Earthbound Expeditions

Trekking words, explained

New to trekking in Nepal? Here are the words we use on our trip pages, written for someone hearing them for the first time.

How hard is it?

Every trip carries a grade. Here is what each one means for you on the trail.

Easy
A gentle trip. Short walking days on mostly flat or rolling ground, fine for anyone in normal health with no trekking experience.
Moderate
A middle level of difficulty. Some longer days and uphill stretches, so everyday fitness helps, but no special skills are needed.
Strenuous
A demanding trip. Long days, steep ground and high altitude, so you should be fit and used to walking for several hours, day after day.
Technical
Involves real mountaineering: ropes, an ice axe and crampons. We train you first and climb with certified guides.

Trekking words

The mountain and travel terms that come up on our trip pages, in plain words.

Acclimatisation
Giving your body time to get used to the thin air high in the mountains by going up slowly and taking rest days. It lowers the chance of altitude sickness.
Base Camp
The last camp at the foot of a mountain, where climbers rest before going higher. On a trek it is the place you walk to, not a climb.
Glacier
A slow-moving river of ice, built up from packed snow over many years. The high trails often run alongside one.
Gompa
A Buddhist temple or monastery in the Himalaya, usually the heart of a mountain village.
Gorge
A deep, narrow valley with steep rock sides, usually carved by a river.
Kala Patthar
A rocky hill above Everest Base Camp, about 5,545 m. It gives the clearest close-up view of Everest, best caught at sunrise.
Massif
A compact group of connected mountain peaks treated as one block, like the Annapurna massif.
Moraine
The ridge of rock and rubble a glacier pushes up at its edge. Near base camp the trail often crosses this loose, rocky ground.
Sagarmatha
The Nepali name for Mount Everest, and for the national park that surrounds it.
Sherpa
A people of the Everest region, known for their mountain skill and warmth. Many of Nepal's best guides and climbers are Sherpa.
Stupa
A dome-shaped Buddhist monument, often white with painted eyes near the top. People walk around it clockwise as a form of prayer.
Suspension bridge
A long footbridge hung from steel cables, used to cross rivers and gorges high above the water.
Teahouse
A small, family-run mountain lodge that gives trekkers a simple room and hot meals. Most Nepal treks stay in teahouses rather than tents.
Thorong La
The high pass on the Annapurna Circuit, about 5,416 m. 'La' means pass. Crossing it is the highest and hardest day of the trek.
Trekking permit
The official pass you need to enter Nepal's national parks and trekking areas. We arrange and pay for these as part of the trip.
Whitewater
The fast, foaming, rough parts of a river. Rapids are graded from Class I (easy) up to Class V (very hard).