Imagine: you are climbing a sheer cliff, higher and higher, meter by meter. Or you make your way to the snow-capped peak through ice hummocks and cracks. You go upstairs - the view there is such that you can’t believe your eyes. You are above the clouds, and the rest of the world is just below them.

In the photo: view from the 5th tower of Corona Peak. Ala-Archa.

Nice picture, heroic. Like in the movies. My hands are itching to take an ice ax and leave the house. But what to do next? Who to call, where to go and what the hell to do with this poor ice ax? Dmitry Shcherbina, CMS in mountaineering, spoke about how to conquer his first peak.

In the photo: Dmitry Shcherbina

Straight to the mountains

If it seems to you that climbers get to the top only after for long years training is not so. The most impatient ones can buy a ticket and go to the alpine camp as a beginner. They will teach you everything and even rent equipment. Every whim for your money.

In the photo: climbing to the top of Iskander (6A).

In Russia

Alpine camp Bezengi. A trip to the Caucasus for a beginner in 2017 costs 21,900 rubles. This amount includes transfer from Nalchik and back, accommodation in 6 or 8 bed rooms, 3 meals a day, instructor services and medical service. The price of air tickets to Nalchik starts from 3,000 rubles.

In the photo: Bezengi wall.

Equipment. Shift participants are given the necessary equipment free of charge on site special equipment: harness, helmet, ice axe, ropes. They only require you to bring mountain boots, a headlamp, cream and sunglasses.

If possible, it is better to come “with your own”. Familiar equipment is more convenient, clearer and often newer. To understand exactly what you need, read notes Sergei Shibaev - editor of the magazine “EX” about extreme travel and adventures. (Notes: Part 2.Part 3.)

In the photo from left to right: a safety rope, rock shoes, “Friend” bookmarks for securing the rope on the rocks with quickdraws with carabiners, safety loops with carabiners, safety systems.

Camp program.In 11 days on the “Initial Training - 1” program you will climb your first peak and receive the “Russian Mountaineer” badge. You will be taught how to move on rocks, ice and belay each other. This crash course gives you a general understanding of mountaineering and the opportunity to decide if this is the sport for you.

In the photo: climbing to the top of Gidan (1B).

Flaws. Bezengi is a difficult area for a beginner. Just getting to the top, which you then have to climb, can take a whole day here. And due to the high altitude - about 5000m - many people have problems with high-altitude acclimatization.Climbing in this area is a severe test of the body's strength. Sometimes it’s better to go further away, but to make it easier.

All details on the climbing camp website.

In Kyrgyzstan

Alpine camp “New Ala-Archa”.The trip will cost 360 US dollars (21,600 rubles at the current exchange rate). It includes almost everything the same as in Bezengi, except for free rental of personal equipment. Team climbing equipment: ropes, rock and ice pitons will be provided. And they will meet you not in Nalchik, but in Bishkek. Air ticket prices start from 7,500 rubles.

In the photo: Korona peak 5th tower (5B) Ala-Archi area.

Program. Within initial training They offer to make 4 ascents of different categories at once in one shift. If bad weather conditions or other harmful circumstances do not interfere with your plans, you will be able to receive a third mountaineering rank.

Flaws. The main problem with this area is that you most likely won’t be able to buy suitable tickets for 7,500. With luggage for the dates you need it will be much more expensive.

All details on the climbing camp website.

Alpine clubs in Moscow

The tangible disadvantage of going to a mountain camp from scratch is the unknown. You don’t know who will be in your group, who will become your instructor, what you will have to study, whether you are ready for climbing. It may turn out that you are focused on winning, and the rest are just going to the mountains to look at the flowers. Or vice versa - you will slow everyone down. If you sign up for an alpine club in advance and train for a year, this problem will not arise.

In the photo: MAI alpine club training

Each club has its own program comprehensive training. It includes general physical training, rock climbing, ice and snow techniques, first medical care and theoretical information about mountains and climbing. Detailed information For information about work schedules and training, check the clubs’ websites. To get there, just click on the picture. Here are a few famous ones.

Alpclub MAI

In the photo: Kazbek peak.

Alpclub MPEI

In the photo: Iskander peak.

Sports club CSKA named after. Demchenko

In the photo: the peak of Naranjo de Bulnes

SKA Zelenograd

In the photo: Fan Mountains

How does sport mountaineering work?

If, after the story about Bezengi, you have already bought a ticket to Nalchik and are now waiting for your flight at the airport, it’s time to figure out how everything works.

