Mountain climbing, also known as alpinism or mountaineering, is a sport in which someone climbs or hikes a mountain. Rock climbing, on the other hand, involves climbing up and down a rock wall or rock formation. Rock climbing may or may not be a part of mountain climbing. In this mountain climbing vs rock climbing article, we will go deeper into the differences between these two sports.
Main Differences
The main difference lies in the fact that mountain climbing refers to the entire scaling of a mountain. This sport challenges human endurance, and requires several skills, rock climbing being one of them. However, rock climbing itself is a sport, and many climbers specialize in rock climbing only.
Some mountains can be traversed more easily than others. While rock climbing almost always requires extensive gear, mountaineering may not. And if your primary goal is to observe nature, mountaineering is a better option than rock climbing.
For example, the Snoqualmie-Baker national forest is known for its indigenous alpine flora and fauna, and mountaineers go there to observe the beauty of nature. Mountain climbing gives you the opportunity to slow down and enjoy being in nature.
Some summits can be very hard to reach. To reach a summit like this, you will need specialized tools and techniques. The skills of rock climbing may be necessary for traversing some summits.
All rock climbers are familiar with EI Capitan in Yosemite. This is a 3,000-feet rock face that can challenge the endurance of any rock climber. In essence, wherever you are engaging in the sport, it is all about testing your limits. Rock climbing is a sport that is equally fascinating and dangerous.
Equipments
Depending on the mountain, climbing may or may not require a lot of equipment. For example, a climber can traverse Mount Everest with scrambling (a rock-climbing technique) alone. But the expedition requires a lot of equipment, partly because the environment is hostile. You will need at least the basic equipment for mountain climbing.
Rock climbing is a physically demanding sport. Rocks can be unforgiving. If you do not use the right techniques and equipment, you may literally end up tearing your hands up. There is equipment that is specially designed for rock climbing.
To clarify things in this discussion of mountain climbing vs rock climbing, we are going to show what tools and equipment are required for each sport.
Equipment Used for Mounting Climbing
- Compass: For a mountaineer, a quality compass is one of the most important tools. It is necessary for not only mountaineering but also wilderness survival in general. When in a canyon, anyone can easily get lost.
- Backpack: Ideally, the Backpack should include a lot of water, which is used for cleaning, cooking, and hydration.
- Water bottle: A water bottle is not only a redundant water source but also an emergency item. It can be a lifesaver in the wilderness.
- Food: Cooking in the wilderness can be an amazing experience. You can plan meals depending on your food habit. However, if you do not want to cook, consider taking dry food. Make sure the food you take is nutrient-dense. Aim for 4,000-calories per day.
- Map: If available, a mountain climber usually gets a map of the area. It allows a climber to be precise and accurate when plotting a trail.
- Rain gear: When purchasing rain jackets, be careful about what you are investing in. Cheap, lightweight jackets do not provide enough protection from water.
Apart from the basic things mentioned above, mountaineers may take some other items depending on their personal needs, and of course, the environment. To a great extent, your choice of equipment should depend on where you are.
Equipment for Rock Climbing
- Climbing shoes: A pair of specialized climbing shoes is the most important piece of equipment for a rock climber. These shoes come with sticky rubber soles with a high tension that directs your body weight towards the toe. There are also different degrees of toe shape and tension for different types of rock climbing.
- Hand wraps and chalk: They are very useful for crack climbers because this type of climbing is inherently painful. If you do not use specially designed gloves, crack climbing can actually damage your hands.
- Harness: Climbers tie a rope to themselves in order to secure themselves in case they happen to fall. It can significantly reduce damage.
- A chalk bag: When climbing, chalk is used to keep the hands dry. And you can avoid slips if your hands are dry.
- Helmets: Falling from even a short rock wall can lead to serious injuries. And when it is a high cliff, the situation can be dangerous. Climbers consider helmets as one of the most important pieces of safety equipment.
- Rope: For a rock climber, a rope is one of the most important pieces of equipment. It is used in all types of climbing, except free soloing.
- Carabiners: During ascent, climbers use carabiners to secure a rope to nuts.
- Belay devices: Belay devices are used to lower a climber or assist in catching if a fall occurs. They work by increasing friction in a rope.
Read: Is Rock Climbing Expensive?
Skills and Techniques
Mountain climbing, in general, requires more skills than rock climbing, because you need the rock climbing skills to traverse the terrain. You can learn the skills pretty easily, but mastering them will take time. To put theory into practice, you will have to deal with hurdles.
As a sport, rock climbing has gained huge popularity in recent decades. It requires techniques, knowledge, and psychological fortitude. The challenges of rock climbing vary wildly because there are many different types of rock formations. The sport is associated with the risks of major injuries. So, you need some special skills for the sport.
Essential Skills for Mountain Climbing
- Scrambling is the most important skill that you need for mountain climbing. It involves both your hands and feet to climb the terrain. It is not the same thing as rock climbing, but it is physically demanding.
- If the mountain you are climbing extends into icy caps, your skillset must include glacier travel.
- And above all, you must be able to use a map and compass for route planning and navigation.
Techniques for Rock Climbing
- Crack climbing: Climbing with this technique involves jamming your fingers into rock fissures. Depending on the fissure sizes, there are some variations of the technique. You have to use both your hands and feet to apply this technique.
- Face climbing: The face climbing technique basically focuses on your body position. It involves finding natural edges and divots in the rock face and using them. It all comes down to keeping your body close to the wall and maintaining a sturdy foothold.
- Slab climbing: This climbing technique is similar to face climbing because it involves grabbing edges and divots in the rock face. However, the slab climbing technique is not used to climb completely vertical walls. This is a more friction-oriented technique, and you do not entirely rely on holds.
These are the techniques that master climbers use for rock climbing. Rock climbing is a sport that requires dedication and humility because there is always room for learning. You can get better at these techniques by practicing in a climbing gym, preferably with an experienced climber.
Types of Rock Climbing
As part of this discussion of mountain climbing vs rock climbing, we are going to discuss the common types of rock climbing. Rock climbing is categorized depending on the variations of rock formations. The categorizations also depend on the levels of technical difficulty. Here are the subcategories of rock climbing:
- Bouldering: Bouldering refers to climbing short cliffs. An inflatable fall pad is usually used as a safety tool.
- Solo climbing: It refers to climbing alone. This type of climbing does not usually involve the use of a belay system. There are several subcategories of solo climbing, such as rope soloing, deep-water soloing, and free soloing.
- Lead climbing: It is done in the cliff face, with anchors and ropes.
- Multi–pitch climbing: In this type of rock climbing, the climber sets anchors and is restricted with a set length.
- Sport climbing: In sport climbing, the climber follows bolts that are fixed along a route. Unlike traditional climbing, sport climbing does not involve placing bolts along the way.
- Indoor Climbing: This is the most accessible form of climbing. It can help people learn the basics of rock climbing. Most indoor bouldering gyms sell equipment used for climbing.
Final Thoughts
Both mountain climbing and rock climbing require skills, knowledge, and equipment. Master climbers spend years mastering the skills and exploring new ways to climb. In general, if a mountain does not include large rock formations, climbing requires only nominal equipment. Rock climbing, on the other hand, is usually a very resource and energy-intensive sport.
