Like any subculture with a passionate following, backcountry skiing has developed its own lingo鈥攁 special language that helps its practitioners describe what they do and why they love the sport. To anyone with an untrained ear, the words might sound like Greek. But with a little context, they start to make total sense. Here鈥檚 every term you need to know, from serious snow science to the proper usage of slang, so that there鈥檚 never a chance you sound like a gaper.
A:
补颈谤产补驳:听A backpack with a large balloon that shoots out and inflates rapidly when activated by a user caught in an avalanche. Is聽proven to increase the odds of survival聽by keeping the skier closer to the surface of the avalanche debris flow.
alpine touring (AT):聽A binding, boot, and ski system for both climbing and descending mountains.
补辫谤猫蝉: What you do after skiing. Usually involves drinking and storytelling about your day. Often takes place on your tailgate in the parking lot while wearing comfy, post-ski gear like the 聽 and .
补辫谤辞苍:听Terrain descriptor. A wide-open section of a mountain鈥檚 face. Fun to ski.
补蝉辫别肠迟:听The direction a slope faces, expressed in relation to compass points, i.e.聽鈥渁 southern aspect.鈥
avalanche beacon:聽An electronic device worn on the body that helps locate avalanche victims.
avalanche probe:聽A collapsible聽aluminum or carbon rod used to probe through avalanche debris and聽pinpoint buried victims.
avy report:聽Short for avalanche report. A daily forecast prepared by snow scientists that describes the avalanche hazard and provides travel advice in a certain area of the local mountains. maintains a list of avalanche centers around the country that issue avalanche forecasts.
B:
产补蝉别濒补测别谤:听A next-to-skin layer of clothing like the that adds warmth and wicks moisture.
产濒辞飞别谤:听Light, dry powder that 鈥渂lows鈥 into your face while skiing. The pursuit of blower has been known to cause聽ski bums to do irrational things, like quit a job, end a relationship, or break-dance fight a father of four for a better position in the聽tram line.
产濒耻别产颈谤诲:听A beautiful, sunny, cloudless day of skiing.
产辞尘产别谤:听Adjective often used to describe the high strength of gear, a gear system, or the terrain in which a user is traveling. A聽bomber snowpack is stable and will not avalanche at that particular moment, and a聽bomber ski shell will not tear when raked against a tree branch. Case in point: the .
产辞辞迟别谤:听A jump made of snow. Often natural but can also be man-made. Typically smaller than a kicker.
产辞辞迟辫补肠办:听A series of steps kicked into a steep section of a slope that acts as a staircase for gaining elevation. Often used when the terrain is too steep for skinning聽(see: skin track). A good way to sweat鈥攁nd possibly vomit up your breakfast burrito.
产谤补补辫:听Onomatopoeia used to describe the sound of a snowmobile engine. Often used by bros as a verb meaning 鈥渢o use snowmobiles,鈥 typically in a backcountry skiing scenario. 鈥淟et鈥檚 braap over into the next basin and see if it鈥檚 any safer.鈥
产耻肠办别诲:听To get violently thrown off balance during a run, perhaps due to an object below the surface or聽landing a jump improperly.
C:
肠补尘产别谤:听Camber creates a slight upward arch in the middle of a ski or snowboard when it鈥檚 sitting flat on the ground. Helps with edging and springiness (see:聽rocker).
肠别尘别苍迟:听Dense, high-water-content snow that鈥檚 usually produced by warmer storms. Associated with Lake Tahoe, as in 鈥淪ierra cement.鈥 The opposite of Montana cold smoke.
肠丑耻苍诲别谤:听Large chunks of snow and ice that clutter a ski run and make it no fun. Sometimes left behind by snowcats and during freeze-thaw cycles.
climbing skins:聽Long pieces of material that are cut to size then strapped to the bottom of AT skis, telemark skis, or split snowboards that allow for uphill travel on snow. Originally made of seal fur, most modern climbing skins use dense, angled synthetic fibers that allow a ski or board to glide forward but don鈥檛 allow it to slip backward.
cold smoke:聽Just like blower but colder. Will cause a skier to whoop-n-holler like a wild animal. Often found in Montana.
肠辞谤苍颈肠别:听A lip of snow that forms along the uppermost leeward edge of a cliff, often resembling the crest of a breaking wave. Cornices, having no support beneath them, can collapse along a fracture that extends back beyond the natural contours of the ridge. Cornice聽collapse聽can also trigger avalanches below.
corn snow:聽A layer of sun-softened snow atop a harder layer of frozen snow. Can form during any freeze-thaw cycle on sunny聽slopes, but typically associated with spring skiing in聽jeans.聽Some of the best corn snow is found at the聽Tordrillo Mountain Lodge in Alaska.
