The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 letter word PITON
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
P
I
T
O
N
More clues leading to the result PITON
- It helps mountaineer no end on way back
- Attach nails to spike
- What gets waiter angry, upset, is something upwardly mobile type hammers home
- Climber’s equipped with this and irrational not to ascend
- Spike for working below mine
- Climbing aid‘s special point
- Pointless climbing – without this?
- What mountaineer requires is hint when ascending — to get on
- Peg has broken point
- Nail about to nail
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "What mountaineer requires" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case what mountaineer requires = piton.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does PITON mean?
PITON noun- A spike, wedge, or peg that is driven into a rock or ice surface as a support (as for a mountain climber).
- To put pitons into a rock/ice to facilitate climbing.