sherpa noun A male member of the Sherpa people employed as a mountain guide or porter

summit noun a peak; the top of a mountain

elevation noun That which is raised up or elevated; an elevated place or station; as, an elevation of the ground; a hill.

sea level noun Height of the surface of the oceans above which heights of geographical features and aircraft flight levels are measured.

abyss noun A bottomless depth, gulf, or chasm; any deep, immeasurable, or bottomless pit

peak noun The very top of the mountain

secure noun To make free from danger Verb Free from danger

yak noun An ox-like mammal native to the Himalayas and Tibet with dark, long and silky hair a horse like tail and a full, bushy mane

glacier noun A large body of ice which flows under its own mass, usually downhill.

altitude noun The height measured from sea level up to any given point. A vertical distance.

acclimatization noun The process of becoming used to a new climate

acclimate verb To learn to endure or survive in a climate from which you are not native

gear noun Equipment needed specifically for an athletic endeavor

expedition noun A journey taken by a group of people with a definite objective

base camp noun Area used for staging an attempt to reach the summit of a mountain 17,700 feet

Advanced base camp (ABC) noun Staging area 2 or Camp 2 for attempts to summit 21,300 feet

crevasse noun Crack or opening (fissure) in a glacier or ice field

Death zone noun Last area before attempting to summit; climbers can only endure being in the death zone for 2-3 days; high risk for altitude sickness & frostbite

frostbite noun The freezing of some part of the body

descend Verb To pass from a higher to a lower place; to move downwards

avalanche noun A large mass or body of snow and ice sliding swiftly down a mountain side