Whether on a walk in the fresh air, a walk or a picnic in the woods, or even a first time in the high mountains, aspects such as safety or difficulty can be relative and depend on countless factors, all of them changing and often , complex but completely conquerable.
One of the most recurrent ideas in the high mountains revolves around the difficulty-altitude relationship.
We tend to think that much higher ground will result in an even more dangerous and strenuous journey.
On the contrary, there are those who consider that a terrain with low altitude levels represents a completely executable, and even laughable, undertaking.
However, in outside adventures, things are not necessarily what they seem.
With the aim of standardizing criteria and establishing parameters for people who wish to enter the world of elevated hiking or mountaineering, whether at an amateur or professional level, knowing the degree of difficulty established by the mountaineering consensus is useful, but there are also Keep in mind that this is not a definitive law and we must be prepared for any eventuality in our adventure.
According to one of the world-renowned grading systems for alpine routes and paths, the French one, the difficulty of a mountain depends on the total set of the route (approach, ascent and descent) taking into account key aspects such as length, altitude, technical difficulty, exposure and commitment (possibilities of going back, escape, etc.
In this way, for example, today we know that within a range of eight levels of difficulty, a very simple one represents a walk without difficulty, rough terrain or altitude, as well as an absence of steep slopes but which can require or represent walks. on difficult terrain on low slopes, or at a certain level of altitude.
On the contrary, an extremely complicated mountain will represent ascents and technical climbs practically at any stage of our experience, climbing degrees and considerable lengths and slopes of limit graduation, which implies a very high exposure and demands a high level of technique in climbing, as well as high response to possible risks, falls or untimely changes in weather and terrain.
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It seems easy... but it is difficult
For Juan Bosco Espejel García, an architect and mountain guide with more than eight years of professional experience at an international level, thinking that height is synonymous with difficulty is one of the most recurrent myths and a reflection closer to the human ego than to fascinating reality that represents a natural adventure.
However, there is something that is key and decisive before facing the high mountains: preparation.
“Each person lives their own mountain and something that I always recommend is that they enjoy the path, the landscape and the process, that they do not cling to the summit because it will always be there.
The mountain will give us life lessons and will represent certain aspects of discomfort around food, the toilet, sleeping well, etc.
But it will also test our humility, strength and determination;
It is an opportunity to know ourselves.
Even I have seen many people forced to develop skills they didn't know they had.
“The preparation to do high mountains implies different activities to have a sufficient physical condition when ascending, such as mental strength, constant physical activity, having done acclimatization exercises, avoiding a sedentary lifestyle, and gradually increasing”, emphasizes the guide. principal of the high mountain experiences project, Alien Outdoors.
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We have to get away from the idea that altitude equals difficulty.
Our expert mountaineer assures that there are mountains with a low level of altitude and that they are really challenging: “The same mountain can have many routes, even the most popular ones are usually the best known, traveled and, therefore, those with the lowest level of difficulty.
But we must bear in mind that a simple route can also increase its complexity because the terrain becomes rocky and the equipment we were carrying may not be as useful for that section.
That raises the technical demand.
“Now, let's think about doing that same route in the dry season: there is no rain, there is no snow and it can be even easier to walk it at the beginning.
Traveling through the snow is not the same as doing it on land, a more technical and sought-after tread is required.
There are people who are prepared for it and others who are not, depending on their context, level of experience and determination.
The experience is always different even on the same route.
“A very high mountain, with a single edge of rocks, without glaciers, can be much easier to achieve.
The altitude does not determine how difficult it will be, but it does influence acclimatization;
the more altitude we gain our body will react accordingly.
There is even the famous 'death zone', which is from 8,000 meters high, where our body perishes every moment due to the lack of oxygen, without the possibility of inhabiting those levels.
We may reach such risky heights on easy routes and vice versa”, assures the Alien Outdoors guide.
Juan Bosco also considers that the conception of height directly linked to difficulty can be more a synonym of the human ego, which can easily invite us to think that the higher we get, the better, or even superior to others.
This is not only a mistake, but it can represent a latent risk if we do not know how to learn from our own limits and capabilities outdoors.
Knowing yourself on the heights that our expert guide talks about, also entails an internal determination and will, which are usually accompanied by a particular philosophy.
“There is a phrase that says 'lucky is the person who faces adversity because that is the time to grow.'
I personally learned and understood that to grow as human beings we must have the courage to leave our comfort zone, to accept that the growth process can be uncomfortable, that an adverse climate can teach us more on the same route and on the same mountain. ”, emphasizes Juan Bosco.