肠辞耻濒辞颈谤:听A narrow but skiable chute. Difficult to get to, hard to enter, and聽great to brag about.
肠谤辞飞苍:听The fracture line at the top of a slab avalanche. Crowns can be a few inches to more than ten feet thick. Pucker-inducing (see: gripped).
肠谤耻诲:听Powder snow that has been cut and tracked by numerous other skiers. Also: that stuff stuck in the back of your teeth after eating a year-old granola bar you found in your ski jacket.
肠谤耻蝉迟:听A thin layer of frozen snow on top of softer or uncompact聽snow. Or, the poor attitude of a longtime local who talks about how great everything used to be thirty years ago.
肠谤耻虫:听A particularly dangerous or difficult section of a ski slope. A place where you don鈥檛 want to fall聽(see: no-fall zone). For guide , it鈥檚 important to have safety gear when dealing with a crux.聽鈥淲hen you get to a crux section where you are not able to make turns, it can be helpful to know how to use your ice ax聽while you鈥檙e still on your skis,鈥 he says. 鈥淭his extra security is sometimes all you need to get through.鈥
D:
dawn patrol:聽To be out backcountry skiing before the sun comes up. A way to squeeze in turns before work. 聽What feels like a really dumb idea until the sun rises and the skiing begins.
death cookie:聽A chunk of frozen snow (perhaps avalanche debris) that is no fun to ski over.
depth hoar:聽Large聽unstable snow crystals that form in snowpack below the surface and often trigger avalanches.
诲耻尘辫颈苍驳:听When it鈥檚 snowing a lot. Not quite as intense as nuking,聽but a heavy snowfall that might necessitate a 鈥渟ick day.鈥
E:
别濒别惫补迟颈辞苍:听Similar to altitude. The vertical difference in distance between a specific geographical point and sea level.
别濒别惫别苍蝉:听Tracks left by a skier who does not turn while heading downhill. Also called straight lining.
F:
face shot:聽A blast of snow to the face, usually caused by your skis or snowboard turning in deep powder. A frosty open-mouth kiss from Mother Nature. More sought after by ski bums than a significant other.
蹿补肠别迟蝉:听Angular snow that does not bond well. Created from large temperature gradients within the snowpack. A major cause of avalanches.
蹿别补迟丑别谤濒别蝉蝉:听 A聽type of 3M鈩 Thinsulate鈩 insulation that feels like and matches up to down,聽but is made from synthetic materials so it also stays warm when wet. Found in premier midlayers and puffies 濒颈办别听迟丑别 .
蹿谤补苍办别苍蝉办颈苍蝉:听Climbing skins that have become heavy and unwieldy with no glide whatsoever due to large amounts of snow freezing and sticking to them.
freeheel skiing:聽Nickname for telemark skiing. Typically performed by a person with a steady weed habit or penchant for historical reenactments.
G:
驳补辫别谤:听A skier accused by others of being less cool. More generally: skiers who聽overestimates their ski skills听辞谤 use聽their gear wrong. Something we鈥檝e all been at one time or another.
驳补耻苍迟濒别迟:听The part of a ski glove that covers the聽wrist and extends up the聽forearm. A particularly bomber gauntlet comes on the 聽and helps seal out snow and add extra warmth.
驳濒辞辫:听Snow that thaws, refreezes, and attaches to a moving climbing ski in a heavy, unwieldy layer that drastically reduces efficiency (see:聽frankenskins).
骋辞谤别-罢别虫:听A waterproof-breathable material聽that鈥檚 often found in high-end ski gear like the聽. The best way to stay warm and dry while chasing face shots.
驳谤颈辫辫别诲:听To be scared. Often experienced in places on a ski run where a fall would be highly unpleasant. Also referred to as 鈥減uckered,鈥 which itself is a reference to a body part puckering when faced with fear.
H:
hero snow:聽Usually some kind of forgiving, easy-to-maneuver-in powder that allows a skier or snowboarder to perform at a higher level while also enjoying a lower risk of injury or catastrophic failure.
hot dog:聽To show off on skis. Tight, fast turns, daffies, spread-eagles, and backscratchers are all considered 鈥渉ot dogging.鈥 A staple of a ski bum鈥檚 diet. The greatest worst movie ever.
