Mountaineering
Getting started
Mountaineering
has become a popular sport over recent years. It attracts people from all walks
of life and for various reasons.
The
aim of this section is to introduce prospective new climbers to this fascinating
adventure sport. The idea here is to give you some background information that
will help you to make an informed decision as to whether mountaineering is an
activity that you'd like to pursue. We recommend reading this section in conjunction
with our trekking
section as most mountaineering expeditions involve quite
a lot of trekking just to reach base camp.
Speaking
from personal experience, climbing a mountain is definitely a life changing event.
It can give you greater confidence to achieve things in everyday life. It becomes
a benchmark by which to compare other life challenges.
Is
mountaineering for me?
Some
people progress into mountaineering after getting into rock climbing. Others are
seeking a more adventurous upgrade to their usual trekking pursuits. Others are
looking to challenge one of the world's most common phobias, the fear of heights,
and then there are those people who just get the "calling". Some people
believe that you don't choose to climb a mountain, the mountain chooses you, and
when it calls you've just got to go. Regardless of what attracts people to the
mountains, the fact is that more and more people are being drawn to this fascinating
adventure sport.
So,
how do you know if mountaineering is for you? Well that's a tough question to
answer until you've actually given it a go. You might be surprised to learn that
you don't actually need to be a seasoned mountaineer to climb a sizable Himalayan
peak. Mountains fall into a variety of categories depending on things like altitude,
difficulty of terrain and technical
skills required.
Perhaps
the best way to find out if mountaineering is for you is to do a recognised Technical
Mountaineering Course, also known as a "TMC". A TMC will teach you all
the necessary technical skills required to participate in mountaineering in a
safe and responsible manner. Our TMC
page offers a recognised Technical Mountaineering Course which is provided by
one of our third party affiliates.
Although
advisable, it is not mandatory to have completed a TMC prior to climbing your
first Himalayan peak as long as you choose the right peak to start with. Other
more technical mountains like Ama Dablam, Lobuche
East and all of the 8000
metre peaks DO require technical training and a portfolio
of previous climbs prior to an attempt.
If
you've read this far into TreksandClimbs.com then you are probably already thinking
big mountains. If so, then you're in the right place to make it happen. Your next
step is to bookmark
this site. TreksandClimbs.com will provide all the information
and resources that you'll need to make it happen.
OK,
it's your move.
Your
first mountain>
Important:
These
mountaineering topics should be read in conjunction with the trekking
section as most mountaineering expeditions also involve
a considerable amount of trekking.Warning-Mountaineering
is potentially dangerous and should not be attempted without proper technical
training and/or guidance.
