Hello,
I'm currently writing a PhD proposal at the University of Leuven (Belgium) about mountaineering and hiking. I have, however, a linguistic issue I cannot resolve immediately, and I'm hoping someone around here can help me with this.
I want to know what the generic term is for the collection of sports consisting of alpinism, hiking, indoor and outdoor climbing.

I always thought it to be 'mountain sports', my supervisor, however, thinks it is rather 'mountaineering'. That is why I would like to ask whether it is correct to use 'mountain sports' to describe those sports practiced in the mountains (or hills)? It seems to me that the meaning of 'mountaineering' is rather restricted, while, I think, it doesn't include for example hiking and indoor climbing.

Anyone who can help me out with this?
Many thanks in advance!

Koen

I do not believe that there is a single term that encompasses all of the activities that you mentioned.

Sorry

In US Universities and elsewhere "Outing Clubs" or "Outdoor Clubs" typically describe their activities as these along with boating, bicycle touring, etc. So in the broadest sense, you might use "Outdoor Sports".

I cannot use 'outdoor sports', as this is to broad. In my research I'm not examining for instance cycling, running or boating, only mountaineering, indoor/outdoor climbing and hiking.

But you think 'mountain sports' is not an option?

What about mountaineering? Would it be possible to use it in this context (which includes hiking and climbing)?

KoenVl wrote:
What about mountaineering? Would it be possible to use it in this context (which includes hiking and climbing)?

I have always thought of the term 'mountaineering' to be inclusive of hiking, climbing, mountaineering, etc. While climbing enthusiasts might prefer to split the various disciplines into their respective categories (sport climbing, ice climbing, alpine climbing, etc.), I think for your purposes it is appropriate and will be well understood.

I wouldn't know of just one term that concisely captures alpinism, hiking, indoor and outdoor climbing. Some terms are close, but either they are too broad or to narrow.

'Mountain sports' for example, while not quite as broad as 'outdoor sports', would still include several other activities, such as just about all sorts of skiing on prepared slopes.

As for 'Mountaineering', one can argue about it's exact definition, but I consider it the same as alpinism, and even at my broadest interpretation it does not include hiking outside the mountains (including hiking anywhere in Belgium), and it doesn't include indoor climbing or outdoor sports climbing. In fact, I consider mountaineering and alpinism the same activity, with the only restriction that I don't like to use the word alpinism when it's taking place outside the Alps. But I don't know how others feel about that restriction, so perhaps that view is not generally shared.

'Climbing' comes closer, as it at least covers alpinism as well as indoor and outdoor climbing. So, the best I can come up with would be 'Climbing and hiking'. Or you can leave it 'Mountaineering and hiking' - but with that, at least by my interpretation, you still exclude indoor climbing and outdoor sports climbing.

rgg wrote:In fact, I consider mountaineering and alpinism the same activity, with the only restriction that I don't like to use the word alpinism when it's taking place outside the Alps. But I don't know how others feel about that restriction, so perhaps that view is not generally shared.

I see alpinism as a sub category of mountaineering with alpine climbing necessarily involving steep, technical rock and/or ice climbing, glaciated terrain, etc. Basically the type of climbing one would experience in the European Alps.

rgg wrote:'Climbing' comes closer, as it at least covers alpinism as well as indoor and outdoor climbing. So, the best I can come up with would be 'Climbing and hiking'. Or you can leave it 'Mountaineering and hiking' - but with that, at least by my interpretation, you still exclude indoor climbing and outdoor sports climbing.

I agree that climbing and hiking would precisely cover all types of climbing and hiking.

Thanks a lot for your input!
I'll propably be using 'mountaineering' with, at the beginning of my proposal, a clear description of what I exactly mean with 'mountaineering'. In this case, climbing and hiking. It will be easier to use one term, 'mountaineering', instead of always using 'climbing and hiking'.
By clearly describing what is meant with 'mountaineering' it shouldn't be a problem that in normal everyday language hiking and indoor climbing aren't included in the definition of mountaineering.

KoenVl wrote:But you think 'mountain sports' is not an option?

As long as you exclude indoor climbing.

Indoor climbing in a rock gym is not, by any stretch of the imagination, a "mountain sport" anymore than playing a video war game could be considered a "military" experience.

Mountaineering and indoor climbing.

Climbing and Hiking.