Tourist's glossary

Trekking

Multi-day hiking on marked or wild routes.

Bushcraft

Wilderness survival with minimal gear.

Leave No Trace

7 principles of minimal impact: no litter, no damage, respect nature.

Bivouac

Emergency or planned night without a tent — in a bag/tarp.

Dry bag

Waterproof bag for gear on water or in rain.

R-value

Pad insulation rating: higher = better ground-cold protection.

Comfort rating

Lowest temperature at which a bag sleeps comfortably.

Pass

Lowest ridge point between two peaks — crossing mountains.

Watershed

Ridge line separating drainage of two river systems.

Moraine lake

Lake in a glacier-carved hollow — often turquoise water.

Traverse

Crossing a slope horizontally — without ascent or descent.

Climbing grade

Difficulty rating system for rock: UIAA, French, YDS.

Fastest Known Time

Fastest known time to complete a route.

Altitude sickness

Body's reaction to low oxygen at 2500+ m: headache, nausea.

River rapids

Difficulty classification of water obstacles class I–VI.

Wild camping

Overnight outside organized campsites — in the wild.