Difficulty of vertices.Each route has its own category. From the simplest - 1B - to the most complex - 6B. In order: 1B, 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B and so on. The category depends on many factors: the length of the route, the complexity of the ice and rock sections, the steepness of the slopes and many others.

In the photo: Amangeldy peak, Kazakhstan.

A climber can “go to the mountain” if he has already climbed a lower category. For example, to go to 2A, you need to have 1B experience. In addition, starting from category 6A, all members of the sports group must complete special courses and receive a “Mountain Rescue” token.

In the photo: applicants for the “Rescue in the Mountains” token

To confirm completion of the route, climbers must pick up a check note from the tour at the summit. The note contains information about the group that made the climb, the route and weather conditions. Previously, these notes helped in finding a group in case of an emergency. Now it's more of an old tradition.

In the photo: control note

It happens that routes of different complexity lead to the same peak. In this case, you also need to remove the note from the control round in the middle of the route.

A record of each ascent is entered into the climber’s book. Marks of passed exercises in rock and snow-ice techniques are also entered there.

In the photo: a climber's book

Discharges. To get a rank, you need to complete a certain set of ascents. For example, for the third rank you need to go up one 1B, two 2A and one 2B. For the second - three 3A and two 3B. And so on.

In the photo: digit book

When the norm is met, the climber draws up a separate grade book for himself. Before completing the second category, climbers are required to walk with an instructor. Then you can climb on your own in a sports group.

Alpine events.But it's not that simple. Sports group can perform ascents only during alpmeropritium. Alpine camps are a year-round event. But each club can organize its own event - for example, a training camp.

In the photo: Ratsek parking lots. The upper shelter of the Ala-Archa mountain camp.

To conduct them, the club submits to the Russian Mountaineering Federation (FAR) Required documents. The head of the training camp and the person responsible for safety are appointed, and a doctor is identified. Before going out to the mountain, each group fills out a route sheet and goes through a commission with their participation.

In the photo: route sheet

The head of the training camp releases the groups on the routes. He checks the readiness of the group, looks at and fills out the exit log. Checks the chess grid of routes - where are which groups and is it even possible to go to the mountain now? The person in charge of security coordinates the group’s communication sessions with the camp. In case of emergency, he organizes rescue.

Mountaineering in the world

In Europe, America and some others foreign countries mountaineering developed along a different path. Foreigners have their own classifications of routes and systems for recording achievements. But that's a completely different story. To take your first steps along mountain ranges, it is enough to know one. Happy climbing!

In the photo: a group of beginners through the eyes of an instructor

Look for more articles

International Mountaineer's Day is celebrated on August 8th. It was on this day in 1786 that the highest point of the Alps, Mont Blanc, was conquered. Since then, mountaineering has become one of the most difficult and exciting sports. For those who decided to discover the mountains and test their strength of mind and body, a RIAMO correspondent found out where the most famous alpine clubs in Moscow are located and how to prepare for the climb.

Types of mountain sports

Today there are two main areas of mountain sports: mountaineering and rock climbing. For a beginner, these words may seem synonymous, but they are not. There are many differences between these sports, both in the basic idea and in the details.

Mountaineering is a sport whose main goal is to climb mountain peaks. Mountaineering, unlike rock climbing, is inextricably linked with mountains.

Rock climbing, as an independent sport, grew out of mountaineering. This is overcoming natural (cliffs) or artificial (climbing wall) terrain, and the more difficult the obstacle, the better for achieving sports results.

“If mountaineering is a team sport that involves working in a team, “in conjunction,” then rock climbing is characterized by a purely individual approach to business. If in mountaineering when passing a route risk is not desirable, then in rock climbing one can and must take risks, since this is not associated with a threat to the life or health of the athlete, but is aimed only at achieving a high sports result. They also say that a rock climber is a climber on bare rock,” Ksenia Sheiko, rock climbing coach at the Red Point climbing wall, KMS, explained to RIAMO.

How to choose a training base

Based on the listed features, preparation in these two directions proceeds differently.

Since the goal of rock climbing is to overcome the most difficult section of rock, the emphasis is on developing strength and ingenuity. “To develop climbing skills, athletes who do not have the opportunity to spend all their time on natural rocks train mainly on artificial stands - climbing walls,” clarifies Sheiko.

Even in the mountains, climbers, unlike mountaineers, choose a limited area for themselves.

“This is a different sport. We climb rock walls, the height is not important to us, the main thing is that the vertical section is as long as possible. In his projects, a climber can climb a wall and not even get to the top, so that, according to tradition, he can pick up a note from the previous team and leave his own,” says master of sports, member of the Russian mountaineering team and rock climbing instructor Boris Egorov.

