Mountain Vocabulary

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Date:

Instructions: Scale new heights with mountain climbing and geography terms — from 'summit' to 'scree' and everything in between!

1.
What is a 'summit' of a mountain?
A
The highest point or peak
B
The base camp
C
A meeting of mountain climbers
D
The steepest slope
2.
What does 'scree' refer to?
A
A type of climbing rope
B
A mountain bird
C
Loose rocks and debris covering a slope
D
The echo in a valley
3.
What is a 'col' in mountain geography?
A
A rocky cliff face
B
A type of mountain flower
C
A mountain lake
D
The lowest point between two peaks, a saddle-like pass
4.
What does 'avalanche' mean?
A
A type of mountain goat
B
A rapid flow of snow, ice, and debris down a mountainside
C
A loud thunder in the mountains
D
A mountain path
5.
What is a 'moraine'?
A
A type of mountain stream
B
A high-altitude flower
C
A morning mist in mountains
D
An accumulation of rocks and sediment carried and deposited by a glacier
6.
What does 'altitude sickness' refer to?
A
Fear of heights
B
Sunburn at high altitude
C
Illness caused by reduced oxygen at high elevations
D
Dehydration while climbing
7.
What is a 'crevasse'?
A
A mountain peak
B
A deep crack or fissure in a glacier or ice sheet
C
A small mountain stream
D
A type of climbing boot
8.
What does 'timberline' (or 'tree line') mark?
A
The boundary of a national park
B
The elevation above which trees cannot grow
C
Where wooden cabins are built
D
Where logging is permitted
9.
What is a 'ridge' in mountain geography?
A
A long, narrow elevated crest of a mountain
B
A deep valley
C
A type of cloud near peaks
D
A mountain trail
10.
What does 'cairn' refer to on a mountain?
A
A natural rock formation
B
A mound of stones built as a trail marker or memorial
C
A mountain shelter
D
A type of tent
11.
What is an 'escarpment'?
A
A type of campsite
B
A mountain escape route
C
A long, steep slope or cliff at the edge of a plateau
D
A type of rock climbing hold
12.
What does 'switchback' mean in mountain trail terms?
A
A zigzag path up a steep slope to make climbing easier
B
Turning around and going back
C
A type of backpack
D
A backward flip while climbing
13.
What is a 'tarn'?
A
A mountain animal
B
A small mountain lake, often formed in a glacial cirque
C
A shelter from wind
D
A type of climbing knot
14.
What does 'cirque' refer to in mountain geography?
A
A bowl-shaped depression carved by glacial erosion
B
A traveling mountain show
C
A type of mountain bird
D
A circular mountain path
15.
What is a 'butte'?
A
A mountain spring
B
A climbing technique
C
A type of mountain goat
D
An isolated hill with steep sides and a flat top

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