serac
Glacier's jagged block
A serac is a large block or pinnacle of ice found on glaciers, formed where the ice fractures as it moves over uneven terrain.
Seracs are unstable and dangerous to climbers, prone to collapse without warning: We roped up and moved quickly through the serac field.
The word comes from Swiss French, originally referring to a crumbly white cheese the ice formations resemble.
Toothed traction device
- ropeThick twisted fibers
- belayAnchor a rope
- anchorSecures ships to seabed
- harnessStraps controlling an animal
rappel · carabiner · piton · ascender · ice axe · fixed line · expedition · alpinist
Rapid mountain snow collapse
- collapseSudden structural failure
- unstableProne to sudden change
- treacherousDisloyal and dangerous
- tumblingAcrobatic rolling and flipping
peril · crevasse · icefall · hazard · risk · falling ice · exposure · fatal
Deep glacial fissure
- icefallSteep, crevassed glacier section
- firnYear-old compacting snow
- calvingIce mass separation
- ablationRemoval by cutting, melting
glaciology · icefield · moraine · glacial · accumulation · ice block · ice formation · meltwater
Peak or diplomatic gathering
- ridgeNarrow raised strip
- peakUtmost height attained
- altitudeMeasured height above reference
- colSpreadsheet vertical section
arête · buttress · cirque · cwm · saddle · escarpment · pinnacle · massif
Clear, ordered, brilliant
- translucentPermitting diffused light passage
- blue iceAir-free frozen water
- glassySmooth and shiny
- gleamingReflecting light brightly
jagged · towering · fractured · sculptural · shimmering · white · frozen · monolithic
crampon
Toothed traction device
harness · rappel · carabiner · piton · ascender · ice axe · fixed line · expedition · alpinist · sherpa
avalanche
Rapid mountain snow collapse
- collapseSudden structural failure
- unstableProne to sudden change
- treacherousDisloyal and dangerous
tumbling · peril · crevasse · icefall · hazard · risk · falling ice · exposure · fatal · precarious
crevasse
Deep glacial fissure
ablation · glaciology · icefield · moraine · glacial · accumulation · ice block · ice formation · meltwater · pressure ridge
summit
Peak or diplomatic gathering
col · arête · buttress · cirque · cwm · saddle · escarpment · pinnacle · massif · elevation
crystalline
Clear, ordered, brilliant
- translucentPermitting diffused light passage
- blue iceAir-free frozen water
- glassySmooth and shiny
gleaming · jagged · towering · fractured · sculptural · shimmering · white · frozen · monolithic · spire