French Toast

Southguard Lake

from Cinder Col

Kings Canyon National Park

08/29/2004

Col: a gap between peaks in a mountain range, used as a pass

The term Col is not to be confused with coulier (pronounced "cool-wah") which is the French term for chute, an example of which is seen as the deep gully on the Western face of Mt. Brewer:

You can see that the coulier pictured above is surrounded by gendarmes (from French, referring to personnel in the French police service). This term, in mountaineering, refers to rocky outcroppings which might appear to represent French police officers standing at attention. Now I've seen Steve Martin starring in The Pink Panther, and the rocky outcroppings pictured above do not look like Inspector Clouseau:

What about other French mountaineering terms, like arete, avalanche, bivouac, belay, crevasse, glissade, glacier, massif, moraine, rappel, talus, giardia and sorbet? Why is mountaineering terminology so influenced by words with French derivations? John Muir wasn't French (like Scottie, from Star Trek, and certain kinds of tape, he was Scotch). The guys down at REI certainly aren't French. Any my brother, Jay, who has climbed lots of mountains? I don't think he's French either. I don't get it.

I do thank the French, however, for their other wonderful contributions, including French toast and fabric softener.