by Diggler » Thu May 27, 2010 11:14 pm
Alpinism: A form of climbing involving over-rating the difficulty of routes when elevations are greater than those of nearby "crags." Greater importance is often given to attaining the top of a given formation than the relative difficulty of the climb. This pursuit is enjoyed primarily by segments of the population with expendable income, allowing travel to said locations. Although typically monetarily better equipped than their fellow humans, these individuals do however have the distinction of being impervious to extremely cold temperatures; long, involved, and unpleasant approaches; poor rock quality; marginal camp food; and uncomfortable camping ("bivouac") conditions. This conversely allows them to justify the lesser climbing difficulties, & even "spray" about the extreme nature of their climbs, to their fellow cragsmen, who lack this imperviousness. Advanced tools, basically useless for any other purpose than that for which they were designed, are frequently employed as aids to ascension. Also see: mountaineering ant. bouldering
Alpine climbing: A recreational pursuit in which a person seeks to attain the highest point of a given rock formation. Incredible importance is placed on carrying all of ones belongings on ones back, in one push, to the highest camp or possibly the summit. Indigenous populations can be employed to assist in carrying the gear to an often arbitrary ‘starting’ point, or in some cases, guide one to a desired location (oftentimes higher than all other surrounding locations). It is worth pointing out that entire industries have been built in regions of exaggerated elevation for the express purpose of ensuring that individuals attain the highest point of a given projection. The use of supplemental oxygen as an ascent aid is a great transgression; those found to have violated this rule are excommunicated. Those who undertake this pursuit ("alpinists") frequently like to point out their superiority over "expedition climbers," who use a "climb high, sleep low" mantra, which provides an added factor of safety, allowing for a greater margin of error. Expedition climbers typically have no qualms about using bottled oxygen as an ascent aid.
Last edited by
Diggler on Fri May 28, 2010 12:29 am, edited 1 time in total.