Wikipedia says :

“Mountaineering is the sport, hobby or profession of walking, hiking, trekking and climbing up mountains. It is also sometimes known as alpinism, particularly in Europe. While it began as an all-out attempt to reach the highest point of unclimbed mountains, it has branched into specializations addressing different aspects of mountains and may now be said to consist of three aspects: rock-craft, snow-craft and skiing, depending on whether the route chosen is over rock, snow or ice. All require great athletic and technical ability, and experience is also very important.”

I thought that this was a pretty definitive definition of the subject, here follows 7 things that I feel are essential to the enjoyment of Mountain Exploration

1. Learn to Navigate. Curiously enough many people when deciding to explore the mountains for the first time, after perusing a suitable magazine, go straight to their nearest outdoor shop, where the are quickly relieved of some several hundred £’s and persuaded that this is all they need to become a fully-fledged mountain walker. Off they go - get hopelessly lost and frustrated as the wind blows their map case twirling around their neck, slowly strangling them and occasionally slapping them in the face. He (for it is usually a male) will stomp around, huffing and puffing as he gets himself more and more geographically embarrassed, before heading back to the safety of his car, the little woman trailing behind,he mutters and curses and throws his kit into the boot and swears never to “Do that Again!” If only he had had the courage to book a course with one of the many providers and be taught the rudiments of navigation, he might still be enjoying the “Freedom of the Hills” today. The UK Mountain Rescue Associations recently published a report profiling the most usual rescue : Male, late 20’s to early 30’s, professional class, from London, well kitted out and LOST on a Saturday afternoon between the hours of 4 o’clock and 6 o’clock - in North Wales it would be on Snowdon but it could as easily be any mountain anywhere. And NO a GPS is NOT a substitute for the skillful use of a map and compass.
2. The Right Attitude. Very often people refer to climbing mountains as a challenge. IMHO this is an attitude fraught with danger! All too often venturers into the Mountain Landscape go with an attitude of S**t or Bust - I will get to the top whatever it takes. I have a favorite mountain, in fact it is the place that gives me, or from which i derive “Hiraeth”, an almost untranslatable Welsh word that variously means anything from a yearning to Heartsease and many more subtle inflections in between, whenever I return to my home in Wales I always try to pass this mountain - for me it means Home. Over the years I have spent many thousands of hours exploring its many wonders and have been to the summit more times than I can remember and yet there are times when, for whatever reason, it is not a time to “take the Challenge and summit at all cost” and so I might laze by the azure waters of her lakes, glory in the tumbling streams or shelter in her craggy fastness and yet if I do, there will always be some soul who will approach me and enquire if I am “going to the top today?” and when I reply in the negative I am generally met with a look of such machismo that almost seems to say: “Huh! Lightweight”. I let them go on secure in their assumption that they are so much better at this mountaineering lark than I and return to my musings. Often I see them return salt-rimed or soaked to the skin, their faces drawn, hobbling in their ill-fitting boots as gravity draws their over-heavy rucksacs nearer to the ground as they plod wearily home.
3. An Apprenticeship. In the United Kingdom there is an organisation called the British Mountaineering Council or the BMC for short, which looks after the interests of mountaineers in the United Kingdom and is the sport’s Governing body in this country. There is also a long tradition here of mountaineering clubs. I heartily recommend joining a BMC affiliated club to begin one’s mountaineering career as well as becoming a member of the BMC. There are similar organisations across the globe, most of whom are recognised by the UIAA, which is the international Governing body of Alpinism. Local clubs are a great way to get started and to develop the skills that you need for the mountains. The wealth of knowledge and years of tradition will save you countless hours of frustration and even danger - Join and apprentice yourself to an “Old Hand” and you wont regret it.
4. Self-Reliance. Many people go off to explore the wild places of this planet with the thought in the back of their mind that whatever happens someone will come and fetch them if they get into difficulties. In my mind this is a selfish attitude that puts the great volunteers of the Mountain Rescue Services in a difficult position. Many of the rescues that they perform are unnecessary and use up valuable resources that could be better used another time. When one goes into the mountains it is essential to foster an attitude of self-reliance as this will lead to good decision making and avoid the Gung-ho attitude that only leads to disaster. A well known saying in the mountaineering world is : “There are Old climbers and there are Bold climbers - But, there are no Old Bold climbers”
5. Fitness. Once again it this something that seems so obvious as to not warrant mention, but many people that take to the hills are desperately unfit. There is a growing number of rescues to 40 something males who have overexerted themselves and have had a heart attack on the hill. To be honest everything that has been said before in this article can help to prevent this sort of thing, it will not eradicate the risk but at least a good level of fitness will help to offset this. Many bad decisions are made by people who are too tired because they have bitten off more than they can chew and have adopted the “Do or Die” approach. What is the best way to get fit? By getting out there and doing it - just a little bit at a time as you build your levels of skill, experience and fitness. Rushing off to Scotland to do the Cuillin Ridge as your first mountain trip is foolish for anyone, young or old!
6. An Understanding of the Environment you are Exploring. The mountains are not an extension of your High Street! Some study of the landscape and how it affects variables such as the weather is of great importance. Understanding the shape of the landscape will aid your navigation and increase your safety factor by a large margin. Rivers fill up after rain, snow is a whole subject on its’ own. Once you start with a navigation course you may want to expand your repertoire of skills - National Mountain Centres and individual providers can put you safely on the way - these guys are in the mountains every day, it is their lives - use them. Read books, study maps, talk to others on the hill. Never be afraid to ask, you never know who you will meet and what levels of skill they have
7. The Appropriate Footwear. Last but not least we come to an item of equipment. But why have I not said “you need the latest Gore-Tex Jacket” ( a triumph of marketing over function,in my view). The answer to that is quite simple. When you are in the mountains you rely on your feet most of all, yet it is the thing that many people give the least attention to. There is nothing worse than an ill-fitting pair of boots - if they rub up blisters - get rid of them, no matter if you spent a hundred £ or more on them - what price do you put on your life. Boots or shoes that do not fit cause accidents, tiredness and pain that distract you from getting about safely, they may even put a group of people in danger, I kid you not….for want of a nail etc. As one’s experience increases and one becomes more sure-footed, different types of footwear can be experimented with. In the summer I regularly wear Adventure Sandals as opposed to heavy boots, but I certainly wouldn’t recommend that approach to a beginner. I would also caution against using Training shoes, sneakers, Crocs, town shoes etc. In the winter a good level of support for the ankle is a must as it is all too easy to slip on wet rock and twist or sprain an ankle. Over the years your feet will change size and profile, since my 20’s my feet have expanded from a 9.5 uk size to an 11.5. I also like a boot that is fairly wide but not over-wide and for most activities in the mountains good multi-fabric boots are great, because of their lighter weight. This is a subject all of it’s own and I am sure that in the fullness of time I will expand on this in another article or maybe even 2.

This list is probably in no way complete and is of course completely subjective - so why not have your say and post a comment.

thanks for reading and

See you “On the Hill”

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