Valleys, Routes, and Crossings
Glossary
| benched | where the track has been cut into the hillside |
| biv/bivvy | bivouac: any rudimentary shelter e.g. under a rock; a minimalist hut |
| blaze | the scar left after some bark has been cut from a tree: an outdated and bad track-marking practice |
| BN | navigation grade = Bushcraft/Navigation = well experienced, see Introduction |
| burn | an area cleared of vegetation by fire |
| cairn | a mound of stones marking a track, route or fork |
| campsite | flat cleared area of sufficient size to pitch a tent |
| crush zone | a region where rocks have been crushed by fault activity, resulting in a mixture of small angular stones held together with clay |
| disc | a metal or plastic trail marker; usually a metal disc, venetian blind offcut, or plastic triangle. A column of three discs marks a track junction. |
| DoC | Department of Conservation; the custodians of our Forest Park |
| face | a steep, generally featureless hillside: no significant spurs or creeks |
| flats | flatlands; may be in grass or the bush |
| FG | Navigation Grade = Family Group = no great difficulty, see Introduction |
| gorge | a narrowing of the watercourse inducing difficulty; commonly with rock walls, pools to be swum, or falls to be sidled |
| graded | where the gradient is fairly uniform |
| gut | a narrow and steep watercourse or dry gully |
| L | to the left as you face it |
| lawyer | tataramoa: a forest vine with sharp clinging hooks |
| OT | Navigation grade = ordinary tramping = pretty normal, see Introduction |
| pad | the ground print of a trail |
| QBN | Bushcraft and Navigation, see Introduction |
| QOT | Ordinary Tramper, see Introduction |
| QFG | Family groups, see Introduction |
| R | to the right as you face it |
| ridge | the highest ground between two major stream catchment areas and connecting several high points (see also spur) |
| route | a feasible passage from one place to another, but not necessarily marked or easy to follow |
| saddle | a low place on a ridge or spur, often giving access from one catchment to another |
| SH | State Highway |
| sidle | to traverse around a hillside, or to bypass an obstacle |
| slip | the trace of a landslide |
| spaniard | taramea: an upland plant with sharp bayonet leaves |
| spur | the highest ground between two minor stream catchment areas and running from a ridge to a valley. contra ridge |
| standard | a metal fence post – often a waratah |
| talus scree | loose rubble |
| tarn | pond or tiny lake, typically on a ridge or the tops |
| terrace | a raised flat area, often with a sharply defined edge |
| TL | True Left i.e. the left side of a stream when facing downstream |
| tops | country above the bushline; may be alpine |
| tor | an isolated natural column of rock |
| TR | True Right i.e. the right side of a stream when facing downstream |
| track or trail | a well-formed or well-marked route; sometimes graded and commonly kept cleared |
| tram-line | a bush-logging tramway or the remains of its ground formation |
| windfall/windthrow | a fallen tree or branch (Take care not to lose the trail!) |
See also
- A tramper's Vocabulary
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