Mountaineering Terms

4-wheel drive - climbing with your hands and feet.
e.g. "Maya-maya pagbaba jan sa steep na part mag  4-wheel drive na yan"

6-wheel drive - crawling on your knees
e.g. "pagdi nakaya ng apat, pwede naman anim kasama binti"

7-11 - stores at the Mt. Maculot campsite.
"Pambihira dami kong dalang tubig, pagakyat ko naman may 7-11 sa taas" - RC

adidulas - shoes with no traction, shoes not fit for climbing.
eg. Partida ka na naman, gamit mo Adidulas"

akiki - synonymous with steep trail
eg. "grabe ang tarik parang sa akiki"

altitude gain - the difference in elevation between jump-off point and destination
eg. " minsan di ko napapansin ang altitude gain ko sa hirap ng akyat ko"

ambangeg - synonymous with easy trail
eg. "pambihira parang amba lang sa dali"

assault - the steep final leg of the trek leading to the summit - usually connotes difficulty
eg. "Dito na lang ako, ang hirap ng assault nyan pasummit"

auto-pilot - the period when your body and not the mind controls your pace
eg. "sa pagod ko at kagustuhan makauwi na, naka auto-pilot mode na ako"

break camp -to disassemble tents, clean campsite, and prepare to leave camp
backtrack - going back and looking for trail signs when a party is lost or in doubt with path
eg. "Kung pwede nga lang pagkagising magbreak camp na kagad para maaga makauwi"

basagan ng tuhod - steep and lengthy climbs (particularly descents) that take their toll on the knees
eg. "tatlong bundok ba naman sa apat na araw, ewan ko pa kung di basagan ng tuhod yun"

basecamp - place where mountaineers set up camp and leave things for assaults/explorations
eg. "Paiwan na lang ako dito sa basecamp,sarap magpahinga"

beachineering - simply means hitting the beach but often used in the context of a group of mountaineers going on a beachtrip instead of climbing
eg. "ingat na lang sa climb niyo sir, beachineering muna ako sa Caramoan this weekend"

bladder - water reservoir or hydration packs
eg. "Noli, ayos yang bladder mo, second hand ba yan"

bloated - an IT that gives a generous time allowance to reach a target, usually to accommodate slower climbers
eg. "ayan bloated na ang IT para makapagpicture kayo ng bonggang bongga"

BMC - basic mountaineering course
eg. "Base from experience lang ang BMC ko"


campingers - undisciplined people who climb mountains without following rules
eg. "minsan may mga kasama akong campingers, sakit sa ulo"

cardiac trail - a steep trail, usually at the onset of climbing
eg. "minsan may mga mahirap kagad sa umpisa un ung mga cardiac trail, hihingalin ka kagad"

cathole - what you dig with a trowel when you have to go in a major way (see major)
eg. "Minsan di ko na rin nagagawan ng cathole kasi lalabas na e"

caving - spelunking
eg. "Maliban sa Manalmon. nakapag caving pa kami sa Bayukbok cave"

chorva - major product, must be buried in a cathole
eg. "di ko na matiiis, kadiri ung chorva ko sa cathole"

Chowking - meeting place for Cordillera/Tanay area climbs; 24/7 restos off Session Road/EDSA Crossing to buy packed lunch and have early breakfast
eg. "Chowking na lang tayo magkita"


cultural/gender sensitivity - comporting oneself in a socially acceptable manner, avoiding making comments like "it's so faggy up here" that may construed as homophobic, sexist, or offensive to the culture of the host community

dayhike/dayclimb - a climb performed on a single day regardless of major/minor classification

D2 - mt. Dulang-dulang in Bukidnon, after G2

dede - bladder and suction

e-camp - emergency camp if party could not arrive in target campsite

earth pad - serves its dual purpose of being a bag wraparound and sleeping pad

ETA/ETD - estimated time of arrival / estimated time of departure

exaj - shortcut for exaggeration; blowing up a story, like "nung kami nasa pulag, below 0 yung temp!"

executive trail - easy trails for non-mountaineers on a one-off climb

explo - a small climb group that seeks to blaze a new trail. can also refer to the climb itself.

