FAQ
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Mallorca island and rockclimbing
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Safety in the mountains
- How NOT to climb the summit?
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Elbrus questions
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Rockclimbing questions
- Rockclimbing gear
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Questions on the alpine programs
- What to climb in Morocco?
- Weekend summit climb
- Georgia 2023
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Difference of mountaineering from rockclimbing
English version of the text for mobile device
Versión del texto en español para dispositivos móviles
Aren't rock climbing and mountaineering the same thing? - This is one of the most frequently asked questions about my School.
Mountaineering and rock climbing - similarities and differences
Indeed, for many people, for the first time captivated by the magnificence of the mountains, these two concepts mean roughly the same thing - climbing.
In fact, although mountaineering and rock climbing were indeed tightly linked in the recent past, today they are two different activities.
Until the second half of the 20th century, mountaineering and rock climbing were the same
Mountaineering cannot be considered either a sport or a form of fitness – it is too variable and unpredictable in terms of conditions and results.
Mountaineering is an active form of interaction with the environment, a type of active recreation, and an exciting form of travel.
MCS AlexClimb mountaineering expedition in the mountains of Peru
Mountaineering is a broad concept encompassing many specialized skills and disciplines, including rock climbing, ice climbing, applied navigation, physical and psychological training, and more.
Mountaineering is a way of life – active, full of adventure, requiring constant maintenance of fitness and vitality, ready for new, exciting journeys and mountains.
MCS AlexClimb mountaineering expedition to the most beautiful mountain in the world - Alpamayo
The goal in mountaineering is to reach the mountain summit. Depending on the nature and category of the route, the ascent can be technically simple, requiring no special skills or prior training, and accessible to almost anyone (Mount Kilimanjaro, Mount Elbrus, Mont Blanc, Mount Huayna Potosi).
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MCS AlexClimb School's ascent to Mount Huayna Potosi in Bolivia
As the obstacles become more challenging, the climbing route's category becomes higher, increasing the overall difficulty and risks involved.
MCS AlexClimb School's ascent to Mount Khan Tengri in the Tien Shan, Kyrgyzstan
High-category mountaineering routes (Matterhorn, Mount Ushba, Nevado Alpamayo, Monte Fitz Roy) can be complicated by a variety of obstacles: rock bastions, icefalls, deep snow, oxygen deprivation.
Ascent to such mountain routes requires serious training, acclimatization, careful logistical preparation.
MCS AlexClimb School's ascent to Mount Shkhara, Caucasus
In mountaineering, a person puts himself against the forces that are obviously stronger than him.
Only the utmost concentration of all physical and psychological qualities enables success in mountain climbing.
The highest mountain Europe and Russia - Mount Elbrus
The level of risk and physical exertion in mountaineering is significantly higher than in rock climbing.
Due to the large number of uncontrollable factors, it is impossible to guarantee the success of an alpine ascent or its safety.
Initial and intermediate climbing routes in the Caucasus Mountains by MCS AlexClimb
Participants in mountaineering ascents or mountain expeditions are required to fully understand a high level of personal responsibility for their actions. There is an age limit for mountaineering: to participate in the alpine climbs of any difficulty, you must be at least 20 years old.
MCS AlexClimb School's ascent to Mount Ushba, Caucasus, Georgia
Unlike mountaineering, rock climbing is an ideal, safe competitive sport and a form of effective fitness.
More than 50 years ago, rock climbing emerged from mountaineering as a separate competitive sport (since 2020, rock climbing has been an Olympic sport).
Today, rock climbing has no connection to its mountaineering past.
MCS AlexClimb Rock Climbing Program in Tenerife, Spain
Practicing rock climbing is no longer tied to mountain terrain and does not carry the risks inherent in mountaineering.
Rock climbing now is an independent sport, similar in its nature of exertion and technique to artistic gymnastics. A sporting event in rock climbing is a specially prepared climbing route no more than 35 meters high. The average height of a rock climbing route is 15-25 meters.
