[OSM-talk] Named passages on hiking paths

[Gilles Bassière]

Thank you all for your inputs, translations and jokes :)

Here, "pas" does not refer to a mountain pass (although some mountain
passes have a name starting with "Pas de ...").

I don't think "traverse" would fit either because the term is specific
to climbers.

Via ferrata is closer because these ways are equipped with
cables/chains. But they are still different because the whole path of a
via ferrata is equiped and they purposely go through difficult/vertical
obstacles. Climbing equipment is usually required for security. I'm
rather talking about very short difficult passages along a regular
hiking path. Such passages are not there for fun but because of an
unavoidable obstacle.

I manage to find some pictures of some "pas":
* Pas de la savonnette:
http://www.amisdesaintevictoire.asso.fr/montagne%20sainte%20victoire/sentiers/jaune/stevictoir030606%20004.jpg
* Pas de l'oeil de verre:
http://www.randomania.fr/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/pas_oeil_verre_equipe.JPG
* Pas du Boret: http://www.randoplus.ch/img/photos/600/pas-du-boret.jpg

In the last example, there is no chain or particular equipment on the
way but this passage is very steep and wearying, hence the qualification
as "Pas de ...".

I think that Phil got the right term with step. I've never tried the
Hillary step myself (!) but from what I can read, it matches the
description of what we call a "pas". Moreover, these technical passages
are often symbolic marks along the trail. For example, if I were to
describe a hiking trail, I could decompose it in several legs joining
these "pas" and other landmarks. It is therefore relevant to talk about
a step.

Phil also said that "step" carries too many meanings and is therefore
unclear. Even if hiking=step would reduce the scope to the hiking
context, we can expect confusion with highway=steps. I'm reluctant to
add an adjective such as technical_step because, as I said earlier, a
"pas" can be technical OR just wearying OR anything difficult.

Anyway, thanks again for your inputs. I'll try to discuss an appropriate
tag with hikers on Talk:Hiking.

Regards,
Gilles

Nathan Edgars II wrote:
> Gilles Bassière wrote:
>> When hiking, I often encounter short technical passages which have a
>> name painted on the rock. In French, the name almost always begin with
>> "Pas de ..." but I'm not sure if there is a good translation for "pas"
>> in English [1]. Such portions of the path often consist in passing a
>> small cliff or an exposed ridge, they may be equipped with chains or
>> cables.
>>
> Is http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Proposed_features/via_ferrata what
> you're thinking of?
> 
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-- 
Gilles Bassière - Web/GIS software engineer
http://gbassiere.free.fr/