A Jump Start Guide to Mountaineering

Hiking is one of my favorite hobbies. One specific activity is mountaineering. This doesn’t mean I scale Mount Everest every weekend because by mountaineering, I mean walking from the base of any mountain to the summit and back. Essentially, this little guide is just a head start on climbing higher. It is great exercise and the views are very rewarding. You can go more places on foot than the car will take you.
1) Find a Mountain
If you are going mountaineering, you are going to need a mountain. The best way to look for one depends on your location. There might be local ones or places you are going to for vacation. If you are going to a national park, you can get information about mountaineering from the park office or website. A topographic map obtained from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) might also be helpful. A couple things should be considered when picking a mountain. The first is elevation. It can pose several problems during a trip. One problem with high altitude is a lowering of oxygen in the air. It is easier to lose your breath and you get tired more easily. If it is your first time trying to summit a mountain, going beyond a mile above sea is probably not the best idea. Normally, the information about a mountain is readily available. Another problem with high altitude is being exposed to bad weather. High mountains have their summits well above the tree line. A lack of trees provides no cover in the event of any inclement weather. But one of the best ways to find a mountain is defined in the next section.
2) Find a Trail
As with any hiking trip, finding an established trail is always a great idea. Bushwhacking, essentially not using a trail at all, should only be attempted by experienced hikers. Established trails are harder to get lost on, normally follow the easiest route, and are well maintained. Trails can be found in a guide book of the area you are looking to go to or by using a trail website, like Trails.com. From these sources, you can find a trail and information for a mountain that you deem a likely candidate to climb. The trail itself will make your trip either better or worse. In a guide book, you will find all the information about a trail’s condition, the dangers involved in the mountain it goes up, and other pertinent information that can make or break your trip. An easy way to tell how hard a trail will be by its gain in altitude from start to finish, and its distance. Just because a mountain is 5000 feet tall doesn’t mean you will climb that whole distance. The easiest trails can be easily found by dividing the altitude gain (in feet) by the length of the trail (in miles). The smaller the number is, the easier the trail will be because it is how much elevation you will gain for every mile walked. Most guide books will give you the best trails to mountains that have the best views. No real point in walking up it if you can’t see around you. The view is the best part.
3) Pack Up
Ok, you found a trail in the guide book that goes up to a magnificent view, now how do you get there comfortably? In my opinion, one of the most important things is footwear. You will be scrambling over and around all sorts of rocks and obstructions to get where you want to go. The second step is make sure you have a lot of water. It may be incredibly difficult or almost impossible to find a spring to fill up at. Snacks always help give you an energy boost. Bring some layers because it is probably colder and windier at the summit compared to the base. Plus, have a camera; you are going to want it. So go, have fun, pace yourself, be safe, and EXPLORE.

This little story is my trip up Diamond Hill, in Connemara National Park in Ireland. The mountain had a summit of 1450 feet. The trail prettymuch began at sea level and started off gradually. It casually led through the grasses and over small streams. After awhile, the trail let to the loop trail that goes up and over the summit of the mountain. That is when the trail got rough. It started off with a steep climb over packed dirt which led to several switchbacks cut into the stone. Then the trail turned into a natural staircase which led to a false summit. A false summit is a term for what appears to be the very end of the trail from below, but once reached, you can see you still have to climb a little higher. The summit was not far off, probably like another 400 feet. The view from the top was absolutely phenomenal, but the wind was bitterly cold. I spent some time on the summit taking pictures before I got too cold and needed to go back down. Overall, well worth the trip.

This is the trail that led up to the summit loop trail with the summit in the background.

This is the view from the summit, you can see the trail up on the left side. The trail begins down by the lake.