What is rockclimbing?

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MCS AlexClimb Rock Climbing School

Aren't rock climbing and mountaineering the same thing? You'd be surprised, but this is one of the most frequently asked questions.

Indeed, for many people, enchanted by the magnificence of the mountains for the first time and not going into small technical details, these two concepts mean the same thing - climbing to the top somewhere up.

During the heyday of technical mountaineering, rock climbing was an integral part of it

In the recent past, these two types of activity really were one and the same. Until the middle of the 20th century, rock climbing was just a form of special training for difficult alpine mountaineering routes.

However, it soon became clear that rock climbing is interesting in itself, even in complete isolation from the mountain romance - in the format of an interesting and original sport.

MCS AlexClimb Rock Climbing School Training on Pão de Açúcar in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Rock climbing training routes began to appear far from the mountains, on small rock massifs, boulders and even on artificial vertical surfaces equipped with holds and belay for practicing climbing techniques.

MCS AlexClimb Rock Climbing School Training in the Tbilisi Botanical Garden - all the famous Georgian climbers trained here

After a very short time, rock climbing gained wide popularity and became a separate sport, which in its modern form has practically nothing to do with the mountains.

Classical rock climbing today is a separate and quite distinct sport, closer to gymnastics than to mountaineering.

MCS AlexClimb School training in classic rock climbing in the Yonum Cave sector in Israel

But mountaineering, in turn, has fully retained its connection with its "child" - rock climbing.

For mountaineers, rock climbing training is always relevant as a form of special fitness, improving the set of qualities and coordination skills necessary for mountain climbing.

Climbing the 'Mummery Crack' using rock climbing equipment during the ascent of Grepon, Switzerland, 1882

Today, rock climbing in a broad sense includes several types:

Fitness - rock climbing. General physical training at an amateur level on equipped rock climbing routes of low difficulty - to improve coordination and muscle tone. Both indoor and outdoor forms of fitness rock climbing are practiced

MCS AlexClimb School training in the rock climbing fitness center Oslo Klatresenter AS, Norway

Classic rock climbing. As a rule, this is climbing with a rope on fixed routes up to 35 m high, laid on natural rocks. Classic rock climbing is very diverse. It includes a huge variety of terrain types and difficulty levels. Classic rock climbing is the most popular form of rock climbing in the world

MCS AlexClimb School training in classic rock climbing on the island of Kalymnos, Greece

Sport competitive rock climbing. In most cases, professional rock climbing competitions are held on artificial terrain - climbing walls. This makes it easier to equalize the capabilities of all competition participants. Professional rock climbing competitions are not held on fixed routes on the natural terrain.

International sport rock climbing competitions

Speed rock climbing. "Speed" is the most athletic and spectacular form of rock climbing. Speed rock climbing is a separate type of rock climbing that has little in common with classical forms in technique, tactics and main tasks. Speed rock climbing is sort of running but in vertical direction. It is practiced on specially equipped and globally standardized climbing walls with a height of 15 m. The world record at the moment is 4.74 sec (Sam Watson, April 12, 2024)

International Speed Rock Climbing Competitions

Bouldering rock climbing on short routes of high complexity - both on natural and (which is more popular) on artificial rock climbing gyms. Due to the minimal technical requirements for the bouldering climbing gym and equipment, bouldering is the most widespread form of rock climbing in the world. Most routes in bouldering are climbed without a rope - with gymnastic belay over special mats. Due to the high intensity of the load and the lack of fixed belay, bouldering is the most traumatic form of rock climbing.

MCS AlexClimb Rock Climbing School bouldering training in New Zealand, Auckland

Regardless of the type of rock climbing, the sporting task in it is a "clean" (without breakdowns, falls or breaks) climbing of the route, consisting of a set of gymnastic moves.

MCS AlexClimb School rock climbing training in Cuba

In any form of rock climbing a long-term training task is developing a set of qualities - coordination, physical strength, endurance and tactical ingenuity.

Compared to many other types of recreative sports, rock climbing is quite safe form of physical activity.

MCS AlexClimb training in the rock climbing sector in the town of Huaraz, Peru

All training and competitions in this sport are held on specially prepared, equipped with safety devices, repeatedly tested, and mostly certified rock climbing walls and gyms.

