Rock Climbing
It is one of the most dominant forms of mountaineering today. The defining criterion for inclusion in this category is the environment in which the activity takes place—namely, the rock. This includes rock faces ranging from dozens to hundreds of meters high, as well as boulders in the forest.
On the rock, climbing can be approached either traditionally (trad) or as a sport (sport climbing). This depends on the conditions and the rules established by the local community in each specific area.
If we were to categorize climbing based on rock types, the distinction would be based on the following dominant formations:
1. Limestone Climbing
This is the ‘standard’ form of climbing in Greece, as 90% of the climbing sectors consist of high-quality limestone.
Locations: Kalymnos, Leonidio, Varasova, Attica.
This is where sport climbing primarily develops.
2. Conglomerate Climbing
It represents the most iconic “special” category in Greece.
Location: Meteora.
Characteristics: A solid mixture of pebbles and sand. It requires a completely different technique (balance on pebbles) and is governed by strict ethical rules (minimal bolts, traditional approach).
3. Granite & Marble Climbing
These are less widespread but distinct categories.
Granite: Found mainly in Tinos (Exomvourgo), where climbing involves cracks and high-friction slabs.
Marble: Primarily located in old quarries (e.g., in Attica, such as Penteli).
The Essential Distinction in Greece
Within the Greek mountaineering community, the main distinction is between:
Traditional Climbing (Trad): On large rock faces (e.g., Varasova, Olympus, Giona) where the climber places their own protection.
Sport Climbing (Sport): In organized crags with permanent bolts.
Bouldering
As the name suggests, it primarily involves climbing large rocks, typically ranging from 2 to 5 meters in height. It is performed without safety ropes; in the event of a fall, the climber jumps to the ground. This discipline closely resembles actual gymnastics. Being close to the ground, the climber is freed from the psychological burden of the fear of falling, allowing them to focus entirely on executing the most demanding movements.
Climbing occurs either toward the top of the boulder or laterally (traversing). In bouldering, there are precisely defined routes, often requiring the use of specific footholds and handholds, while some starts are performed from a sitting or lying position (sit starts). Additionally, bouldering is practiced on artificial walls, where most competitions take place.
Exceptionally, the rock face may be high enough that a fall starts to induce fear. This boundary is not strictly defined, meaning bouldering can suddenly transition into free soloing (solitary climbing without protection).
Ice Climbing
The stage for a mountaineering feat is not limited to rock; it can also be ice. This element entered mountaineering due to high-altitude peaks that reach the zone of perpetual snow and ice. There, climbers were forced—initially on glaciers and later on the faces of high summits—to become familiar with moving on ice using specialized techniques, aided by ice axes and crampons. Some found this fascinating and refined these techniques, beginning to seek out ice fields even outside major mountain ranges, particularly during the winter. Today, the primary action in this discipline takes place away from high mountains, mainly on frozen waterfalls in mountain valleys during the winter months.
The Evolution of Ice Climbing: Mixed Climbing and Drytooling
Further disciplines evolved from ice climbing, such as modern mixed climbing and drytooling. This evolution occurred because an icefall was considered difficult when it had sections with interrupted ice, exposing the bare rock. In the pursuit of maximum performance, climbers began seeking routes with less and less ice, eventually needing to place their ice axes and crampons directly onto the rock. This discipline is known as modern mixed climbing. When ice is entirely absent from the route, the discipline turns into drytooling.
Ice climbing and later drytooling also entered the world of competitive climbing. For these competitions, artificial structures with ice elements are constructed. Athletes compete in lead (difficulty), speed, and even ice bouldering.”
Mountaineering and High-Altitude Mountaineering
This is another form of mountaineering defined by the environment in which it takes place: the mountains. It is the original setting where the sport of mountaineering was born. However, the term ‘mountain’ is very broad; therefore, a distinction into categories is used: mountains, mid-altitude mountains, and high-altitude mountains
Mountains: Refers to non-alpine environments, where relative elevation gains usually do not reach 1,500 m and the absolute altitude does not exceed 2,000–2,500 m (e.g., Pieria Mountains (Greece), Scottish Highlands).
