Can You Be a Climber Without Being a Mountaineer?
A friend and I were talking last night… He’s a great [tag-tec]alpinist[/tag-tec], having bagged several difficult routes in Europe and getting to 6600 meters on the shivering, cruel North Face of [tag-tec]Khan-Tengri[/tag-tec]. He went on a small climbing vacation to Croatia’s [tag-tec]Paklenica[/tag-tec] National Park – a paradise of bolted single- and multi-pitch rock routes. With his girlfriend, a novice climber, they did a few routes where – after topping out, you could opt to hike back on steep, rocky trails to the foot of the wall instead of rapelling.
Great weather in late autumn and a ton of people [tag-tec]climbing[/tag-tec]. But what became apparent to them is the inadequacy of a bunch of sport climbers to… actually hike. It was a disgrace.
With small backpacks, many climbers actually had a harder time descending – WALKING – back on loose-rocky terrain than climbing up. It’s not that they couldn’t, or they needed help, but you know, how you can tell beginner hikers from more seasoned ones just by the way they move, walk on a hiking trail?
Well, these guys – more or less experienced sport climbers – obviously never spent much time in the mountains other than climbing rock faces.
Before rock climbing and mountaineering got to be almost mainstream (OK, we’re not talking about football or baseball-level mainstream), this is how climbers were made (sorta):
- you discovered the beauty of nature, so you went hiking to nearby woods;
- you wanted more, so you went into higher mountains, backpacked on multi-day treks;
- you might have gotten involved with ski-mountaineering, which just grew your devotion to the mountains;
- the big rock walls and peaks inaccessible by foot were very inviting, so you eventually got hooked up with a friend/club where you were introduced to climbing and eventually you learned the thing.
The point is, that by the time you even put on a harness, you were already a mountain freak, right? By contrast, this is how many sport climbers are made nowadays:
- climbing looks appealing, so you look for info;
- the most convenient way to get involved is in the city: indoor gyms;
- then, with some instruction (hopefully) you head straight for the rocks. You do a course and you’re a climber.
The result? You have a bunch of people on the rocks lacking prior experience with mountains or in the mountains. Not to mention the deep appreciation and a healthy amount of submission, humbleness towards them. Why does that matter? Besides being sort of a “spiritual” thing, it’s also a safety issue.
There’s probably no need to go into detail about the objective dangers of seemingly harmless sport routes – especially in higher mountians.
I love sport climbing, I get a kick out of bolted routes. This post isn’t a bash on sport climbers, I just wanted to humbly call to your attention the fact that the sport of climbing has recently been attenuated with people who would be in big trouble if they had to evacuate a route and do some “traditional” stuff on the mountain.
Just because you can get by on the rock without knowledge of the weather, reading maps or basic orientation in the mountains, doesn’t make these skills unnecessary. As guides, mountaineers, we get a chance to talk to people about how much more complex this sport is than what it may seem on a nice, sunny afternoon near the beach in Croatia.
You are free to disagree with me in the comments…
Photo by Yonker (Flickr), thanks!
April 16th, 2009 at 12:56 pm
Couldn’t agree with you more. I grew up having summer walking holidays in the Swiss Alps so I have a deep and abiding awe and respect for the beauty and power of nature. Eventually I got interested in getting to the top of the mountains and that lead me to a rock climbing club as a convenient way to practice and learn the ropework to stay safe in the mountains.
More and more nowadays I see people poorly equipped for their excursions and struggling on walk-ins to crags that are anything more difficult than a prepared path. They are usually the same people who later drop the litter that I end up cleaning up at the end of the day.
It’s very sad to see people without the skills or experience endangering themselves and others and without the respect for nature and the mountains to enjoy their sport safely and responsibly so people can continue to enjoy it in future.
April 16th, 2009 at 4:22 pm
I understand the safety concerns, and could apply it to any outdoor pursuit. Many people – hikers, backpackers, mountain bikers – engage in activities they may not be entirely prepared for, or skilled enough for.
I got into climbing as a result of my love for the hiking, backpacking, and the outdoors in general. But I am a beginner, and know my limitations. Regardless, I always try to bring a certain level of respect for my environment – a respect for the inherent danger of climbing, and a respect for the natural places we, as outdoor enthusiasts, must protect.
I’ve never encountered these sport climbers who can’t hike, mostly because I’ve only climbed outside once. But I have definitely encountered people who venture outside unprepared, and without the words “leave no trace” in their vocabulary, both of which make me sad.
April 16th, 2009 at 4:30 pm
I hesitate to say that you “can’t be a climber” without experience in the mountains. I know many people who come from an indoor gym background who are stronger/safer/faster climbers than I am.
