Mountaineering can be considered the first of the extreme hobbies of mankind. And if at first the overcoming of mountain barriers and rocks was of practical importance, by the end of the 20th century it turned into a dangerous and difficult sport. The exception is industrial mountaineering, but now it is not about him.

Before you run to the store to buy equipment you need to decide what kind of mountaineering to prefer: climbing, mountaineering or sports. In the latter case, it is best to start with a profile club. And to remember that sports climbing is the most traumatic competitive discipline.

Unfortunately, there is no complete base of mountaineering schools in Russia. But very often such sections exist on the basis of higher educational institutions like MSU, MEI, LETI. You should also visit the sites of the Russian Mountaineering Federation, or simply look for an open club in your city.

Climber must be hardy. Not strong or fast, but hardy. Therefore, the main training of climbers: running, cross-country skiing, cross-country skiing, swimming. Technique of ascent and descent work out at the climbing wall. 1-2 times a year the club conducts sports collection with departure to the real mountains accompanied by instructors.

Rock climbing is focused exclusively on rock climbing. It is included in mountaineering classes, but is allocated to a separate sport and outdoor activities.

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Climbing involves regular year-round workouts. Slazit in the mountains once, take a break until the next season will not work even for an experienced athlete. Hone skills and safety techniques need to constantly.

Usually, before enrolling in a club for permanent training, the future mountaineer is offered to come to a trial training session. Many, seeing the Soviet (“Vertical”) or Hollywood (“Vertical Limit”) films, are about this hobby, are too romantic, and you need to let them feel the complexity of the upcoming work. If after a test workout, the desire to climb the mountains has not disappeared, then you will need to pay a fee, purchase the recommended equipment and start classes.

During the ascent, you must follow all safety rules. Otherwise, there is a risk of meeting Black Climber, rumors about which have been around since the times of Soviet mountaineering. This figure of a man with a mask on his face is considered to be the spirit of the once lost climber. Scientists believe that the appearance of the legend is a consequence of systemic hallucinations due to the lack of oxygen in the rarefied air at high altitude. And this, too, must be remembered if there are problems with the respiratory system.

In professional slang, the “black” is a climber who does not use insurance or walks alone on a slope.