cirque
Mountain ice hollow
A cirque is a deep, bowl-shaped hollow carved into a mountainside by glacial erosion, typically found at the head of a valley.
The steep walls curve around like an amphitheater, often cradling a small lake after the glacier retreats.
We hiked up to the cirque where the glacier once originated.
The word shares its French root with circus—both suggest a circular enclosure.
Slow-moving ice mass
- tarnGlacial mountain pool
- moraineGlacier-deposited debris pile
- arêteSharp mountain ridge
- hornPointed animal headgear
corrie · cwm · headwall · firn · névé · crevasse · serac · icefield
Of high elevations
- summitPeak or diplomatic gathering
- peakUtmost height attained
- ridgeNarrow raised strip
- headwallCirque's rear cliff
bowl · basin · amphitheater · hollow · valley · escarpment · massif · cordillera
Kept out of sight
- remoteDistant or controller
- shelteredKept safe from harm
- enclosedSurrounded and sealed within
- sanctuaryProtected sacred space
retreat · haven · solitary · pristine · undiscovered · isolated · quiet · peaceful
Skilled physical feats
- aerialElevated, or signal-catcher
- contortionUnnatural twisting or bending
- spectacleVisually striking event
- performanceCarrying out a task
troupe · tent · acts · showmanship · artistry · choreography · staging · touring
glacier
Slow-moving ice mass
horn · corrie · cwm · headwall · firn · névé · crevasse · serac · icefield · snowfield
alpine
Of high elevations
headwall · bowl · basin · amphitheater · hollow · valley · escarpment · massif · cordillera · elevation
hidden
Kept out of sight
sanctuary · retreat · haven · solitary · pristine · undiscovered · isolated · quiet · peaceful · nestled
acrobatics
Skilled physical feats
- aerialElevated, or signal-catcher
- contortionUnnatural twisting or bending
- spectacleVisually striking event
performance · troupe · tent · acts · showmanship · artistry · choreography · staging · touring · extravaganza
- landformsmountain, cliff, valley, volcano, mountain ridge
- AlpsAlps, Swiss Alps, Mont Blanc, Matterhorn, Austrian Alps
- mountain featurespeaks, peak, ridges, summit, slopes
- mountain scenerypeak, summit, ridge, snow cap, cliff edge
- mountain termsAlps, Himalayas, Rockies, Andes, peaks
- mountain terrainpeak, ridge, slope, gorge, pass
cirqueglacial valley
Ice-sculpted depression between peaks
U-shaped valley · moraine · valley · esker · drumlin
- Cirque du SoleilTheatrical circus entertainment company