extrang tuhod (extra knee) - hoped-for by mountaineers after an arduous climb.
eg. "wish ko lang na may extrang tuhod ako"

freelance - adjective used to describe unaffiliated mountaineers

fun climb - climb conducted at a relaxed pace, usually but not always involving a mountain of minor or moderate difficulty

fork  - two crossroad trails
eg. "dapat may marker or signs lagi sa mga fork"

G2 - mt. Guiting-Guiting in Romblon

gaiters - tear-resistant, waterproof sleeves that you wrap around your lower legs as protection from limatiks, lipa, niknik, snake bites, sharp rocks, mud

gerbaks - solid waste; can also refer to the act of unloading (jumerbaks), synonymous with jumebs and major

GoreTex - fabric material with waterproofing and good ventilation
eg. "yabang, kaw na naka jacket na may Goretex"

gram counter - somebody who saws off the handle of his/her toothbrush to save weight

groundsheet - syn tarp; fabric or material placed beneath a tent.
eg. "latag mo na yung groundsheet sa ilalim ng tent"

group equipment - tents, stoves, cooksets, camp lamps, ropes, which are shared by members of a climb party, as opposed to personal equipment like shoes and packs

hardcore - a speed-, pain-, and danger junkie who seeks out the most difficult mountains/trails and who eschews creature comforts
eg. "grabe, hardcore naman niyo sir, AKiki-Amba dayhike lang"

Harry Porter - a climber who pays a porter to carry his/her backpack

induction climb - culmination of application process in a mountaineering club; may have ceremonies to go with it

IT - itinerary

jumpoff - place where transportation ends and climbing begins
kalabaw - (Eng: carabao or water buffalo) an exceptionally strong, seasoned climber
eg. "yung pacer namin, kalabaw un sa sobrang lakas"

kapatid - NPA (see Nice people around)

kapuy - tired

kasambundok - co-mountaineer, "kasama sa bundok"

kaskasero - someone who is trekking far faster than the normal group pacing, either to just act out or has real great stamina or physical vigor

kernmantle - a colourful, heavy-duty technical rope used for climbing, but which is more often used as a guy line for tents or clothesline to hang soiled trek clothes on at the campsite. also an emergency shoelace

killer trail - particularly refers to the steep ascent up Pulag via the Akiki Trail; can be used to refer to any difficult leg of a trail

KK - Kota Kinabalu; usually refers to Mt. Kinabalu

knife edge - jagged ridges in Mt. Guiting-Guiting and Mt. Halcon
eg. "Sa mayon lang ata ako makakaexpe ng knife's edge.

lead pack - group that is of a climbing party

limatik - blood leeches
eg. "hanggang ngayon di pa ako nakakaencounter ng limatik, kasi iniiwasan ko talaga ung mga bundok na meron nun"

LLA - latitude, longitude, altitude acronym used in PinoyMountaineer

LNT - leave no trace principle pack in, pack out - what you bring up the mountain you must take down with you

load - team/group leader's command to resume trekking after rest/meal stop

load distribution - the manner by which group equipment and food is apportioned to each member of a climb group that is based on equity (strength, experience, gender) rather than equality


major - to unload solid waste; a euphemism

Maktrav - Traverse climb of Mt. Makiling

mam/sir - title prefixed to mountaineers' names as a sign of respect and camaraderie
MASL - meters above sea level

minimalist - climbs with the barest minimum requirements in terms of shelter, clothing, and other equipment (excluding food, which would be suicidal), sometimes at the expense of comfort

minor - to pee; euphemism or response to "What are you going to do?"
nalaspag - ran out of stamina, courage and drive to continue doing things especially physical activities

Nalgene - water bottles for mixing cocktails or chasers

newbie - also noob, a first-time climber who uses the camp water to wash the rice before cooking, or who packs the electric plug and the hot pot with it when asked to bring a rice cooker

nice people around- euphemism for insurgents, particularly members of the New People's Army

OT - as in overtake. permission to pass a struggling climber (from 'overtake') <"Sir, OT lang po...">
paexperience - a more casual way of asking for something. <"Pa-experience naman ng trail food!"> May have other meanings also.