In mountaineering, the main thing is to go all the way to the top. Here key role endurance and serious theoretical knowledge play a role. Therefore, when preparing, climbers, in addition to training at climbing walls, devote a lot of time to general physical training (GPP), and also attend lectures.

“Rock climbing is only part of the alpine training set, which has grown into a separate and very strong look sport, but still part. A beginner who starts with mountaineering can move in both directions, but someone who goes to a climbing wall, as a rule, will stay there,” says climber Dmitry, who has about 250 mountain routes under his belt, including as a guide.

Accordingly, different bases for training are chosen. Those who decide to take up rock climbing should go to a climbing wall, where a trainer will help you master everything required skills. And to become a climber, you need to join an alpine club. At the same time, it is important to understand that the future climber will definitely visit the climbing wall more than once. But a climber, without membership in an alpine club, is unlikely to end up on a mountain peak.

Physical training

Preparation for climbing in all clubs is approximately the same. The course includes: theoretical classes, general physical training (cross-country running, cross-country, cross-country skiing, endurance exercises), SFP (rock climbing, practicing the basics and skills of mountaineering techniques).

At the end of the general training course, training camps take place - a trip to the mountains on natural terrain. After completing the first route and meeting the standards, the athlete receives the “Russian Mountaineer” badge - this is only the initial level.

“But in order to become capable of independent ascents, you need to spend a lot of time on various training sessions in the mountains and climbing simple routes,” notes Egorov.

Mountaineering clubs in Moscow

By tradition, the largest and oldest alpine clubs in Moscow are organized on the basis of universities. As a rule, anyone can get into them, not necessarily students of a given university. The main requirement is active participation in training process and competitions. This condition is the main one in order to get to the training camps in the mountains organized by the clubs.

Alpclub MPEI - on the basis of the Moscow Energy Institute. It has existed since 1934. To get started, just come to the general physical training training, which takes place on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays at the Energia stadium. To join the club, you need to fill out an application and pay an entrance membership fee equal to the monthly membership fee, about 100-200 rubles.

Alpclub of Moscow State University named after. R.V. Khokhlova - based on Moscow state university named after M.V. Lomonosov. Founded in 1935. To participate in training, you need to attend a general physical training class; the training takes place in the Shuvalovsky building of Moscow State University on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Joining the club will require filling out a registration card, active participation in the life of the club and monthly payment of membership fees in the amount of 150 rubles.

Alpclub MAI - based on Moscow aviation institute. Created in 1934. Anyone can attend general physical fitness training, which takes place on Tuesdays and Fridays in the Pokrovskoye-Streshnevo forest park.

Central Sports Club of Mountaineers named after. A.S. Demchenko - on the basis of the Sports Club of the Army of the Moscow Military District, the largest of the existing clubs in Moscow. A necessary condition membership is the payment of membership fees, entrance and annual, in the amount of 3,000 rubles each.

Climbing equipment

The mountaineering training itself and club membership are part of the low-cost part. But the provision material base may require significant investment. By the way, membership in clubs, as well as in the Russian Mountaineering Federation, allows you to receive discounts on the purchase of equipment, specialized clothing, classes at climbing walls and mountaineering and tourist bases.

But a beginner should not immediately run to a specialized store. “Equipment is purchased during the preparation process, taking into account the recommendations of senior comrades. It is important to listen to the advice of experts and take into account your own preferences formed during training,” advises experienced mountaineer Dmitry.

“Mountaineering requires quite a lot of equipment. You need warm, multi-layered clothing: thermal underwear, fleece, and on top a jacket with a wind- and moisture-proof membrane or down clothing if it’s cold,” says mountaineering instructor Boris Egorov.

“Boots can be very different, for different purposes: sneakers for fast hikes, of varying stiffness, high trekking shoes for walking on mountain paths and scree, special shoes with crampon welts for moving on ice, there are multi-layer boots for high mountains“, the specialist clarifies.

“You definitely need a safety harness; an inexpensive one costs 3,000-4,000 rubles. You will also need a huge set of equipment, depending on where you are going: trekking poles, ice axes, loops, carabiners, ropes, anchors for insurance, rock hammers and pitons, a helmet,” adds Egorov.

And of course, so complex and dangerous look sport places certain demands on the athlete’s health. According to mountaineer Dmitry, for mountaineering it is important not to have any health restrictions, as well as head and lung injuries.

Anna Semenova

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My name is Larisa Savchenko. I am 55 years old. Apparently, that’s why (experience), and also, apparently, because last summer I climbed Lenin and climbed Khan Tengri (again, experience), they asked me:

Tell me, please, what should a young father do?