Mid-altitude mountains: Characterized by typical alpine relief shaped by glaciers, with large elevation gains exceeding 1,500 m and altitudes between 2,500 and 5,000 m (e.g., Alps, Mount Olympus, Pyrenees).
High-altitude mountains: Usually defined as those exceeding 5,000 m (e.g., Caucasus, Pamir, Himalayas in Eurasia, or the Andes and Rocky Mountains in the Americas).
For the type of mountaineering practiced in any given range, the presence of perpetual snow and ice is just as decisive as altitude. For mountaineering purposes, a further distinction is made between glaciated and non-glaciated mountains.
In lower, non-glaciated mountains, activity usually focuses on rock climbing. Ascents consist of several rope lengths (multi-pitch), a mountain climate prevails, and approaches to the base of the routes are longer.
In non-glaciated mid-altitude mountains, difficulties increase, distances are even greater, orientation problems intensify, and the climate is significantly harsher.
In glaciated mid-altitude mountains, a radical change in the environment’s character occurs. The upper sections of valleys are covered by glaciers, and the mountain slopes are clad in perpetual snow. The use of specialized equipment for movement on ice and snow is essential. Above approximately 3,000 meters, the challenge of altitude and the need for acclimatization are added.
In non-glaciated mountains and mid-altitude ranges, one may find sectors developed for sport multi-pitch climbing. However, these are few; traditional mountaineering overwhelmingly dominates these peaks. In glaciated mid-altitude mountains, the inaccessible nature of the environment itself usually dictates a traditional approach.
In high-altitude mountains (above 5,000m), the environment is typically so extreme that people often resort to organizational or technological solutions. The result of the organizational approach is so-called Expedition-style climbing, the essence of which is shifting the challenge from a small group to a large team of people whose labor is meticulously organized. The ultimate goal—the summit—is reached by a select team representing the entire expedition’s effort. Technological aid in high mountains, beyond specialized gear, is primarily expressed through the use of supplemental oxygen, which mitigates the negative effects of high altitude.
Nevertheless, even in high-altitude mountains and their extreme conditions, mountaineering is practiced according to traditional concepts. The expression of this effort is the so-called ‘alpine style’, where methods from middle altitudes are transferred to high-altitude peaks. Especially in the Himalayas, at altitudes exceeding 8,000 meters, this is considered one of the most demanding mountaineering activities.
Bigwall Climbing (Ascent of massive rock faces)
A distinct category of multi-pitch climbing is what is known as bigwall climbing. This involves ascending very high rock faces that are exceptionally steep with minimal features (blank relief). On these walls, specialized tactics and equipment are typically employed, distinguishing this type of ascent from all other disciplines and making it a standalone sport. Bigwall tactics can be applied to standard mountains as well as mid-altitude or high-altitude ranges.
Bigwall climbing originated in the USA, in the Yosemite region. In Europe, the most famous bigwall faces are located in Norway (Trollryggen, Kjerag) or Italy (Qualido).
In Greece, bigwall climbing (multi-pitch routes on massive faces) centers on iconic crags of impressive height and historical significance:
Top Bigwall Destinations in Greece
Giona (Sykia Face): The largest rock face in the Balkans, with vertical sections ranging from 1,000 to 2,500 meters (total relief).
Meteora: Offers unique routes on conglomerate towers, such as the Pillar of Dreams (9 pitches) and Egg Dance (5 pitches). There are over 100 rock formations available for climbing.
Meteora (Thessaly)
Varasova: One of the most famous rock faces in Aetolia-Acarnania, renowned for its long routes situated right by the sea.
Leonidio: Although sport climbing predominates, it features fully bolted multi-pitch routes reaching up to 250 meters in height.
