Mountaineering can range from hiking in the Alps to mountaineering in the Andes, from free climbing in the Ardennes to a multi-day trek in the Himalayas. For centuries, people have been fascinated by the mountains, reaching mountain peaks and being active in mountainous areas. There are dozens of types of mountaineering, including mountaineering, mountain climbing, fat biking, free climbing, rock climbing, zip lining, ski touring, winter sports, ice diving and ice climbing. In the last century, you have also seen more and more sports in which descending the mountain in an original way has become central. You can go abseiling, base jumping, hang gliding, but also skiing or sledding.
Abseiling is independently descending a steep wall using a climbing rope. In climbing it is used as a technique to descend, but in canyoning it has also become part of the sport
Alpinism is mountain climbing in terrain consisting of rock, snow and ice. The emphasis is on 'vertical' ascent, using arms and hands to get up. Rock climbing and ice climbing are forms of alpinism. Alpinism originated more than three centuries ago during a scientific expedition that climbed the summit of Mont Blanc. Today's alpinism is more about climbing technique, the level of difficulty or the beauty of the route, than about reaching the top of the mountain.
This means that you walk along paved and unpaved paths through the mountains. When you also need your arms and hands, people quickly speak of mountain climbing. Simple glacier walking is also considered mountain hiking. 'Rambling' is a simple way of trekking, and 'scrambling' is a simple way of climbing where one occasionally needs the help of hands or knees.
Free climbing is a form of rock climbing where you climb up using your hands and feet. It does not mean that you do not have any form of protection (that is known as free solo climbing), but it does mean that you are not allowed to use any aids for the climbing itself. Wall climbing: is climbing in a covered area on a climbing wall without aids.
Bouldering is a climbing sport where you climb unsecured to a height of about 4/5 meters. If you fall, you basically fall on a thick mat. Bouldering is very similar to life, and often revolves around finding the right route.
To what extend are you insured during mountain sports?
The consequences if something goes wrong during mountain sports are, if you need help and have to be taken down a mountain, or repatriated from a remote area, the costs can be quite high. The costs of deploying a rescue helicopter alone are around 5,000 euros per hour! In addition, you can be faced with the costs of a rescue team
If you also end up in hospital, you may have to pay the costs yourself, if you have not taken out insurance that covers your mountain sports activities.
Mountain sports abroad are generally limited by regular insurance. Usually you also run a greater risk of having an accident or breakdown.
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