pags/pog - Tagalog for fog or low-lying clouds

pasaway - climber who doesn't follow the rules

PASU - park superintendent; this is an official designation

peteks - taking it easy / trekking in a relaxed manner

postclimb - meeting of climb participants after a climb

poste - a group member who stays at home to receive reports of a climb's progress and summons a search and rescue party, if needed

preclimb - meeting of climb participants before a climb; some groups require preclimb attendance as a requirement for participtation

ragtag - a group with inappropriate or insufficient gears and equipments.

raksido - alcoholic drink

ramps - stair-climbing training to build up the principal muscle groups involved in mountaineering

ratrat - to trek at speed, in order to link up with the rest of the climb party, to get choice spots at the campsite, to be first on the queue at the washup area or water source/sari-sari store/bus. The collective act of hurrying is likewise called ratratan
rebound - a warning given to the climber/s behind you to watch out for swinging branch/es of trees and bushes

redap - registration holdap .

rollo - plastic used to wrap your plate when eating, so you don't have to wash it later

saddle/pass - gap between two peaks, as in Tirad Pass(this one's an oxymoron though) or a plateau before the mountain's main peak.

scribe - someone who documents the climb

Shaldang - refers to Mt. Halcon in Mindoro, particularly its summit

sibilisasyon - first sight of a house or manmade structure after a long time in the mountains.

Sigg - container for heavy drinks / liquor

social climber - someone who climbs mainly to meet people and socialize

socials - structured or spontaneous gathering of mountaineers while on camp; usually during or after dinner

spork - combination utensil with spoon on one end and fork on the other

spot - to beg for trail food <"Pa-spot naman ng dried cranberries!">

summit - refers to the highest point of a mountain. more specific than 'peak' which can mean any high point though two terms are used interchangeably

sweeper - group or individual at the rear end of a climbing party

system - refers to climb (as in rock climb) equipment such as ropes, harnesses, etc.

tagay - socials, with alcohol

take 5 - a five-minute climbing break; also take 'x' where x is the number of minutes

Take nothing but pictures - opening lines of the mountaineer's creed that often finds its way in mountaineers' Multiply sites and personal webpages

teka-teka - any thorny plant that snags your expensive trek clothes or digs into your skin

thermapoor - any of the inexpensive alternatives to thermarest

thermarest - an overpriced portable self-inflating foam pad for sleeping in

thermal wear - high-tech clothing for warmth

TL - team leader

TNF - The North Face

topload - riding on a jeep's roof
eg. "pagpuntang Pulag, pwede ka magtopload sa jeep para kang nakasakay sa roller coaster"

trailhead - jumpoff
eg. "kita kits na lang sa trailhead"

trail water/food- easily accessible bottle of water or snacks for refreshment along the trail.
eg. "pinaka the best kong trail food, ung fresh fruits gaya ng mango at grapes."

trail sign - rocks, strings, foliage, branches, or hack signs on tree trunks that mark the designated route
eg. "minsan kahit may trail sign naliligaw pa rin, nalilito kasi"

training climb - climbs that are taken seriously; sometimes pertains to climbs required for applicants prior
eg. "lahat ng akyat ko, training climb naman. preparation sa buhay"

traverse - ideally refers to a climb following a horizontal trail across a mountain passing by its peak; but is used loosely to mean any climb using different trails up and down a mountain
eg. "mag-traverse tayo para maiba naman views makita natin sa descent"

unload - to offer food/drinks to fellow climbers on the trail in the hope of hauling a lighter load. May also be used as a synonym of major.
eg. "kuya tootz, ang hilig magunload. pinakain sa akin spaghettit nya kahit la pa kami sa taas. gumaan lang ung bitbit niya."

Vibram - durable material used in Merrell and other shoes
eg. "buti na lang may vibram technology yung shoes ko, iwas dulas"

virgin - someone new to a particular mountain
eg. "Virgin pa ako. virgin pa ako sa bundok na ito"
washup area - house/hotel/river/ditch for changing clothes in at the end of the trail

wasted/wasak - dead tired
eg. "wasted na naman ako sa hirap ng inakyat ko, haisst, kapagod"

Ziplock - very handy sealable plastic bags for waterproofing valuables
eg. " basa na naman ang mga gamit ko, ziplock lang di pa madala"