Every country has its share of climbing areas. There's sunny limestone in the South of France and above the beaches of Thailand; remote big-wall sites (some of the largest rock faces in the world) in Arctic Canada, in Patagonia and in Pakistan; superb coastal granite in British Columbia; and bold gritstone in England.
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For the international community of rock-climbing fanatics who live to travel and scramble in the grandeur of the outdoors, rock climbing can easily become addictive: Every session fuels a thirst for pushing personal limits and for the next, more challenging destination.
If you want to stay within the borders of the continental US, California, Colorado and Utah are the states most blessed with rock. Yosemite National Park in California, the birthplace of modern free climbing (moving up a rock using only your hands, feet and natural holds), is world-renowned among big-wall climbers. Joshua Tree National Park, also in California, has over 5,000 recorded rock climbs, and thousands of climbable boulders. Salt Lake City is a good base for climbers as exceptional rock abounds throughout Utah. Moab, in the southeast, is considered the gateway to the mystical climbing of the Canyonlands, although you will have to compete for space in campsites and around the park with scores of mountain bikers there to ride the area's singletrack.
"Climbing" is a broad term for a gymnastic pursuit that takes many forms. You can climb in the winter or in the summer, in desert or alpine mountains. Some climbers go for enormous, 3,000-foot, vertical walls of intricate, bullet-hard rock. Big-wall climbers often take days' or weeks' worth of provisions tightly bundled in massive haul-bags (commonly called "pigs," because they are frustratingly awkward to haul up a rock face). These rock climbers weave devious lines up monstrous cliffs such as Yosemite's El Capitan or Patagonia's Fitzroy. They usually ascend slowly and methodically, hauling lots of ironmongery (bolts) to place as protection along the way.
Sport climbers prefer to travel light, carrying only ropes, shoes, harnesses and quickdraws (two carabiners sewn at each end of a sling for attaching to fixed protection). They frequent short, steep cliffs known as crags, and rely on permanently fixed bolts for protection. Sport climbing does not offer the same challenges as big-wall climbing. Instead, the focus is on physical prowess, the feeling of pure movement over stone puzzle solving. Whether on Mt Arapiles in Australia or at Buoux in southern France, this type of climbing lends itself to a "redpoint ascent"—to lead a route from the bottom to top while placing your protection, without falling or hanging on the rope.
Bouldering is an entirely different discipline, demanding fine-tuned fitness and exceptional technique. There are no ropes involved. If you fall, you fall. In attempting a bouldering problem, the climber ascends only a few feet off the ground, and climbs sometimes for just seconds at a time. It is one of the purest, most intense forms of climbing and also the least gear intensive (and therefore least costly). All you need is a chalk bag, shoes and a conscientious spotter. Hueco Tanks, Texas, is where bouldering culture began in North America, but Bishop, California, has since taken over as the bouldering destination of choice on the continent.
Rock climbing guides are abundant in most major climbing areas, typically offering instruction and a helping hand to the top, but not accommodations, transportation or food. Usually a visit to the nearest climbing shop or gym will unveil some local expertise.
Whether you want to go bouldering or sport climbing, to take on multipitch routes or a big wall, you need to be in good shape, which can take from a few weeks of steady physical conditioning (assuming you're already regularly active and fit), to a few years depending on the level of climbing you are envisioning. It helps to be flexible and to have a high degree of cardiovascular fitness. The only real way to achieve good rock-climbing form, however, is to do a lot of climbing.
You will find rock climbs of varying difficulties at most climbing destinations. What you need to decide is in which country you want to climb in, what kind of cultural experience you're interested in, and what type of rock you're after whether it's limestone, granite or sandstone.
Some areas are well known for their high concentration of moderate climbs, like New York's Shawangunks, others, like Arizona's Clark Mountain, for their powerful collection of test-pieces.
Most climbing areas have camping options, and if you're lucky, friendly local climbers will invite you to their homes for a shower, a meal and a warm place to crash for the night.
Rock climbing is about movement and flowing with the terrain. Always mentally demanding, it's about spending time in the outdoors, challenging yourself and experiencing the unique exhilaration of exposure that only climbing can offer.