I do agree that there is a potential for danger when people get into climbing without developing the necessary outdoor skills, and proper respect for the danger involved. Gym climbing puts too much focus on ability, and very little on knowledge. It can lead to a cavalier attitude towards basic safety precautions, and accidents like this one:
http://thegoat.backcountry.com/2009/04/15/ice-climber-falls-72-feet-off-top-rope-and-goes-on-good-morning-america-two-weeks-later/
April 16th, 2009 at 6:46 pm
I was thinking about the tag “climber” all of last week.
I spent a week on what was meant to be a fun sports climbing holiday with people who all consider themselves to be competent climbers.
I was so scared by what I saw them do that I spent the week instructing instead and only got two routes climbed myself (and this was with a different mate who was out for just one day before they turned up!).
These are young people who are training to be climbing instructors, climb indoors and outdoors (sport & trad) in the UK regularly and yet …
1) They didn’t seem to have any concept of the impact their actions could have when it came to their own safety or that of those around them. So untying at the top of a sports route without being clipped into anything, sticking fingers in belay plates as they were belaying, after re-threading just throwing themselves off the route without checking that their partner had them on belay, taking both hands off the rope when belaying … there was more too, but it’s too scary to think about!
2) The idea that you leave no trace was alien to them. It was fine to just leave rubbish behind them.
3) Maps and guidebooks were alien to them. When asked to navigate into/off a crag or choose/find a route they just looked dumbly at me. We’re not talking old, dodgy CC guides or obscure French guides, but a very modern photo guidebook in English with very clear walk-in instructions for these roadside crags.
4) Not bringing water/ first-aid kits / sunscreen out to a sunny crag.
You may not need to be a mountaineer to be a climber (I don’t consider myself a mountaineer as I’m not an Alpinist) but you do need to have your head screwed on.
April 16th, 2009 at 6:58 pm
I would agree that a lot of climbers dont know much about mountaineering, and are a complete liability, but a lot of people simply never got the chance early on. I grew up in brighton which is not particularly mountainous, and with one parent who is partially disabled, going out onto mountains was never even an option. Ive always loved being outside, but my first chance at climbing was inside, i learnt inside, and now take what I have learnt outside. the difference with some being I can ake care of myself outdoors, I do often abseil off, but not out of laziness, just becuase I want to get back on the next climb quicker, because thats what i am, a climber…NOT a mountaineer
I agree with ‘Panda’ (in fact i agree with every single point), i went sport climbing with some friends one weekend last summer, and one of the tag-alongs was an instructor. so I happily trusted him to belay me up a climb that wasnt too far outside my remit, I fell on the last clip, not even trying to clip it, aand fell the whole face of the climb. It turned out, he was an instructor who had NEVER climbed outdoors before, and never experienced somebody falliung properly, so he hadnt braced and had been hoisted up off balance.
Theres NOTHING wrong with having started climbing indoors, if that where you had the oppotunity, but I also think you have a duty to the others around you (and most certainly to the mountain rescue teams) to learn how to survive in the surroundings you will be climbing in. Not enough people bother to learn any self-rescue techniques before happily running off to go climb.
Sorry this ended up rambling a bit.
April 16th, 2009 at 8:50 pm
Just be careful who you are judging.
I spent 4 years living and playing near the Swiss/French Alps. I have spent many more hiking around the U.S. I love the outdoors, love hiking, love climbing (which I recently took up 2 years ago) but I am petrified of the down climb. If I am hiking downhill on loose ground (especially popular in the Vegas area) my legs start shaking, I lose all common sense (hense why I ran into a cactus last weekend), and I am sure I look like a novice. For whatever reason, this does not happen on more solid dirt – maybe because I grew up in the Midwest?
Anyway, I realize there are plenty of climbers who don’t respect the outdoors and and started in indoor gyms and have no hiking experience … just be careful who you judge.
April 17th, 2009 at 12:52 am
@Paige: I know what you’re talking about! I think your case is completely different; do you have bad knees? Yea, I wasn’t meaning to JUDGE people, but rather call to attention this little detail that many tend to overlook: if you climb, get to know the outdoors! It’ll be all the more fulfilling.
Jep, @Sandy: nothing wrong with starting in the gym. The question is: are you willing to take in the mountains completely or just restrict yourself to the bolted routes. Glad you didn’t hurt yourself on the fall!
@Panda: yeah, common sense can take you a long way. Your case with those people on the holiday – that sounds extreme, holy sh*t. Climbing with such people… I’m glad you’re still with us
@Dan, I don’t worry so much about definitions on who’s a climber, who’s a mountaineer etc. The point we all agree on here is that you owe it to yourself, your pals, mother nature and the “spirit of the mountains” or call it whatever you may, that you engage yourself with the mountain a lot more than just clipping bolts and heading home when you’re done.
@Technex, I’m jealous of your summers in the Swiss Alps
March 5th, 2010 at 3:44 pm
great post thanks for this useful information!
October 12th, 2010 at 12:06 am
Nice post, thanks
October 22nd, 2010 at 2:51 pm
Wie auch immer Mit des Bieres Hochgenuss,Wächst des Bauches Radius!