Climbspeak!

CLIMBSPEAK v.3
a glossary of philippine mountaineering terms.

NOTE: the 'Climbspeak' picture showing a campfire does not depict standard mountaineering practice.

4-wheel drive - climbing with your hands and feet, as in G2's Peak of Deception
6-wheel drive - crawling on your knees, as in the Napulauan mossy forest where you have to go under the trees
7-11 - stores at the Mt. Maculot campsite.
adidulas - shoes with no traction, shoes not fit for climbing.
akiki - synonymous with steep trail
altitude gain - the difference in elevation between jump-off point and destination
ambangeg - synonymous with easy trail
assault - the steep final leg of the trek leading to the summit - usually connotes difficulty
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
basagan ng tuhod - steep and lengthy climbs (particularly descents) that take their toll on the knees
basecamp - place where mountaineers set up camp and leave things for assaults/explorations
beachineering - simply means hitting the beach but often used in the context of a group of mountaineers going on a beachtrip instead of climbing
bladder - water reservoir or hydration packs
bloated - an IT that gives a generous time allowance to reach a target, usually to accommodate slower climbers
BMC - basic mountaineering course
bundok - mountain
campingers - undisciplined people who climb mountains without following rules
cardiac trail - a steep trail, usually at the onset of climbing
cathole - what you dig with a trowel when you have to go in a major way (see major)
caving - spelunking
chorva - major product, must be buried in a 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
coño (read as konyo) - 1. someone English-speaking 2. someone whose juxtaposition of English and Tagalog terms becomes a source of laughter and joy among the group. <"Sir, ask ko lang, what time na po now?"
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.
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
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
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.
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
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
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
lead pack - group that is of a climbing party
limatik - blood leeches
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
lord of the rings - a place that resembles the ambience of the LOTR movie sets. An example is the mossy forest of Mt. Dulang-Dulang
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
MFPI - Mountaineering Federation of the Philippines, Inc.
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 - 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
trailhead - jumpoff
trail water/food- easily accessible bottle of water or snacks for refreshment along the trail.
trail sign - rocks, strings, foliage, branches, or hack signs on tree trunks that mark the designated route
training climb - climbs that are taken seriously; sometimes pertains to climbs required for applicants prior
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
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.
Vibram - durable material used in Merrell and other shoes
virgin - someone new to a particular mountain
washup area - house/hotel/river/ditch for changing clothes in at the end of the trail
wasted/wasak - dead tired
Ziplock - very handy sealable plastic bags for waterproofing valuables

On front photo: UP Med Outdoor Society members; picture courtesy of Julian Cañero. Many thanks to Sir Cecil Morella of AMCI and all those who contributed. We're now up to 120 words!

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