Peru, Nepal, Alaska, Canada, Russia, Colorado, France, Antarctica—the world’s high and wild climbing destinations beckon. Mountaineering trips can range from a hands-in-your-pocket walk up California’s Mt Whitney or Australia’s Mt Kosciusko to three-month Himalayan odysseys. In the peaks rising from the jungles of Borneo, the wildlife is abundant, the weather is hot and the mountain climbing is nontechnical. Nepal is more of a commitment—the high-altitude climbs require snow and ice skills and time to acclimatize. And Nepal offers Everest—the highest, hardest, coldest (and most expensive) mountaineering expedition of them all. In the Himalayas, you’ll find an extensive community of mountaineers, while the snowy peaks of Peru are remote, isolated and often devoid of other mountain climbers.
Wherever you choose to go, mountaineering is not an activity for the faint of heart. Most liability waivers’ Assumption of Risk clauses will reveal something like: “I am aware adventure travel such as that I am undertaking involves hazardous activities in remote areas of the world with a risk of illness, injury or death” (quoted from Mountain Travel-Sobek waiver). Before you sign your life away, outfitters will lay bare the dangers inherent in any big alpine climb: headaches, nausea, strain from heavy loads, long days, subzero temperatures, frostbite, fatigue, sleeplessness, danger of avalanches, rock fall, or altitude illness—which could ultimately result in death.
Despite the risks, the intense camaraderie among mountain climbers, combined with the euphoria of reaching a summit, could easily get you so hooked on peak bagging that you’ll renounce your old life and quit your job. Then you’ll begin touring the globe in perpetual search of the intoxication we aficionados call mountaineering.
The earliest known alpinist, a Bronze Age man, was found just a few years ago at the foot of a retreating glacier in the mountains along the Austrian–Italian border, his boots lined with straw to keep out the cold. But formal mountaineering as we know it today did not begin until about 200 years ago, in the mountains of Europe. Wearing boots equipped with iron-spiked footbeds for traction on ice, alpine climbers were able to ascend monster peaks in the Alps, such as the Matterhorn, the Grande Jorrasse and Mont Blanc. In the last 50 years, technical advances have been rapid. With lighter, more technical, functional clothing and equipment, the Matterhorn has gone from being a two-day expedition to a three-hour solo climb for a talented climber.
Even experienced climbers will maximize their chances of a safe and successful climb by going with a recognized guide or outfitting company. With major-league mountaineering, there are myriad skills involved in sussing out what the specific hazards are and how to avoid them (not to mention making a killer cup of joe at 18,000 feet).
Developing the judgment to get you to the top of a particular mountain and back in one piece takes many years and many climbs. When choosing an outfitter, make sure the guides have experience climbing the peak you’ve chosen to tackle. They should have an understanding of the area’s culture and customs, and access to local resources such as porters and cooks.
For any big alpine climb, you need to be physically (as well as mentally) fit. Mountaineering involves a twisted energy ratio: You begin at the bottom, when the load of food, water and gear is heaviest, with an uphill battle against gravity. You’ll need a good reserve of energy to deal with the combination of the weight on your back and the thinning air of altitude.
The best way to get fit for mountain climbing is to go mountain climbing. Hiking up smaller peaks close to home will give you the quad fibers and cardiovascular capacity necessary to get you up bigger mountains.
For a big, multiday climb you should be able to carry 40 pounds for at least eight hours with 3,000 feet of altitude gain and loss—which could be achieved with a trudge up Mt Whitney, Mt Washington or Mt Rainier.
Altitude sickness (caused by the decreasing oxygen in the air as you head in the direction of the gods) is perhaps the most imminent danger associated with mountaineering. The golden rule is to gain no more than 1,000 feet of altitude per day. Climb high, sleep low, drink lots of water and go slow. If you do not spend enough time acclimatizing, you will likely suffer headaches, nausea, vomiting, shortness of breath, disorientation and impaired judgment—the classic symptoms of hypoxia (altitude sickness). In advanced stages, altitude sickness can be fatal. Educate yourself about the risks, symptoms and remedies before heading upwards. Some online resources include Travel Health Online (www.tripprep.com) and Travel Medicine (www.travmed.com). Also check our Travelers Health Risk section.