MCS AlexClimb Rock Climbing Program in Kalymnos Island, Greece
Outdoor rock climbing routes on the natural terrain are equipped with protection points, cleared of loose rocks.
Stationary rock climbing routes are quite safe; their height is merely a training factor.
MCS AlexClimb Rock Climbing Program on Mallorca, Spain
The goal in rock climbing is to complete a climbing route by developing technical skills for performing various complex movements.
The concept of "rock climbing" Includes several types of excercise:
Classic rock climbing - climbing the climbing routes organized on the natural terrain - limestone, basalt, granit or sandstone rock.
Classic rock climbing
Sport indoor rock climbing is climbing on artificial wall made of plywood or plastic, which imitates rock to varying degrees.
Sport rock climbing artificial wall
Bouldering is the most athletic form of rock climbing. Its essence is to climb short, extremely difficult routes, usually no more than 5-6 meters high, on artificial or natural terrain.
Bouldering gym (climbing wall)
Speed climbing - "vertical running" - a high-speed climbing along a certified standard route of 15 meters long at 5° overhang, the same in all competitions.
Sport Speed Rock Climbing
A huge number of people around the world engage in rock climbing as a form of fitness, do it as daily sports excercise.
Due to the variability of the physical load, rock climbing is ideal for solving a wide range of fitness problems.
MCS AlexClimb Rock Climbing Program in Israel
There are no age restrictions for rock climbing; children begin training at 5-6 years old. Many continue rock climbing into the very respected age.
80-year-old rock climber scales a cliff in Mallorca, Spain
Which is better – mountaineering or rock climbing?
It doesn't matter! Whatever is your passion, any hobby enriches your life, makes it full and interesting, provides incentive for regular exercise! And, ultimately, it helps you maintain high energy levels and good health until old age!
Text and photography by Alex Trubachev
International mountain guide, rock climbing and ice climbing coach.
MCS EDIT 2025
Our Principles
AlexClimb Rule #1 - Safety First
From the very beginning of our activity, here nearly 16 years, the first Principle of work of School of mountaineering and rock-climbing of MCS AlexClimb is the Safety Priority. On the basis of this Principle all process of training is based, all programs and rounds are developed and carried out only within this main principle. We consider that at professional approach to development of programs, at personal discipline and correctly put motivation - occupations by mountaineering and rock-climbing are COMPLETELY safe. And from the return - all troubles and accidents in our sport come from nonprofessionalism, from ignorance or neglect by elementary standards of safety, from irrational motivation, from revaluation of own forces and opportunities. All these prerequisites we COMPLETELY EXCLUDE in our work - ours Rock-climbing, Ice climbing and Mountaineering are based on one Principle - the Safety Priority. In rock-climbing, mountaineering and ice climbing, the Priority of Safety of MCS AlexClimb-is your personal security and comfort irrespective of, than we are engaged - we train muscles and we work technology of the movement in the sports hall and on the rock climbing wall, we make the way through snowstorm to top or we relax on golden sand of the Caribbean beach after hot day of trainings on rocks. The Safety priority - the main credo of School of mountaineering and rock-climbing of MCS AlexClimb.
AlexClimb Rule #2 - Leave No Trace
Closely interacting with Nature, working with the active programs in mountains, woods, lakes and rivers, we perfectly understand the importance of carefull and respectfull bahavior towards the Nature, for its resources. From the very beginning of our outdoor-activity we adopted rules of Leave No Trace technique - the standard of behavior of the person accepted in all the civilized world in relation to environment and especially - to the wild nature. After all on the relation of people to the nature near which they exist, itself can draw dalekoidushchy conclusions on the relation of these people to... Where and as we didn't travel - we don't reserve any garbage, we try to reduce whenever possible our influence on environment to a minimum. We clear earlier zagryazyonny tourist parking of the left garbage, we take out and we take out to utilization places that to us other people left there. We consider that only thus, at personal individual consciousness of each citizen, each tourist, climber or autotraveller, we will be able to keep the nature surrounding us in its state, natural, suitable for life, - in it pledge of the healthy future for ourselves and our children.