丑辞飞颈迟锄别谤:听An artillery piece, usually retired from military use, that fires explosive shells onto unstable mountain slopes to purposely trigger avalanches. Often used by ski areas and highway patrols to clear known slide paths. Makes really, really loud noises.
I:
颈产耻辫谤辞蹿别苍:听Necessity. Medicine used to control inflammation in sore, skied-out muscles. Also good for 补辫谤猫蝉 hangovers.
ice ax:聽A standard piece of mountaineering equipment. A metal shaft with a spike at one end and an ax聽head at the other. Used to anchor a climber to a slope during steep climbs up couloirs. Also used to stop falls down a couloir. Ice climbers tackling vertical ice use highly specialized ice axes called 鈥渋ce tools.鈥 Also great for opening up cans of Hormel chili.
颈驳濒辞辞:听A dome structure made from blocks of snow. Used for snow camping. When filled with ski bums, unsurprisingly smelly inside.
J:
Jackson Hole:聽Fabled resort in northwest Wyoming. Birthplace of the Jackson Air Force. Bucket list.
闯别谤谤测:听Similar to 鈥淛oey鈥 or gaper.聽A person judged by others to be less fluent in the etiquette, culture, or general practice of a sport, particularly skiing. Examples: hitting a jump way too fast, landing wrong, and exploding into a yard sale聽on impact.
jump turn:聽A method whereby a skier or snowboarder jumps down a mountain, doing a 180 with every jump. Often used to stay in control in very steep, or 鈥減uckering鈥 terrain.
K:
办颈肠办别谤:听A ramp-like jump used for launching a skier or snowboarder into the air so that something sick might occur.
kick turn:聽A technique used for navigating a switchback when traveling uphill on skis. Surprisingly difficult. Has caused many experts to fall over. Also hard to explain.
办谤耻尘尘丑辞濒锄:听Any type of high-alpine tree or vegetation deformed by the high winds and severe weather encountered at such elevations. Flagging, whereby branches only grow on the leeward side of a tree trunk, is an example of a krummholz deformity.
L:
濒补辫蝉:听Number of descents a skier or snowboarder logs on a particular slope. Lap: to ski or snowboard a slope numerous times.
濒颈苍别:听The chosen path a skier or snowboarder takes down a slope, mountain, or particular section of either.
Lock Down:聽Verb: to change AT bindings from the pivoting walk聽mode to locked-down ski聽mode where the heel is locked in place. Also a reference to ski-town dating, as in, 鈥淚 need to lock down a girlfriend.鈥
M:
mandatory air:聽A cliff band听辞谤 other un-skiable feature on a slope or in a couloir that requires a jump聽(or sometimes a rappel with ropes)聽to overcome.
man soup:聽Also聽man tea听辞谤 brocuzzie. A hot tub full of dudes.
mashed potatoes:聽Dense, heavy snow typically associated with warming temperatures. Be prepared for saturated ski pants.
N:
no-fall zone:聽An area in the mountains where a skier cannot afford to fall, thanks to some kind of terrain below that will lead to injury or death. Sometimes fun to ski. Sometimes the cause of an existential crisis, such as聽鈥淲hy am I here?鈥
苍辞辞诲濒颈苍驳:听A form of hot-dogging in which long, skinny skis are placed as tightly together as possible when making turns. Often referred to as hippie wiggles.
north facing:聽A reference to the direction a ski slope faces. Desirable, often times, because north-facing slopes do not get as much direct sunlight and therefore the snow stays powdery for longer amounts of time.
苍耻办颈苍驳:听To snow heavily at a rate that is greater than dumping聽and far greater than 鈥渋t鈥檚 snowing.鈥 Will cause grown men to squeal.
O:
辞产箩别肠迟颈惫别:听Your goal for the day. Usually used in reference to a mountaintop or ski slope you want to reach. 鈥淚t鈥檚 always great to have an objective, but be careful of being too objective-oriented,鈥 says pro skier 鈥. 鈥淪et a turn-around time, always be aware of changing conditions, and if anyone in your group feels spooked, be OK聽with turning around. Live to ski another day!鈥
off-肠补尘产别谤:听A downward slope that鈥檚 also curved to one side so that the fall line isn鈥檛 oriented聽right down the middle. The way an overserved ski bum leans at the end of a long night.