Winter Mountaineering
The name itself might give the impression that winter mountaineering is simply any mountaineering activity occurring during the winter season. However, this would not be accurate. First, these activities must obviously take place outdoors to allow the effects of the cold to manifest. Another essential prerequisite is that the terrain, due to winter conditions, must completely change its character compared to the summer. In some countries, this distinction is not emphasized; however, in regions such as the Tatra Mountains in Slovakia, Mount Olympus, the Pieria Mountains, or the Scottish Highlands, this criterion is considered vital.
In the European climate zone, these seasonal transformations occur primarily in non-glaciated mid-altitude mountains. In winter, these mountains are blanketed in snow, ice forms on the rock faces, and the range’s appearance is utterly transformed. The mountaineering practiced there fully earns the title of ‘winter mountaineering’ and constitutes a distinct form of action.
Interesting Fact: “Alpine style” is considered the “purest” form of mountaineering, as the climber carries all their supplies on their back, without fixed ropes or external support.
Mountaineering Trekking (or Scrambling/Mountain Hiking)
This is the most authentic form of mountaineering. The ascent routes in mountaineering trekking often coincide with the paths taken by early mountain explorers and mountaineering pioneers. Beyond the motivation of reaching a summit or another objective, mountaineering trekking also encompasses the desire for wandering through and getting to know the mountain range. The ascents performed typically do not include sections exceeding Grade III on the UIAA scale.
(The UIAA scale—International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation—is the international grading system for the technical difficulty of a rock climbing route).
Summary: Mountaineering trekking serves as the bridge between simple hiking and technical climbing, as it requires navigation skills and occasional use of hands, but without the need for specialized climbing equipment on a continuous basis.
Secured Route (Via Ferrata)
The most dynamic expression of mountaineering at an amateur level. A Via Ferrata (Italian for ‘iron path’) is a climbing route made accessible and secured with fixed aids, such as iron steps, ladders, chains, or steel cables running along the rock face. Initially, this method was used sparingly to secure popular mountain paths that followed the natural lines of the terrain; these routes were later integrated into the context of mountaineering trekking.
Subsequently, however, this activity expanded into steep rock faces. Defined routes now traverse vertical and overhanging walls, where artificial aids installed using industrial construction methods serve primarily to overcome gravity. Following strict logic, this is essentially a form of ‘recreational aid climbing’.
Artificial Climbing Walls
In the natural environment, a prerequisite for any mountaineering excursion is suitable weather, which is not always guaranteed. The primary motivation for constructing artificial walls was the attempt to bypass weather conditions. The second motivation was the need for climbers to have a training environment where they could practice outside the summer season. The first artificial climbing walls, which mimic the rock environment, began to emerge in larger numbers with the development of the ‘gymnastic’ approach to mountaineering.
The use of artificial walls is primarily for training purposes, serving climbers across all categories and disciplines. High-performance sport climbing on artificial walls is most vividly expressed through climbing competitions. Competitive climbing on artificial structures is a purely contest-based activity within the framework of mountaineering, featuring all the typical characteristics of organized sports, such as rules, judges, and podiums. Competitions are held in lead (difficulty), speed, and bouldering, as well as in ice climbing on artificial structures or drytooling.
Ski Mountaineering (Skialpinismus)
The term ‘ski mountaineering‘ is a collective name encompassing all mountaineering activities conducted in the mountains using skis. In its original form, it primarily involved the combination of a mountaineering ascent with a ski descent, or mountain traverses on skis. Ski mountaineering in this sense is considered one of the traditional forms of mountaineering..
Its simplest form is called mountain ski touring, while the original term ‘skialpinismus’ is now used more frequently to describe the most demanding form of the sport. Ski mountaineering competitions are also organized and have gained significant popularity recently.
Combined Disciplines
Closing this overview of mountaineering forms and disciplines, we should also mention combined disciplines, where mountaineering elements are integrated into other sports or activities. Mountaineering combined with speleology is known as caving-mountaineering (or speleo-climbing), while the combination of mountaineering and paragliding is called para-alpinism (paraglidealpinismus). Among the new combined disciplines, we can also include the now-popular canyoning (canyon descent).
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