A Short History Of Rock Climbing
- on 09.17.08
- Outdoor Adventure
- No Comments
- Digg
- Del.icio.us
From Alpine Rescue To International Adventure
Rock climbing as a sport is pretty recent. Today, folks climb to face challenges, to push themselves; but earlier they did it because they had to. Climbing up and down icy glaciers was part of rescue operations in the Alps.
It was not until the latter part of the 19th century that rock climbing emerged as a sporting activity. It developed in three distinct European areas.
The first evidence of climbing as adventure was in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains, located close to the Czech border. By 1903, there were nearly 500 active climbers there. Climbing clubs began to mushroom.
Based on cliff formations types, early climbing hobbyists in England developed the initial standardized “difficulty ratings”. Although formal climbing clubs were slow to form in Great Britain, climbers met at local pubs to discuss their scaling attempts and share notes on techniques.
The Dolomite Mountains of northern Italy was the third great European hotbed of rock climbing at the turn of the 19th century.
In the United States, rock climbing and mountain climbing were viewed as similar activities until the 1950′s. Then it began to emerge as a separate sport.
Fingertip Passion
Today, with new equipment and evolving techniques, avid rock climbers treat their passion more as a lifestyle than a pastime or a sport.
One trend has been the introduction of indoor climbing in urban areas. Actual outdoor rock formations are duplicated for indoor challenges. Safety equipment virtually guarantees a safe climbing experience for the most novice of adventurists.
From glacial rescues to indoor sport, rock climbing continues to evolve and challenge the human spirit.
Leave a Reply