Exposure (heights)

Sections of a hiking path or climbing route are described as "exposed" if there is a high risk of injury in the event of a fall because of the steepness of the terrain.

What constitutes exposure on a path is fairly obvious, however, an "exposed" location or section of a climbing route is not uniformly or clearly defined in the literature.

There are no threshold values, for example, based on the gradient of the terrain, the height of rock faces or the character of a ridge or arête.

Authors tend to use their own definition of the terms "exposure" or "exposed" when describing routes, for example: "Exposed" sections of a path or a route can cause fear as well as serious problems for climbers and walkers in mountainous terrain if they lack a head for heights.

The anxiety caused by the exposure reduces with habituation, but even experienced climbers often have to get used to heights again at the start of the climbing season.