辞耻迟-辞蹿-产辞耻苍诲蝉:听Sections of a mountain that sit beyond the ski area boundary. Also referred to as the backcountry.
辞蹿蹿-辫颈蝉迟别:听French for out-of-bounds.
P:
pillow 濒颈苍别:听A downward slope dotted by boulders that look like fluffy pillows when covered with聽snow. Skiers and snowboarders usually descend by jumping from 鈥減illow to pillow鈥 without hitting actual rock.
辫颈苍飞丑别别濒:听A clump of snow that falls down a slope gathering more snow mass as it rolls.
辫颈迟迟别诲:听To make a turn in deep powder. Often results聽in a face shot. A skier鈥檚 friend. An olive鈥檚 nightmare.
辫辞蝉迟丑辞濒颈苍驳:听When your foot and leg fall through a crusty top layer of snow into softer, rotten snow below, creating what looks like a hole big enough for a post. A great way to overexert yourself and a proper place to start dropping f-bombs.
powder skirt:聽An elastic聽piece of material that wraps around the inside of a ski jacket like 聽and prevents snow from creeping inside when you call.
辫耻蹿蹿测:听Short for an insulated outer layer like the .
Q:
辩耻补诲蝉:听Short for quadriceps. The large thigh muscles that can ignite into burning masses on steep runs or grueling uphills. The integral part of one鈥檚 lap or leg seat for a main squeeze.
辩耻颈苍锄别别:听A type of snow shelter. Formed by shoveling snow into a large pile and then hollowing out a living space inside. A ski-bum igloo.
辩耻颈惫别谤:听Your collection of skis. Use: 鈥淚 have a powder ski, a touring ski, and a rock ski in my quiver.鈥
R:
rag doll:聽To fall violently head-over-heels down a slope in such a manner that the movement of one鈥檚 limbs appears to be out of one鈥檚 control completely, as if they were lifeless and attached to a聽doll. Not fun.
谤补苍诲辞苍别别:听French for any trip through the mountains on foot. Here in the United States we equate randonee with alpine touring.
搁贰颁颁翱:听An avalanche safety system. Small聽RECCO reflectors are embedded into ski clothing and those reflectors can be detected by a handheld transmitter-receiver in the event of an avalanche. Found in some ski pants, like .
谤辞肠办别谤:听The opposite of camber. A rockered ski has an upward arch when laid flat on the ground. This helps the ski maneuver through powder. Also a way to reference any particularly upturned part of a ski. Rocker and camber can be used together, as in, 鈥淭he ski has a rockered tip聽but camber underfoot.鈥 聽A good way to get face shots.
S:
safe zone:聽An area where a skier will not trigger or be exposed to an avalanche. Backcountry skiers should always regroup in safe zones when waiting for each other.
蝉肠丑谤补濒辫:听To ski aggressively and fluidly through challenging terrain, often at great speed.
蝉丑尘辞辞:听A generally unpleasant form of snow similar to mashed potatoes that results from tracked out powder going through numerous freeze-thaw cycles to become something like a less slushy slush.
蝉丑辞惫别濒:听Backcountry shovels come with a removable head and telescoping handle, so they fit in your backcountry pack. Used to dig out avalanche victims.
skin track:聽The route you use to skin up a slope. An important part of backcountry navigation. 鈥淥ne of the most crucial ingredients for a good day of ski touring is setting a good track,鈥 says guide 鈥淥ften people tend to choose a straighter line to the top, but that approach becomes highly inefficient when the slope angle increases. A proper track鈥攏o steeper than 20 degrees鈥攈elps maintain a steady pace, which helps keep your body temperature stable and reduces the need to frequently adjust your gear.鈥
蝉濒补肠办肠辞耻苍迟谤测:听Backcountry terrain that sits right outside a ski area鈥檚 boundary. Often reached by riding the ski area鈥檚 chairlift. The term is going out of fashion. Now more commonly referred to as lift-served backcountry.
蝉濒耻蹿蹿:听Falling snow that鈥檚 knocked loose by a skier, usually on a steep pitch. Not the same thing as an avalanche, but capable of sweeping a skier off his or her feet.
蝉苍辞飞辫补肠办:听The layers of snow accumulated over a season. Avalanche forecasters study the layers in聽snowpack to determine the likelihood of an avalanche.
soft shell:聽A highly-breathable outer layer like the Marmot ROM聽(in both聽 and 聽jackets) that cuts the wind and adds warmth but it not totally waterproof. Perfect for backcountry skiing on bluebird days.
