Archive for the ‘mountaineering’ Category
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Some Frequently Asked Questions about Mountaineering
For many people, the two terms “hiking” and “mountaineering” are two interchangeable words. In reality, however, they are entirely different things. That’s why many hikers who want to start moving into the world of mountaineering don’t realize that their newfound passion might actually be considered a sport in and of itself. That’s why this article will take some of the most frequently asked questions about mountaineering – and answer them.
Question: What exactly is mountaineering?
Answer: Mountaineering could be considered “hiking for mountains.” While a simple hike might take you up a challenging hill, to scale a mountain is an entirely different endeavor. It takes a lot of discipline, skill, experience, and will power to enable yourself to climb mountains, and the world’s toughest mountains are still exhaustive challenges even for the world’s best mountaineers.
Question: Where should I get started if I want to mountaineer?
Answer: You should probably consult a doctor to get a checkup and to find out about your physical fitness levels and if you have any conditions that would make it difficult you to climb mountains. You’ll also want to try consulting some professional or experienced mountaineers to find out what you can expect.
Question: What kind of training is best suited for mountaineering?
Answer: Stamina is one of the areas to focus on, so an activity that requires a lot of stamina like running or even hiking would be a great prelude to working on a mountain. You’ll also want to focus on breathing, proper stretching of your muscles, and the development of upper-body strength through exercises and resistance training.
Question: Is mountaineering dangerous?
Answer: Like many things, mountaineering can be as dangerous as you make it. You can start out by trying some simple mountain hikes to get a feel for it – paths that are already carved out by plenty of human activity are a good way to introduce yourself to the sport. More advanced challenges shouldn’t be tackled right away. If you do plenty of preparing and make realistic strides, you can minimize your risks.
Question: What kind of equipment will I need?
Answer: Much of your equipment will be similar to what you would bring on an extended hike: a backpack to store your goods, a good pair of boots/shoes, and navigation tools like a compass and/or a GPS. It’s good to bring plenty of provisions of water and food, but keep in mind these can also weigh you down.
Question: What is the greatest challenge in mountaineering?
Answer: You’ll see plenty of different answers to this question, but one possibility is that your mindset and attitude will be the greatest challenge in mountaineering. When you push your body and mind to the limit with a difficult climb, it’s your attitude that will carry you through to the end.
Photo Credits: Dru!
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Three Types of Extreme Hiking
If I ask you to associate a word with “hiking,” what immediately pops to mind? Probably calm words like “serene,” “peaceful,” or “nature.” But the world of exploring nature and crossing different terrain isn’t only about moving quietly up hiking trails in secluded national parks. There are different types of hiking – more extreme levels of hiking – that many of us don’t even think about.
Mountaineering – If you thought climbing up a hill was tough, mountaineering would be like running a marathon. It takes hiking to another level – a vertical level, as it turns out – moving up steeper slopes and more treacherous terrain in order to get a thrill. It’s not always safe, which is why you’ll see more people hiking up the more peaceful terrain than you will mountaineers. For the mountaineers themselves, experience and a good knowledge of safety precautions can help them live a long life even while risking death.
Canyoneering – It’s probably not to difficult to imagine where a “canyoneer” might venture. As opposed to a mountaineer – who travels up – the canyoneer descends, descends, and descends around canyons and crevasses. It’s a dangerous world of steep cliffs and fast rivers. You might see a canyoneer use skills like working with rope, swimming, and rock climbing in order to make his way around a canyon.There are calmer ways of becoming a canyoneer. If you ever find yourself near a spot like the Grand Canyon, you can take more heavily-trafficked hiking trails that are well-mapped out. Just be sure to proceed with caution.
Coasteering – If a canyoneer climbs across canyons, a “Coasteer” works on the coast. If you associate moving up and down a coast with walking on soft white sand, you haven’t seen it all. Coasteering can see a lot of different challenges and outright challenges to basic safety, including rock cliffs and laggoons. The ocean is always a powerful factor that can’t be ignored; tides are powerful and waves can be angry. A coasteer will get pletny of spectacular views, but sometimes it comes with a great risk to their safety.
If you’ve only been a “Hilleer,” scaling small hills in serene forests, this article has probably opened up a whole new world for you. You don’t have to go and risk life and limb in order to have a better time hiking, but you should know that there’s a lot of different terrain to be explored. If you do decide to tackle tougher terrain, make sure to hire a guide and instructor; you can’t simply waltz into it.
Photo Credits: Chewonki Semester School