MCS AlexClimb Rock Climbing School training at the foot of the Teide volcano, Tenerife

A set of reliable equipment is used for climbing the rock climbing routes, reducing the risk of accidental falls and subsequent injuries.

There are no age restrictions for rock climbing, children begin practicing it from 5-6 years old, and in popular rock climbing locations you can meet veteran climbers aged 80-90 years.

MCS AlexClimb Rock Climbing School Training in Mallorca, Spain

Mountaineering

If everything is quite clear with the rock climbing - of course, it is a sport with a pronounced competitive nature and the presence of sports facility - a rock or an artificial climbing wall, then with mountaineering everything is not so simple.

Firstly, mountains cannot be considered as a sports facility under any point of view - they are a constantly changing, dangerous, unpredictable element beyond human control.

In the 'attraction zone' of the most beautiful mountain in the world - Alpamayo

Any attempts to set any records in the mountains are an extremely dangerous form of motivation in mountaineering. Of course, on any ascent a person is forced to step over his personal limits and even expand them.

But in no case should this take the form of competition with anyone else - in the mountains we help each other, but do not compete.

Climbing in the international MCS AlexClimb team to the summit of Mount Gestola in the Caucasus

Mountaineering is a broad concept that goes far beyond a simple hobby or passion. In its modern and generally accepted in the civilized world form, mountaineering is a type of active recreation in close contact with wild nature.

Love at first sight after climbing Huayna Potosi in Bolivia

Depending on the level of the final goal, mountaineering involves undergoing a cycle of special training. Any mountain ascent requires from a climber to be in good physical shape, have skills in working with equipment, practical navigation and survival skills.

Climbing Mount Cook in New Zealand with the MCS AlexClimb team

Mountaineering is conventionally divided into several forms, and this division is mainly subjective - the difficulty of the routes in mountaineering largely depends on the level of training of the participants, the seasonality, climatic and route conditions, etc.

As an example - for some people climbing Khan Tengri or Amadablam (high-altitude technical class of mountaineering) will be an easy climb, while others may not be able even to walk to the top of Kilimanjaro (aesthetic mountaineering).

However, mountaineering can be divided into the following types:

Aesthetic mountaineering - any simple ascents and routes in the mountains that allow you to get unforgettable impressions without critical loads and high risks. Does not require anything other than adequate physical fitness.

Ascent with the MCS AlexClimb team to the top of Mount Meru in Tanzania - acclimatization before Mount Kilimanjaro

High-altitude mountaineering - ascents on the mountain routes and serious altitude where the main difficulty is the lack of oxygen. Requires an emphasis on endurance training

Ascent with the MCS AlexClimb team of Peak Korzhenevskaya and Peak Communism in the Pamirs, Tajikistan

Technical mountaineering (classic) - ascents along the alpine climbing routes that require overcoming obstacles of varying difficulty levels. Requires comprehensive training - depending on the difficulty level of the goal

Ascent with the MCS AlexClimb team to the Matterhorn, Italy

Rock mountaineering - ascents by the routes on the predominantly rocky terrain. Multi-pitch rock climbing and trad rock climbing are essential forms of rock mountaineering. Requires an emphasis on the rock climbing training and the ability to use the special equipment

Climbing with the MCS AlexClimb team the Mount Fitz Roy, Argentina, Patagonia

Ice mountaineering - ascents along mainly ice climbing routes and cascades. During preparation, the emphasis is done on the rock climbing and ice climbing training

Ice cascade Hydnefossen, Norway. Classic ice mountaineering

Mountaineering is not a sport or a short-term hobby - it is a way of life - active, full of adventures and travel, requiring constant attention to the physical form.

Unlike rock climbing, when engaged in mountaineering, a person opposes himself to the elements, which are obviously stronger than him. Only the utmost concentration of all physical and psychological qualities makes it possible to succeed in climbing any mountain peaks.

Climbing with the MCS AlexClimb team in the Klyuchevskaya volcano group. Kamchatka

The level of risk and physical exertion in mountaineering is significantly higher than in rock climbing. Participants in alpine ascent of any complexity are required to understand their own full responsibility for their decisions and actions.

There is an unspoken age limit for mountaineering: not younger than 20 years.

Author of text and photos: Alex Trubachev
Your professional guide for the rock climbing and mountaineering routes, rock and ice climbing coach

MCS EDIT 2024