Mountaineering
Mountain Climbing: so You Want to be a Mountain Climber
So you want to be a mountain climber. You want to be a mountaineer, do you? Alright then. Here are the very basics. Mountaineering is the act of hiking, climbing and camping up mountains. To most of us it is a sport, a hobby. But to those for which mountaineering is like breathing, it is a true profession. You must be athletically fit and have the technical ability for it. One more thing many people don’t realize: you’ve got to have the mental capacity for it. It’s challenging for the mind and the spirit. You need every part of yourself.
There are three typical terrains encompassed by mountaineering. They are snow, glaciers and ice—each requiring its own specific equipment. Snow shoes are very useful for deep snow, such as what you may find in long fields of snow or on inferior slopes of a mountain where snow will pile up. Glaciers pose no problem by themselves. The greatest danger is in the common occurrence of a crevasse while crossing one. These deep chasms are often well hidden from sight by a snowbridge that is often just a few inches thick. A wrong step and it could be all over for you. In glacial travel, a system of ropes is used, binding climbers to each other. If necessary, a crevasse rescue to the rescue! Basic glacial gear includes rope, crampons and an ice axe. This will also be your basic gear for travelling over ice. If you’re travelling over steep ice, however, you’ll also need ice screws (aka pickets) and an extra axe. Now, if the ice is a vertical wall, you’ll need ice climbing skills to get up there. Be ready for it.
Climbing a worthy mountain requires days of camping out. Time is needed to acclimatize to the high altitude conditions. It often requires more than a day to descend to the base of the mountain once you’ve reached the top. You’ve got a few choices for shelter on those forbidding slopes. Base camps may be found on many popular, usually very dangerous summits. These camps give you time to prepare for an attempt to reach the summit. Additional camps may be found further up the mountain where the summit cannot be reached from base camp in a single day. Mountain huts, with varying names based on location, have basic eating and sleeping facilities. Some are abandoned during certain times of the year but, at favorable times, are fully manned and stocked. Some huts offer booking in advance and, in these cases, cancellations are advised. If cancellations aren’t given and the party doesn’t show, it could indicate that someone is stuck on a mountain and needs help.
Much simpler, temporary shelters are often used up on a mountain. The most common shelter on a mountain is a tent. They’re easy to pick up, easy to take down. If weather threatens, outcroppings of snow or rock are readily used to fortify them. A bivouac (bivy) is an open encampment that can give you a rough-and-ready resting and sleeping arrangement. Handmade shelters, such as a snow cave, may be dug out of the ground in at least four feet of snow—a very compact fit. A quinzee, on the other hand, is carved out of a pile of snow above ground. While these handmade shelters may not seem like much, they are so much warmer than being outside in the open freezing air. Igloos are surely a possibility, but it takes quite some time to build one. Time, while climbing a mountain, is always something you wish you had more of.
Aside from knowing what types of terrain to expect and how to manage them, what types of shelter are available, you must know what dangers to look for. The three main types of danger in mountaineering are things falling on you, yourself falling and bad weather. Things falling on you include rocks, snow (avalanches), ice and even another climber, or his gear. As a climber, you could loose your hold and drop into very thin air. You may go careening down a mountainside. If you survive the brutal tumble, hopefully you won’t land in a deep hole or a crevasse. Good grief! And a climber should never forget the ever-present threatening danger of the weather. While many dangers may be avoided based on the route you choose going up and down the mountain, no climber can ever escape the weather. You mustn’t ever ignore it. It could mean your life and don’t ever allow yourself to doubt it. I
If you’re going to be a mountaineer, you’ve got to be serious. A few months preparation is not being serious—unless, of course, you’re already athletically fit and adept at another climbing activity. This is one of the most dangerous, most extreme nature sports there is.
You must be fit. You have to be smart. Always be ready. And, please, don’t ever climb alone. You know you’re just asking for it. Be careful up there!
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Len Q. is a master blade sharpener and an adventurer who strives to protect the natural world. If you would like to learn about
- Knife Sharpening: How to Sharpen Knives, Maintain and Store Them
- The Fastest Way to Sharpen, Tests for Sharpness and more
- Sharpening Other Edges (Maintain and Store Them)
(e.g. Chain Saws, Gardening Tools, Axes)
- Or maybe you could use a Free Guide on Sharpening Lawn Mower Blades
Find it here at www.MakeKnivesSharp.com. your mountain.
The Thrill Of Rock Climbing
Why would you want to climb a rock? What if you fall. At the least you may get a few scratches. Maybe break a bone or two or crack open your head like an egg. There wouldn’t be much left of you if you did. So why do it? You want to impress your friends, or for the thrill, the exhilaration? Probably, all those reasons.
Rock climbing though, especially when you have scaled a shear rock wall or crawled upside down under an outcropping to get around and over the edge so you can continue upward has got to be a huge sense of accomplishment and total exhilaration. Once you are at the top and look down to your starting point, which appears to look further down than it did looking up, it can only be described as “WOW”. You almost feel super human, even though you may be dead tired. The fun part is propelling back down with a series of distance covering leaps and can be just as invigorating.
Rock climbing isn’t for everybody though, even if you have a mind to do it. Rock climbing takes strength and endurance, let alone intestinal fortitude. You must build up your strength and stamina to be able to pull yourself up from one pitch to the next. This is an extreme sport that is not for someone who is out of shape physically. You should make sure you are in good health and capable of climbing before attempting to scale a rock wall. You can do this through workout routines. There are even practice walls you can experience in order to get into shape. These are usually indoors and the risks are minimal. You do not want to measure how physically fit you are by trying to climb a high peak. This only spells disaster.
There are certain exercises you can do to help prepare for rock climbing. The first is simple pull ups. These should be done at different angles and heights because of the conditions you will be facing when climbing the rock walls. Also, the arms are used to hang with while attaching your gear to the walls. You must be able to hang with one arm and maneuver the other to hack out a place for your equipment or to place your equipment. Balance is another thing you must possess. Never rule out lower body strength as it is your feet that keep you on a tiny ledge until you anchor in.
Rock climbing should also be done in pairs. This is the safest way to climb. If something does go wrong you have a partner there to help. In my state there have been at least three mishaps already this year. Had they not had a partner they may never have been rescued before it was too late. Plus having a partner gives you the added benefit of being able to share the experience. Knowing that you and your partner just scaled a wall others would consider insurmountable is a feeling like no other.
There are many places you can go to learn the sport of rock climbing. The cost generally includes all the equipment you will need. The instructors are certified by the American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA) and have your safety utmost in their minds. You can take these classes whether you are a beginner or an advanced rock climber.
The less advanced rock climber may feel more comfortable with a guide when doing their first climb or two. There are many places which offer guided rock climbing experiences. Always make certain that your guide is a member of the AMGA. This way you know safety is first and foremost. The thrills you seek come from the climb not from faulty equipment or inexperienced guides.
The exhilaration that comes from scaling the cliffs and walls of some of the most beautiful country side can only be experienced by being out there. Join a group or a club. Travel the country or the world conquering the cliffs and mountains. Heck, you might even try scaling Mount Everest someday. You will never know how wonderful it is to reach the peak and know what you have accomplished until you have done it.
Richard Prosser