Difference between mountaineering and rock climbing

Climbers and climbers are courageous, resilient people whose determination and self-control overcome the most difficult obstacles. However, not everyone knows how mountaineering differs from rock climbing, and someone even mistakenly assumes that these names are absolute synonyms and mean the same kind of extreme. Let's try to dispel these assumptions.

Definition

Mountaineering - sports activity, associated with mountain climbing. The difficulty of the route is determined by the height of the summit, the technical complexity of the distance, and weather conditions.

Rock climbing, which a few decades ago was really equated with mountaineering, also represents overcoming a relief route. Now it acts as an independent sport with its own characteristics.

Comparison

In both cases there is movement on an elevated surface, overcoming obstacles. Now let's turn to those criteria that make up the difference between mountaineering and rock climbing.

Climbing site

Climbers test their strength only in natural conditions. Their "workplace" is high mountains, often snow-capped. The climbers' path runs not only through the rocks. Those who decide to take a similar route also overcome ice sections, mountain rivers and other hard-to-reach places.

The climber trains on the rocky areas. Moreover, the rocky relief can be not only natural, but also created by people specifically for such purposes. Areas for training these skills are called climbing walls.

Goal

What the climber wants is to reach the top of the mountain. This highest point can be located five hundred meters from the earth's surface, and several kilometers from it.

It is important for a climber to follow a route to overcome a certain piece of natural rock or climb a climbing stand in the training hall. The height of the track can be from several units to several tens of meters.

Equipment

The minimum that a climber can cost includes safety shoes, a hard hat, harness and a bag of chalk for a secure grip.

The climber, on the other hand, has to arm himself with many things. This list includes: warm, wind and moisture resistant clothing; special boots; safety system; technical arsenal in the form of rock and ice hooks, ladders, all kinds of means for moving along the rope; ice ax and stuff.

Due to the fact that the equipment for mountaineering is so large, this activity is much more expensive than rock climbing.

Training

In climbing, the emphasis is on developing the ability to climb terrain with only the hands and feet. The training stand provides great opportunities for this. If you want to get additional impressions from the proximity to nature, the climbing technique is practiced on natural rocks.

Mountaineering is not only the training of certain physical abilities, but also the ability to use special equipment, the development of strategic skills, as well as the development of such applied disciplines as rescue techniques, orienteering, radio communication and others.

Discharge growth

Consider the difference between mountaineering and rock climbing, if we discuss them in the context of a sports career. In the second of the named types of extreme, the ranks and titles can be obtained faster. After all, a climber in a day has the opportunity to show himself in more than one type of competition and at the same time earn a certain number of points.

In climbers, bit growth is not so fast, since a valid ascent can take at least three days, and often, with increased difficulty and a long route, it lasts much longer. In addition, the weather factor plays an important role.

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