As with many niche communities, thru-hikers have their own jargon and lingo. To the uninitiated, a conversation among thru-hikers may be indecipherable.
Just for fun, here is a list of common thru-hiker terms.
Types of hikes
Thru-hike – To complete the entirety of a long distance backpacking trail. It’s generally accepted that the hike should be completed within one year the be considered a thru-hike.
Section hike – To hike sections of a long distance backpacking trail over a period of time greater than one year.
NOBO – Northbound. On the AT, hiking from Georgia to Maine.
SOBO – Southbound. On the AT, hiking from Maine to Georgia.
Flip-Flop – To divide the trail into two sections. For example, start in Harpers Ferry, WV and hike NOBO to Maine; then return to Harpers Ferry to hike SOBO to Georgia.
Yo-yo – To hike the trail one direction, then turn around and hike all the way back.
LASH – Long Ass Section Hike.
SASH – Short Ass Section Hike.
Slackpacking – Completing a day’s section without your full backpack, day hike style. Requires someone to drop you off and pick you up at the beginning/end of the day, a service often provided by hiker hostels.
The -eros
Zero – a day of zero miles; a rest day.
Nearo – a “near zero.” A day of just a few miles, usually hiking into or out of a town.
Hero – going in and out of town in the same day. (You feel like a hero for not getting vortexed in town; see “Vortex” below).
The Blazes
White Blazing – the most traditional/purist way to hike the AT, that is, following only the white blazes and not taking any alternate routes. The AT is marked by white blazes for the entire 2,200 miles.
Blue Blazing – taking side trails or alternate routes, which are generally marked by blue blazes on the AT.
Yellow Blazing – Referring to the yellow lines on roads, using a paved road to complete a section, whether by foot or car.
Aqua Blazing – Completing a section by boat.
Platinum Blazing – Spending a lot of money on a thru-hike in order to enjoy a bougie experience, such as frequently staying in expensive hotels.
Pink Blazing – Adjusting your usual hiking pace in order to align with the pace of a female love interest.
Banana Blazing – Adjusting your usual hiking pace in order to align with the pace of a male love interest.
Silk Blazing – Being the first one on the trail in the morning, thus being the one to clear all the spider webs from the trail.
Green Blazing – Smoking a lot of pot on the trail.
Deli Blazing – Frequenting the numerous delis that are close to the trail in New Jersey and New York.
Social
Trail name – a nickname bestowed upon you by other hikers. Generally thru-hikers go exclusively by their trail name while on the trail.
Tramily – Trail family. A group of thru-hikers that hike together, forming close family-like bonds.
Trail magic – Unexpected gifts or help given to thru-hikers. Most often applies to food, but could also be rides to town, water caches, a free place to camp, first aid supplies, etc.
Trail angel – Anyone who provides trail magic.
The Bubble – the cluster where the majority of thru-hikers are. On the AT, the Bubble consists of the NOBO hikers who depart Georgia in March and April, the most common timeframe to begin.
Hiker Traits
Trail Legs – The phenomenon where a thru-hiker feels superhuman. Big miles are easy to cover because they have built impressive endurance.
Hiker Hobble – The familiar limping gait of a hiker who is in pain.
Hiker Hunger – The insatiable bottomless pit feeling, due to the massive amount of calories burned on a thru-hike.
Purist – Someone who strictly creates one continuous footpath, or “white blazes” (see above). A purist does not allow for any alternate methods of thru-hiking, such as aqua blazing, yellow blazing, blue blazing, or slackpacking.
Toxic purist – A purist who publicly chastises those who do not follow their same strict rules about thru-hiking.
HYOH – Hike Your Own Hike. To allow each other to hike by their own rules or style without judgement.
Hiker trash – Describes the scruffy, smelly, homeless-like appearance and behavior of thru-hikers, particularly when loitering in town.
Hiker Midnight – the time that is generally accepted as quiet time/bed time among thru-hikers, usually when it starts to get dark or 9 pm.
Vortex – Getting sucked into a town or hostel for extended periods of time due to the creature comforts it provides.
Other
Mama K – Mt Katahdin, the northern terminus of the AT.
PUDs – Pointless Ups and Downs. Mountains that do not provide any reward, i.e. a view, in exchange for the effort made to climb it.
Pista – Pee with a vista.
Poo with a view – self-explanatory.
“Banana blazing” 🤣🤣😂😂😂