Ice Climbing Dictionary - Ice Climbing Terms and Definitions

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	ABLATION ZONE This is the part of a glacier in which melting either reaches or surpasses the annual snowfall.
	ADZE This is used for chopping footholds, this is a thin blade mounted across an ice axe handle.
	ALTITUDE SICKNESS Also known as acute mountain sickness or AMS, altitude sickness is a medical condition that happens at high altitudes.
	ANCHOR It is an arrangement of one or usually more pieces of gear set up to support the weight of a belay or toprope.
	APPROACH This is a route where climbers start a technical climb.
	ASCEND SIX It refers to the goal of climbing the six largest peaks found in six continents namely Everest, Aconcagua, McKinley, Kilimanjaro, Elbrus, and Kosciuszko.
	BELAY ANCHOR It is a sole attachment to the cliff face to support a belay or toprope.
	BELAYING It is a technique of controlling the rope so that a falling climber does not fall very far.
	BERGSCHRUND Also called a'shrund, this is a crevasse that forms on the upper portion of a glacier.
	BLACK ICE It is a very hard and dense ice that is difficult to climb.
	BLUE ICE It is a very dense ice with a watery hue and few air bubbles.
	CARABINER These are metal loop with a sprung or screwed gate used as connectors.
	CORNICE It refers to a ridge’s overhanging snow edge.
	CRAMPONING Technique wherein crampons are used to descend or ascend on ice.
	CRAMPONS These are metal framework with spikes attached to boots to increase safety on snow and ice.
	CUOLOIR it refers to a steep gorge or gully that is covered frequently with snow or ice.
	DEADMAN ANCHOR It serves as an anchor for an attached rope and is buried into the snow.
	DRY TOOLING Technique that makes use of ice climbing tools like crampons and ice axes on rock.
	FIRN This is closer than snow in density.
	FIRST ASCENT This is the initial completion of a route.
	FRONT POINT This is a technique done for ascending steep or overhanging ice.
	GLACIER TRAVEL This is done by climbing a glacier using a rope to avoid falling into crevasses but no further protection is used.
	GLISSADE This is done Deliberately sliding down on a steep snow slope.
	HACE This stands for High Altitude Cerebral Edema. It is a severe form of altitude sickness that oftentimes result to death.
	HAPE Stands for High Altitude Pulmonary Edema, this is another severe form of altitude sickness.
	HARNESS This is a device worn around the waist and things that enables a climber to be safely suspended on the air.
	ICE AXE This is an ice climbing tool used for safety purposes and to maintain balance.
	ICE PITON It is a long, wide, serrated piton once used for weak protection on ice.
	ICE SCREW This is used in setting up a crevasse rescue system or when protecting a climb on steep ice.
	ICE WALL It is any wall made of ice.
	ICEFALLS These are portions of some glaciers characterized by rapid flow and a chaotic crevassed surface.
	MOAT It refers to a crevasse that is created in the area where a glacier moves away from a rock formation.
	MUNTER HITCH It is a simple hitch used for belaying without a mechanical belay device.
	NEVE This is a granular ice created by continuous freeze-thaw cycles making them permanent.
	NUNATAK This is a rock or a mountain that protrudes in an ice-covered field.
	OVERHANG It is the rock or ice part positioned beyond vertical.
	PLUNGE STEP This is a step pattern used when descending a steep or hard-angled snow.
	PRESSURE BREATHING Also called Whittaker wheeze, this is characterized by deliberately exhaling to have oxygen-carbon dioxide exchange during high altitudes.
	ROOF This is a horizontal snow overhang.
	SADDLE This is a high pass which is bigger than a col found between two peaks.
	SCRUBE This is a type of a hammer-in, screw-out ice screw.
	SERAC It is a block or tower of ice on a steep glacier or in an ice fall.
	SNARG This is a tubular ice screw type used in hammering.
	SNOW FLUKE This is usually used as a deadman achor which is buried into a snow.
	TOP-ROPE It is free climbing a route that has the safety rope attached to the top of the climb.
	VERGLAS This is a thin ice created over rocks during a rainfall or when snow melts freezes on rock.
	WARTHOG This is a roughned spike hammered into certain kinds of ice or frozen turf for protection.
	WATER ICE It is an ice formed directly from frozen water.
	WHITE ICE It is an ice with lots of air bubbles that forms from melted-and-frozen snow.
	Z-PULLEY This is an arrangement of ropes, anchors, and pulleys used to remove a climber after falling into a crevasse.