bluff n., high steep bank; cliff. We looked for an easy way to climb up the bluff to the land above, but the sheer rock
provided no footholds.

switch • back n., zigzag road, trail, or section of railroad tracks for climbing a steep hill. Driving from the mountain village to the valley below was terrifying, because the road was a switchback—all dangerous curves overlooking sheer drops to the valley thousands of feet below.