The ironic mind with a minus sign immediately began to rhyme to the male father... And away we go!

Now, if a girl asked me about this, I would, without hesitation, instantly answer like this:

Of course, mountaineering...

Who doesn’t know that mountaineering is a school for marriage!

And the guy asked. Already, in general, a father who has passed the school of marriage!

I immediately remembered the textbook expression that mountaineering is “a harmonious combination of the unpleasant with the useless”, that it is “ The best way winter through the summer." That I myself, when asked what I like most about mountaineering, answer that the bathhouse is after the mountain.

That I swore that my children would never, ever do mountaineering at my behest, and my husband and I put our son in ballroom dancing and my daughter took up fencing. True, they spent seven years before that in alpine camps.

“An apple from an apple tree...” Larisa’s daughter in a mountain camp.

On the other hand, what else can a young father do?

Of course, mountaineering, what else at this already mature age?

I can name thousands, tens of thousands of reasons why you need to engage in this sport, well, at least ten:

Mountaineering is just cool. Unrealistically cool! Although it is also often unrealistically scary and difficult.

This is a sport, no matter what they say about it. It requires systematic, often exhausting, training: running, swimming, skiing, rock climbing. You need to train, since mountaineering is an extreme sport in which life is often at stake.

Mountaineering can be done at almost any age;

When you’re in the mountains, you have “the whole world in the palm of your hand...”, even if you’re already dead on the way;

Very often “you are happy and silent...”, although just as often after that you no longer envy those for whom “the peak is still ahead”;

Mountaineering is truly men's work. Often at the limit and beyond...

Mountaineering teaches you to understand people. Or he doesn't teach. But all the same, you will see that appearing and being are not the same thing, and how true is the statement that one is greeted by one’s clothes, but one is escorted by one’s mind.

You will learn to appreciate simple human joys: worked, ate, rested;

You will see that a person consists of “dirt and clouds”, you will learn to be tolerant and help people;

Since mountaineering began as an elite sport, there is still a lot of smart people, you might even become a little wiser...

The whole world is in the palm of your hand, you are happy and silent...

Before the collapse of the Union, mountaineering was a national sport. Then he almost died. Now he is almost resurrected. In another form - commercial. It's time and money. Well, or at least one more person, because starting mountaineering alone is practically impossible.

You can become a climber differently, I will not touch on the goals of your activities at all - for the soul you will take up mountaineering or for sports:

You can go with a commercial group to climb Elbrus, Lenin, Everest - there are a lot of offers - if only you had money and health. If you get hooked and decide to become a climber, then go to a mountain camp.

You can come, preferably in the fall, to one of the sections of our city. There are not many clubs left in St. Petersburg. Most often, they are located on the basis of higher educational institutions and the downside is that your friends will be students, even if you are already over forty.

Snow and ice activities. Photo from the archive of Vladimir Molodozhen.

Addresses and telephone numbers can be found on the website Mountaineering Federation of St. Petersburg

You will spend the winter with the club, and then, anyway, you will go to a mountain camp. Getting acquainted through an alpine club is the most convenient and inexpensive way to start mountaineering, so during the Winter you get acquainted, decide to organize. and Finnish questions, practice.

You can go straight to the alpine camp by purchasing a ticket on the spot or asking for an add-on to some camp.

You will find a list of mountain camps and contacts on the website mountaineering federation, although it is incomplete...

Personally, of course, I like the alpine camp the most Bezengi, in Kabardino-Balkaria, although traditionally it is considered difficult for beginners. And because of weather conditions, and because of the long approaches. But it contains five five-thousand-meter peaks of the Caucasus. And the infrastructure there is awesome.

Of the Caucasian camps, the second should probably be called Uzunkol, in Karachay-Cherkessia. Low mountains, short approaches, mild climate– you may think that you are in Italy. Although there were seasons that were completely lost due to rains.

Caucasian Alps. Photo embossed from RISK.RU

Mountaineering can be considered the first of mankind's extreme hobbies. And if at first overcoming mountain barriers and rocks had practical significance, then by the end of the 20th century it had become a dangerous and difficult sport. The exception is industrial alpinism, but now we’re not talking about him.

Before you run to the store to buy equipment, you need to decide which mountaineering to prefer: rock climbing, mountaineering or sports. In the latter case, it is best to start with a specialized club. And remember that sport mountaineering is the most traumatic competitive discipline.

Unfortunately, there is no complete database of mountaineering schools in Russia yet. But very often such sections exist on the basis of higher educational institutions such as Moscow State University, Moscow Power Engineering Institute, and LETI. It’s also worth visiting the websites of the Russian Mountaineering Federation or just searching open club in my city.

