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? > > -- > View this message in context: > http://gis.638310.n2.nabble.com/Named-passages-on-hiking-paths-tp6170108p6171183.html > Sent from the General Discussion mailing list archive at Nabble.com. > > _______________________________________________ > talk mailing list > talk@openstreetmap.org > http://lists.openstreetmap.org/listinfo/talk -- Gilles Bassière - Web/GIS software engineer http://gbassiere.free.fr/ _______________________________________________ talk mailing list talk@openstreetmap.org http://lists.openstreetmap.org/listinfo/talk
