Alpine tourists carry in backpacks and a cargo pass the planned route through the mountain passes and valleys, on slopes and glaciers, passing over dozens of days, hundreds of kilometers. If they rise to some vertex – then own pleasure, as such a task before them is not assigned. But with climbers conquer the top – the only problem. Top, climbing on the rules is that towers over the surrounding slopes, although at 200 meters. If this condition is satisfied, then the vertex can have its own name. From rock climbing tourism differs by the fact that everything in it is regulated and amateur is much less.

I am a big mountain had to meet with groups of mountain tourists that are in very dire straits. This happened in 1974 at the Central Pamir glacier Bivachny, east of Communism Peak – the highest point of the country. In addition to our team was still quite a few people, since the expedition conducted by the Central Board "Petrel". And at some point, the top person comes and says: "Help our band. We lost two people. One drag, it would be necessary and second pick. " In conversation revealed the following. Group of mountain tourists came from suburbs on the route.

On the second day they lost a backpack with primus. A week went on a starvation diet, ie, without hot food, then started down. During the descent the captain died, and soon the party We stayed several days with these people and one of them, zavlab, Ph.D., once told me: "When we went to Bivachny, I thought that there are often climbers. Perhaps they were left in the garbage something to eat and we . Their team clearly was not ready for such a route. On the slope on which they were descending, the climber is not no drag – there are lumps of ice are hanging! But could advance to see – is the pass on the route or not. Our team of Sverdlovsk climbers was a champion of the Union 11 times, including 5 times in a row. That unbeaten record since the country no longer exists. So, we put in the autumn problem, studied literature in the winter, preparing, practicing, traveling in the summer and the problem solved. And then heads to the mountain people cast aside their caps. Struggle with nature is useless. It's okay if it allows us in the mountains to do something – good weather, the normal slopes. And if the wind suddenly blows so wet rain go, and then everything will harden. In addition to height and not enough oxygen. As for climbing, then as a sport, he appeared in the ussr, in 1947-49. Then in one of climbing camps Head of Studies I. Antonovich decided to check the technical readiness of the trainers themselves. After all, the rock – is one of the reliefs of the mountains. So he came up with the rules and held contests and gradually these readiness checks have become a separate sport.