DEBUNKING THE MYTHS OF MOUNTAINEERING

Distant snow-capped mountain peaks captivate with their magnetizing presence and imposing stature. You yearn to advance from climbing at the local crag to pursuing snow-capped summits. You’ve convinced your friend to enroll in a crevasse rescue class and purchased an ice axe and pair of crampons in preparation for your first mountaineering expedition. But are you ready?

Mountaineering attracts a unique group of adventurers: the ones who enjoy the grueling upward trudge weighted down by a heavy pack, unroped technical scrambling, traversing glaciers, and battling the nauseating effects of high altitude. But it’s not all torture, doom, and gloom: the scenic and physical rewards abound. The views from the summit, the feeling of ultimate accomplishment, and the phenomenon of defying gravity is worth every moment of the struggle — and this is what keeps drawing mountaineers back time and time again. With the staggering amount of information out there, it’s often hard to sort fact from fiction. 

Whether you’re an experienced mountaineer or just getting started on your foray into the mountains, there are some widely circulating myths that need to be clarified. After summiting a few dozen peaks in multiple countries, I want to share what I’ve learned over the years and the myths that I’ve debunked. Everyone will suffer from altitude sickness At altitudes about 8,000 feet, the body starts to feel the effects of decreased oxygen in the environment, resulting from lower atmospheric pressure. Altitude sickness, officially known as Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) can result in nausea, dizziness, fatigue, shortness of breath, and headaches. 

The truth is that everyone’s body will react differently to high altitudes depending on a variety of factors. Most healthy people can acclimatize to a wide range of altitudes without any issues. If you live at or just above sea level and you ascend to a high altitude, you’re going to be more susceptible to the effects of altitude sickness than someone who lives at a higher elevation. Individuals differ greatly in the rate they can ascend without developing altitude sickness. Each person should be evaluated for altitude sickness on a case by case basis. While the effects can be unpleasant and sometimes devastating, many people don’t suffer at all. 

Backpacking and camping skills aren’t relevant to mountaineering So you’re thinking that just because you’re not a rock climber you don’t have any applicable skills for getting into mountaineering, right? Not necessarily. Extensive backpacking, navigational, and camping skills are absolutely useful on the mountainside- oftentimes more so than technical sport climbing prowess. 

A backpacking and hiking background is beneficial to mountaineering because it means you’re physically adapted to carrying heavy loads over long distances. If you’re used to living out of your tent for days on end and familiar with the mundane tasks of cooking, cleaning, and sleeping outdoors, then you’re definitely ahead of the game. While scrambling and technical climbing skills are important to develop as well, backpacking is one of the best forms of training for mountaineering. Getting to the summit is the end goal Getting to the summit is the primary objective — but it’s not the end goal. 

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Mountaineering is more about the journey and the things you learn about yourself along the way. Safety should be your highest priority — just because you can get to the top doesn’t mean you’ll be able to get back down. Getting back down is the real end goal so that you’ll be able to embark on future expeditions. 

As Ed Viesturs so perfectly quoted, “The top is the halfway point.” Now that we’ve debunked some common mountaineering myths, it’s time to start preparing for your first expedition. Sign up for a class, start training, and invest in some good quality gear. It’s time to get out there — the mountains are calling. 

 Experiment with winter camping While most of the skills you acquire on summer backpacking trips will apply directly to mountaineering, there is one important missing element: cold. To transition from backpacking to mountaineering you must be able to perform all of the common hiking and camping skills, from setting up the tent to cooking, choosing the right clothing to planning adequate meals, in the snow, ice, and cold. 

Learn the fundamentals of climbing You don’t have to be a master rock climber to become a mountaineer. You do, however, need to know the basics. Using a harness, belaying, and tying into a rope are the most important skills. The best ways to learn these skills is to spend a day or two at a climbing gym. Taking the next step You’re backpacking every weekend. You’ve been to the climbing gym and on several winter camping trips. It’s been fun but now you are ready to head into the mountains. If this sounds like you, it’s time to take the next step. There are several ways to do this, each with its own benefits.