蝉辫濒颈迟产辞补谤诲:听A type of snowboard that separates down the middle along the tip-to-tail axis to become two 鈥渟kis鈥 for easier uphill mobility when combined with climbing skins. The user can then put the two skis back together to form a single snowboard for descents.
蝉迟别别锄测:听Adjective describing a fluid, relaxed style that exudes confidence. Can also be applied to a piece of gear.
蝉飞颈迟肠丑产补肠办蝉:听The turn section of the zig-zag paths that skiers use to skin up steep fields of snow (see:聽kick turn).
T:
tech bindings:聽A type of lightweight, two-piece AT binding. Different from a frame backcountry binding.
迟别濒别尘补谤办:听A form of skiing where the toe of your boot is always free to pivot because the heel is never attached to the ski. Turns are initiated by sliding the uphill ski forward and the downhill ski backward聽to put the user into a 鈥渄rop knee鈥 position.
terrain trap:聽An area where snow from an avalanche can collect and bury a victim. Like a river bed below a couloir. Backcountry travelers need to be aware of terrain traps at all times.
迟辞尘补丑补飞办:听To fall violently head over tails down a slope in a motion similar to the rotation of a thrown ax. Like Glen Plake in聽Blizzard of Aahhh鈥檚.
tree well:聽A dangerous area of deep, unconsolidated snow that forms under a tree and around its trunk. Skiers and snowboarders die every year from falling into tree wells and suffocating.
U:
鲍濒濒谤:听Norse god proficient on skis and with a bow. The patron saint of skiers. Revelers in Breckenridge, Colorado, celebrate Ullr during their annual . The giver of the goods, the keeper of the gnar, the lord of winter. Mother Nature鈥檚 side dude.
uphill travel:聽Otherwise known as uphill skiing. Performed with specialized ski gear that allows a skier to ascend a slope covered in snow (see:聽climbing skins, tech bindings, telemark).
V:
惫补谤颈补产濒别:听A reference to variable snow conditions on a particular slope. A term used by someone who considers him or herself an expert skier but has just fallen.
惫别谤迟:听Short for vertical, or the amount of elevation change between the top of a run and its end point.
W:
walk mode:聽A setting on alpine touring or telemark boots that increases their forward and backward flex, so they can have a more natural stride when skiing uphill. Walk mode is changed to ski mode at the top, which stiffens the boot for the descent. Great for extended 补辫谤猫蝉-ing. Nobody鈥檚 dancing all night in alpine boots.
white room:聽A descent through deep powder in which face shots become so frequent that a skier can grow disoriented, as if standing in an all white room with no defining edges.
飞丑耻尘辫蹿:听A sound caused by weak layers in the聽snowpack collapsing, often under the weight of a backcountry skier. Indicative of instability and sometimes a sign that an avalanche just started. Not a good sound to hear in the backcountry. May cause you to wet yourself.
wind slab:聽A layer of hardened snow built up by wind currents depositing snow in a particular area of a slope. Wind slabs are a common cause of avalanches.
X:
齿颁:听Short for cross country. Abbreviation used by those who enjoy spandex-clad ski walking.
齿-谤补测:听What you end up getting if you act like a Jerry in the backcountry. Bone selfies!
Y:
测补丑辞辞:听A reckless person whose actions are likely to result in injury, either to the yahoo or others. Yahoos who drive way too fast down snowy roads, venture poorly prepared into the backcountry, and take blind jumps.
yard sale:聽To crash so violently that most of your gear鈥攕kis, poles, hat, goggles, etc.鈥攊s strewn across the slope as if part of a yard sale. Can be funny to see from the chair lift. Is not fun to participate in.
测别迟颈:听A hairy creature with enormous feet that roams the Himalayas and who聽may or may not own a very rugged cooler. Or, that hairy dude in the hot tub who talks too much and makes very awkward eye contact.
测耻谤迟:听Russian word for the round, skin- or canvas-wrapped shelters favored by the nomadic peoples of Siberia and Asia. Similar to聽the Mongolian ger. Now used frequently used in the American backcountry as huts where skiers can spend the night on longer trips. A ski bum dwelling that will always smell like wet wool and old festival sandals.
Z:
zipper 肠谤耻蝉迟:听A thin, frozen layer on top of softer snow that is too weak to support any weight, but thick enough to be felt. Skiing through it can often produce a sound similar to a zipper opening or closing.
For more聽on the backcountry apparel you need to have fun outside, please visit聽.