A climber must be resilient. Not strong or fast, but resilient. Therefore, the main training for climbers: running, cross-country, cross-country skiing, swimming. The technique of ascent and descent is practiced at the climbing wall. 1-2 times a year the club holds sports activities accompanied by instructors.

Rock climbing focuses exclusively on rock climbing. It is included in mountaineering lessons, but is highlighted in separate species sports and active recreation.

Mountaineering involves regular year-round training. Even an experienced athlete will not be able to climb the mountains once and take a break until the next season. You need to constantly hone your skills and safety techniques.

Usually, before enrolling in a club for permanent training, a future climber is asked to come to a trial training session. Many, having watched Soviet (“Vertical”) or Hollywood (“Vertical Limit”) films about this hobby, are overly romantic, and you need to let them feel all the complexity upcoming work. If after the test training the desire to climb the mountains has not disappeared, then you will need to pay a fee, purchase the recommended equipment and start training.

While climbing, you must follow all safety rules. Otherwise, there is a risk of meeting the Black Climber, rumors about which have been circulating since the days of Soviet mountaineering. This figure of a man with a mask on his face is considered to be the spirit of the once dead climber. Scientists believe that the emergence of the legend is a consequence of systemic hallucinations due to a lack of oxygen in the rarefied air high altitude. And this also needs to be remembered if there are problems with the respiratory system.

In professional slang, “black” is a climber who does not use belay or walks the slope alone.

In “Skala City” on Kutuzovsky, climbers are preparing for the season. Climbing (that is, climbing) takes place in autumn and winter. Everyone else is simply escaping the Moscow heat and getting a dose of adrenaline. Along the perimeter of the hall there are 12-meter walls with multi-colored patches or, as experts say, hooks. The first thing a beginner can do is climb up, clinging to these “squiggles” with all possible parts of the body. Of course, with insurance. The sensations are more than acute. At first you are simply afraid of heights, so you strain all possible and impossible muscles in order to at least grab onto something. If your body is accustomed to sports, you can climb up in 10-15 minutes, or even faster, but the feeling is like after a 10 km run. This is called a “test climb” - they don’t teach you anything, they just insure you and help you get to the top. If you like it, then start practicing. As coach Dmitry Tarasenkov explains, it’s not enough to just climb, you need to do it beautifully! What else do beginner climbers need to know?

Second half

Rock climbing is a paired sport: one climbs, the other belays. You can find a couple on the Internet or join a group. There is another option individual lessons with an instructor. But in the end you will still need a partner. After six months of regular practice, you will understand how to climb, you will do it gracefully and gracefully.

Difficulty color

All routes are marked different colors, indicating the level of difficulty. In Russia, they are designated according to the French category - a number and a letter. The higher they are, the more difficult the route is considered (5a is the basic route, for those who just want to climb to the top, and 9b+ is considered the most difficult). The name of the author who developed it is often written next to the path number. The names of the tracks sound indicative, for example - “Gut twist”, “Kamikaze”, “Road to nowhere”.

Relax

When you look at the wall, it seems that a person is hanging on it - that is, holding it in his arms. The impression is deceiving. Is he standing or walking? You can feel this only in practice. You need to try to keep your arms straight and make movements without pulling yourself up with your arms, but pushing yourself out with your legs, and also try to be pressed against the wall as much as possible (but then what a press!) The most difficult thing is to learn to tense only those muscles that are needed to make the movement, and everyone else should be completely relaxed.

Get stronger

Strengths and physical training will be needed. First you need to learn how to do pull-ups on the horizontal bar. And girls do this too. But what great shape the climbers are in is simply a sight to behold. And they seem younger than their years, especially after 40.

All ages are submissive

Even competitive rock climbers begin training as adults. For example, the last world champion started climbing at the age of 20, and won the title 4 years later. Championships up to 2nd category are very popular in Moscow. After just six months of classes, you can safely take part. In addition, Scala City organizes trips to the mountains for its students - to the Alps, Turkey and Vietnam.

It is safe

Don't confuse rock climbing with mountaineering in the spirit of the movie "Vertical Limit". If you follow the basic rules, there is no danger. The first thing you learn at a climbing wall is how to belay. All equipment can be rented. And besides, for a rock climber it is important not to climb the peak of Victory or Communism, but to gracefully climb a beautiful rock.

For the sake of communication

At the climbing walls in Moscow there is a whole climbing community, active and fun. They gather in the bar at Scala City and on the Internet on