CLIMBING & MOUNTAINEERING

Overview and History

Mountaineering is the activity of walking, hiking, backpacking and climbing

mountains.
In Europe the term 'mountaineering' is often used to refer to activities considered
to be more demanding, technically or physically, than simple walking, hiking or
backpacking and there is often an aspect of climbing, exposure on steep ground and
the use of equipment for safety purposes.

While mountaineering began as an attempt to reach the highest point of unclimbed

mountains most mountaineering activities now fall within specialised areas:

 rock-craft such as scrambling, rock climbing and sport climbing

 snow-craft such as snow ascents, mixed climbing and ice climbing
 skiing such as alpine and nordic ski mountaineering
 All require experience, athletic ability, and technical knowledge to maintain
safety.

ROCK CRAFT
Scrambling is the grey area between very steep hillwalking and rock climbing; it
lies somewhere within the realm of rock climbing but without the need for the regular
use of specialist safety equipment and it often involves the use of your hands as well
as your feet to make an ascent. However some of the more difficult scrambles may
involve the use of ropes or ropes may be carried as a safety measure. The point where
a hillwalk becomes a scramble or a scramble becomes a rock climb is personal
judgement call and will vary enormously according to experience and judgement.
Trad or Traditional rock climbing requires a leader to place his own protection
using temporary anchors to add a degree of safety to the sport. As the lead climber
ascends the rock a variety of these temporary anchoring devices, known collectively
as protection, is used in conjunction with natural rock features such as cracks and
spike at points that may be anywhere from a few centimetres to several metres apart
depending on the difficulty of the route and the judgement of the climber. The
protection is then attached via a carabiner to the climbing rope. Once the rope is
attached the belayer below is responsible for tending the rope and stopping the
climber in the event of a fall. The term gained popularity in the late 1980s to
differentiate from the development of Sport Climbing routes-climbs that were pre-
protected with bolts.

Sport climbing differs from traditional in that the climber depends on fixed, pre-
placed rather than removable protection. Sport climbing routes often follow
technically difficult lines up imposing rock walls Sport climbing often emphasises
technique and strength rather than reaching a summit. Falls are frequent, though
seldom serious, as climbers constantly push the limits of gravity and ability.

SNOW CRAFT
A snow ascent is to snow-craft what scambling is to rock-craft; the exact point winter
hillwaking becomes a snow ascent and a snow ascent becomes an ice climb varies
from person to person. The angle of the ascent can be between 20 and 45 degrees and
either short or long with varying degrees of snow quality. All of the above will affect
the seriousness of the ascent and may vary during the course of the route.

All snow ascents have common skill set however:

 Avalanche awareness, safe movement on steep ground, step kicking

 Ice axe skills - self arrest, step cutting, snow anchors
 Crampon skills - alpine techniques and front pointing
 As the ascent becomes steeper other skill may be required

 Rope management, belaying techniques and abseil techniques

 The ability to place rock, snow or ice protection.

Mixed climbing combines attributes of rock and ice climbing. The routes are often
summer scrambles/rock climbs or ground that is too loose to be climbed in an
unfrozen state. A mixed climb may include sections of rock climbing and ice
climbing. The skill set is technically similar to rock climbing with the above skills
also required.

Ice climbing is different from mixed climbing with routes having a higher proportion
of water ice sections. Routes are often found on frozen waterfalls, rock slabs covered
with ice, and glaciers. Protection is chosen based on the type of slope and the texture
and quality of the snow and ice and the availability of rock protection. Equipment
may include ice screws and snow anchors.

SKI MOUNTAINEERING

Ski Mountaineering is an activity that combines the techniques of ski touring with
those of mountaineering. In mainland Europe skiing is seen as a useful skill to acquire
and as enjoyable a form of mountaineering as rock-climbing or ice climbing. In North
America it is often the only sensible way to travel in deep winter snow: easier than
walking on the uphill and as exciting or scary as you care to make it on the descent.
Modern equipment is light and efficient. Light skis, lift heel bindings and climbing
skins allow easy ascents and modern boot, ski and binding design allow a much
greater degree of control and safety than was previously available.
Recent winters mean that Scotland may not be a first choice ski mountaineering
destination but there are always a few days when the sun shines and the snow cover is
good enough.

Skill set can include any or all from snow-craft

plus the ability to ski on off-piste snow
conditions.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF KNOTS

1. Square Knot

One of the most basic knots is the

square knot, which is a type of end
knot. This knot is useful tying up bundles and packages. It is also used for first aid,
where it can be used to tie a bandage around a wound to stop the bleeding quickly.
The square knot is also known as the reef knot, from when sailors used it to reef sails,
or tie down part of the sail in high winds.

2. Bowline

One of the most important knots to know for emergency situations when out in the
wilderness is the bowline knot. A bowline knot is used as a rescue knot in cases of
mountain climbing, fires, or water accidents. This knot forms an open loop that is
easy for someone to grab onto and be pulled up out of a dangerous situation.

3.Sheet Bend
The sheet bend knot is used for tying ropes of different materials together. In this
knot, the loop of one rope is tied around
the loop of the other. Its name comes
from its traditional use of holding a sail
in place. The rope for holding a sail in
place was called a sheet, and using this
knot was referred to as “bending” or
tying the sheet.
4. Two Half Hitches

The two half hitches knot is used for

tying a rope to a post, such as a tree, or a
ring. This knot can be easily tightened or
loosened based on the situation, which
makes it ideal for making a clothesline or tying a boat to a dock. This knot consists of
wrapping the rope around a support and looping the rope around itself in a half hitch,
two times.

5. Clove Hitch

The clove hitch is an important

pioneering knot that can be used for
starting and finishing lashings. Lashings
consist of sticks or poles held together
with twine, rope or cord. Lashings are
used in overnight camps to make the site
more sturdy and can be used for things
such as a towel rack, a table, or a tower.

6. Taut Line

A taut line hitch is used on ropes that

are pulled taut. A common use of this
knot is for rope that holds a tent secure
to the ground. The taut line hitch can
be tightened or loosened by pushing it
up or down on the part of the rope that
is standing.

Note: While there are hundreds of types of

knots, each useful for different situations and activities, knowing these essential six is
a good start for campers and anyone heading out into the wilderness. Get a head start
on your knowledge of tying knots and you’ll be prepared for a multitude of situations.