In this question, I focus on the fall exposure component. While I understand the perception of danger will vary from person to person, I'm having trouble characterizing mountain exposure. I can see where when you reach YDS (Yosemite Decimal System) 3rd class, it's evident that overall steepness usually makes the path exposed in some way, but at 1st and 2nd class ratings, how do we define exposure? I'll be asking a few questions here but they all aim to aggregate the attributes of a hike or scramble that would make it exposed.
Is the mere presence of a drop-off on one side enough to consider that particular section exposed even if walking on mostly level ground?
Does the footing have any impact, like loose scree on a long steep talus (let's say over 35°)?
How long or steep does a slope have to be to become exposed? I have Greg Slayden's Mt. Columbia trip report in mind where he mentions the constant steepness being overwhelming.
Is a narrow path traversing a slope that ends further below at a drop-off considered exposed?
This question is inspired by my recent experience with Alan Kane's Scrambles in the Canadian Rockies guide. It seemed to me that what constituted exposure was strangely defined or that I didn't understand the concept. For example, I found the slabby ridge up the classic Mt. Rundle quite exposed at its narrowest point (and that's at the most a 2nd class hike), but didn't find the 3rd class moves up Mt. Temple to be that dramatically exposed.