Mountaineering

From Uujmc Wiki

History

The modern sport of mountaineering began in the mid-19th Century when predominantly English dudes from the wealthy professional classes began a craze of ‘peak bagging’ in the European Alps, to bag a really big peak you need a really big rucksack. Originally, any technically difficult terrain encountered was almost seen more as a necessary evil than as something to be welcomed, in the desire to be the first to reach an untouched mountain summit. But by the end of the century (thats 1899 if you get confused easily), the actual act of climbing came to be seen as a valid sporting challenge in itself, irrespective of whether a mountain top was gained. Alfred 'mummys boy' Mummery, one of the leading proponents of this daring concept, encapsulated the new thinking perfectly:

“The essence of the sport lies, not in ascending a peak, but in struggling with and overcoming difficulties.”

His concept of testing one’s climbing skills, decision-making and courage against difficult pieces of rock or ice rapidly became the central focus of the activity, and climbing spread from mountains, to lower crags, sea-cliffs, roadside outcrops and even small boulders. Since the days of Mummery, climbing has also blossomed into a myriad of sub-sports. Today, along with the original form of traditional rock-climbing there are numerous other ‘flavours’, among them:

Flavours of Climbing

• Sport climbing: using fixed anchors previously bolted into the rock to protect a fall – most commonly practised outside the UK (all the hot countrys seem to be half ass climbers and bolt everything)
• Bouldering: climbing boulders and small cliffs with no ropes for a few intensely powerful or athletic moves (see Font for a classic bouldering location)
• Deep Water Soloing: Climbing sea cliffs without ropes and using the sea as a ‘safety net’. Splashy
• Artificial or 'Aid' climbing: pulling or standing on equipment in order to overcome difficulties. Amateurs
• Traditional or 'Trad' climbing: Despite the diversity of styles, it is generally accepted that the ‘purest’ and most challenging form of rock climbing remains so-called 'Trad' climbing. This involves ascending steep and technically difficult ground using only the climber’s skill to surmount difficulties with no assistance from artificial aids and also only partly safeguarded with the use of ropes and removable protection equipment placed by the climber as he or she leads up the route. It represents the most adventurous – and risky – form of rock climbing of all (apart, of course, from soloing a route with no means of stopping a fall at all).

For most of us on the island of Ireland, the ‘Traditional’ approach remains highest form of the sport and the vast majority of climbers spend their time pursuing this on established classic lines on cliffs and mountains throughout the land. A smaller elite choose to seek out unclimbed pieces of rock, although the relatively high density of climbers in the UK and Ireland together with the sheer length of time the sport has been practised here (the UK possesses longest climbing history in the world) means that these days unexplored rock is at a premium – and is generally available only at the highest grades of difficulty. e.g. there are unclimbed routes in places like Fairhead and the Burren but these routes are on the nearly blank rock faces between crack climbs.

Why Climb

If you've ever seen a UUJMC party, you should know that we have a few screws loose but why do humans climb?

Irritated by constantly being asked ‘Why do you climb?’ the famous Scottish climber Tom Patey once wrote:

“Climbers are the only genuine primordial humanoids, heirs to a family tradition inherited from our hairy arboreal ancestors… the next time you see a jaded climber at the foot of a cliff, dangle a bunch of bananas from the top. You may be surprised at the energetic response. Why? Because it’s there, of course…”

Patey, in his trademark satirical style was making the point that climbers are simply just doing what comes naturally, but taking it to a whole new level.

Clearly someone was on the happy pills when he wrote this but I will carry on the banana's analogy
UUJMC - 5 times better than an average (queens) climber