IntroductionMountaineering has become extremely popular among extreme sports lovers and daredevils. This is because of the thrill and enjoyment it has for people. For those who are not aware of what mountaineering is, it's a mix of climbing ice, snow and rock covered mountains. There is often a lot of heavy gear which is necessary attached to your back. By mountaineering you can access extreme locations which are many times covered in snow and have terrifyingly cold temperatures. In such cases it takes many years of dedication, training and patience to become a top quality mountaineer.
Mountaineering has become so popular because extreme sports lovers desire to reach the top of the tallest possible mountains. A combination of methods described above was the only way of getting them there. So because of this mountaineering was born. All you have to do is look at the extreme mountaineering locations such as K2 and Mount Everest and you will realize the difficulty involved. Mountaineering however was developed in the Alps range of mountains and it is still a popular place for mountaineering.
Mountaineering gearAs for the mountaineering equipment, you will need to get lot of it. This is the reason for the heavy backpack. Here is the list of things you will need for your mountaineering expedition:
- Trekking poles: These are a more modern version of the walking poles.
- Suitable clothing: This includes the base layer, thermals or the insulation layer and jacket or the outer layer.
- Hydration pack.
- Specially made mountaineering tents.
- Camping stoves.
- Rope.
- Mountaineering shoes specially made along with the socks.
- Ice axes.
- A proper sized backpack.
- The ice or snow boots also called Crampons.
- Sleeping bags specially made for mountaineering.
- Water purifiers.
- Torch.
- A pack of other essentials such as Vaseline for applying on to the skin and lips, whistle, first aid kit, sun block, sewing kit, penknife and toilet paper.
Because of the greater degree of risk involved, the number of things that you need to carry is quite large. And then there are other things you may want to carry that are not added in the list above. These mountaineering expeditions may last from only a few days to many weeks depending on the place you are going to. So carrying a correctly packed bag is the key for surviving on these mountains.
Top mountaineering attractions in worldRemember, mountaineering is an adventure activity that asks for will power and great courage from the mountaineers. This is apart from good medical fitness both physical and mental. It is since the ancient times that mountaineering has been a passion for men and the driving force for this being, reaching the unexplored heights of many mountains from all over the world. There are many famous mountaineering destinations all over the world and some of the famous ones are: Annapurna circuit in Nepal, Mount Kilimanjaro in East Africa, Mount Everest in Nepal, Himalayan mountain range in India and the Alps of Europe.
The Alps is easily one of the tallest mountain ranges in Europe, which spreads across Slovenia, Germany, Switzerland, France, Austria and Italy. The highest mountain of the Alps range is known as Mount Blanc. It is located on the border of Italy and France and the highest point in Mount Blanc is raised to more than 4000 meters above the sea level. This place attracts a huge number of mountaineers from all over the world each year. This mountain range was scaled for the first time in 1740-1799 AD.
