scree
Loose slope stones
Scree is the loose rocks and debris that accumulate on mountain slopes, typically below cliffs or along steep hillsides.
The fragments range from gravel to boulder-sized, creating unstable footing for hikers: We picked our way carefully across the scree field.
The word often appears in mountaineering contexts where such terrain presents both obstacle and hazard.
Ankle's main bone
- rockfallCollapsed cliff material
- slopeAngled terrain or steepness
- erosionGradual wearing away
- sedimentParticles settling in liquid
moraine · colluvial · alluvial · bedrock · outcrop · escarpment · geomorphology · detritus
Of high elevations
- gullyChannel carved by flowing water
- ravineDeep, narrow valley
- cragSteep rugged outcrop
- ridgeNarrow raised strip
cirque · couloir · col · cwm · corrie · mountainside · steepness · gradient
Compacted clay sediment
- gravelLoose small rock fragments
- pebbleWater-smoothed small rock
- cobbleWorn stone for paths
- boulderLarge weathered stone
quartzite · basalt · limestone · chert · flint · breccia · conglomerate · angular
talus
Ankle's main bone
sediment · moraine · colluvial · alluvial · bedrock · outcrop · escarpment · geomorphology · detritus · clast
alpine
Of high elevations
ridge · cirque · couloir · col · cwm · corrie · mountainside · steepness · gradient · unstable
shale
Compacted clay sediment
boulder · quartzite · basalt · limestone · chert · flint · breccia · conglomerate · angular · fractured
scrambling
Moving clumsily in haste
trail · backpacking · cairn · switchback · footing · traction · slipping · sliding · ankles · boots
clattering
Making repeated sharp sounds
- rattlingProducing rapid knocks
- shiftingChanging position or form
- tumblingAcrobatic rolling and flipping
cascading · sliding · skittering · clinking · grinding · scraping · echoing · disturbed · dislodged · loose
screebedrock
Solid stone underground
solid rock · living rock · cliff face · rock face · firm ground
screefirm ground
Stable, unyielding surface
solid ground · stable footing · packed earth · level ground · trail