages.

Mountain rescue

n.

The people who put their life on the line when you screw up badly.

Munge

n.

The dirt and vegetation that can sometimes be found in cracks. In the UK: Choss

mushroom

n.

dome-shaped nylon tent

N

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needle

n.

Rock with a characteristic pointed shape. Also known as pinnacle aiguille, gendarme, etc.

névé

n.

Consolidated granular snow formed by repeated freeze-and-thaw cycles. Also used to indicate permanent snowfields.

Newbie,

n.

a new member

nirvana

n.

the state of being in absolute control and totally in tune with your gear, the trail, and your physical strength. "I was just doing it all so smoothly, easily and quickly, it was nirvana!"

notch

n.

A small col.

O

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off width

n.

A climb too wide to jam, too small to chimney. And then I've heard of people who actually like this kind of climbing.

Oh bejesus

phr

an expression of surprise or alarm.

Overhang

n.

Rock (or ice) that is "more than vertical".

Over-kilned

n.

A boiler plate or flaky rock

P

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pack

v.

to carry

paper-hiker

n.

one who experiences hiking or hill-walking mostly on paper by reading or writing about it, commonly at present via a computer, e-mail, the Internet, BBSs, etc.

party ledge

n.

a somewhat larger ledge used to rest (and party !) during a particularly hard or long climb. Sometimes used to refer to the belay station on a multipitch climb.

Pass

n.

the lowest passage between two mountains. The french - but not just the french - know this as a col. The mathematicians would call this the saddle point.

Pinching a loaf

v.

defecating, dump

pitching

v.

defecating, dump

pocket

n.

a hold formed by a (small) depression in the rock.

Pole

n.

walking stick

pump

n.

heart

pumped

adj

the feeling of overworked muscles; also, excited; psyched

Q

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R

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R.D.S.

n.

Rapid Deceleration Syndrome. Military term for the very sudden illness that happens at the end of a long fall.

Rambler(s)

n.

a member of that 'other hillwalking club'

ramp

n.

an ascending ledge

ramway

n.

a member of that 'other hillwalking club' who has joined the 'Wayfarers'

rating

adj

a number denoting the technical difficulty of the climb.

Rear buffing

n.

going down a hill so steep that your butt touches the ground.

Recce

n. abr.

Abbreviation for resonance whereby a route for a hike is checked in advance to determine the most appropriate and safe route to lead a group

rescue

n.

What you hope happens after you screw up badly.

Ridge

n.

The high divide extending out from a peak.

Roadie

n.

pejorative term for a hiker who sticks to paved surfaces only. "That roadie is a lower life form."

Rocket fuel

n.

the mandatory pre-hike coffee.

Rope

n.

Long and round nylon fabrication. Climbing ropes are generally between 10 and 11 mm in diameter

route

n.

A certain path up a rock or mountain, which should be stuck to.

Route swag

n.

equipment or accessories dropped by other walkers or climbers and found on the route.

S

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saddle

n.

A high pass that looks somewhat like the horsewear. Not quite as steep as a col.

Scrambling

v.

Easy mountain climbing, usually unroped.

Screamer

n.

(1) A very, very long fall.
(2) Special piece of equipment meant to reduce the impact of a screamer (the fall) on the belay system.

Scree

n.

Loose rocks and stones that cover the slope below a cliff. With every step, scree slides under your feet.

Serac

n.

A block or tower of ice on a steep glacier or in an ice fall. Since seracs are created by the force of gravity working on the glacier or ice fall, they can come down at any moment.

Sewing-machine leg or arm

n.

A leg (or arm) under tension that suddenly starts jerking up and down like a sewing machine. Stretch the muscle, take a deep breath, and don't think of falling... (see also: to Elvis or the Death wobbles).

Sh** !

phr

Often heard during a fall... (Well educated climbers in Ireland sometimes say "sugar" - but only if they're not in too much trouble).

Shaky knee

The eerie sensation of jittery legs on a difficult climb or descent

sharp end

n.

The end of the rope to which the leader is attached.

Shiv

n.

Knife

short-hike

n.

a pleasant hillwalk, frequently with friends which affords the opportunity to gain some exercise, while at the same time appreciating the views, the fresh air, and possibly good conversation. (see 'long hike' for contrast). You are more likely to experience a 'tea-party' on a short hike

single-track

n.

trail wide enough for one person. Rel. double-track: rutted road made by vehicles, with the ruts creating two
parallel single-tracks.

Skid lid

n.

helmet.

Sky

v.

to jump extremely high.

Slab

n.

Flat and seemingly featureless, not quite vertical piece of rock.

Snort

n.

A drink

squeeze

n.

(1) a tight spot or constriction.

Sticks

adj

a rural area.

Summit

n.

The top of a climb, mountain or rock.

Summit, to

v.

To reach the summit.

T

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take a powder

v.

Leave

take it on the heel and toe

v.

Leave

take on

v.

Eat

take the air

v.

Leave

talus

n.

Large blocks of rock. A coarse variation of scree.

tea party

n.

when a whole group of walkers stops and chats, and nobody seems to want to move on.

tight spot

adj

a squeeze

toe

n.

the bottom of a buttress.

top

n.

the point on a route where the only way is down

trail swag

n.

equipment or accessories dropped by other walkers or climbers and found on the track.

traverse

v.

horizontal climb, or the name for any journey on the ice to any place more distant than a walk to urinate!

U

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V

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vegetable tunnel

n.

a singletrack that is heavily overgrown with foliage, so a hiker must duck and bend to get through it.

verglas

n.

thin water ice on rock.

virtual hiker

n.

one who 'surfs the net' about hiking more than going on the hills.

W

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Wayfarer

n.

a member of the best hillwalking club

Wayfarers Association

n.

The 'best' hillwalking club

Wayram

n.

a member of 'the best hillwalking club' who has joined the 'Ramblers'. Reasons for this behaviour are not certain yet, but a number of theories are developing!

white ice

n.

Ice with lots of air bubbles that forms from melted-and-frozen snow. Good climbing stuff.

wooly bear

n.

fibre pile hiking undersuit.

X Y Z

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zipper

n.

A fall where the protection pulls out one after the other as the leader succumbs to gravity. Often ends with a grounder (or a cardiac arrest).