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Scrambling?

steve-in-kville

Level 5 Valued Member
I've heard of this term before, read definitions, watched youtube vids, etc. So its between aggressive hiking and full-on bouldering?

Anyone care to comment?
 
I've heard of this term before, read definitions, watched youtube vids, etc. So its between aggressive hiking and full-on bouldering?

Anyone care to comment?
By my definition neither.

Scrambling is usually reserved to mean an ascent of a peak that is beyond a hike in that there is no trail, and yet is decidedly non-technical in nature. This would usually entail mostly Class 3, although there could be sections of stiff class 2 and easy class 4. In any event one is going to need to use their hands.

Depending upon one’s experience a scramble could be casual to one person and terrifying to another. Weather and snow/ice conditions can also alter the situation heavily.

Two climbs come to mind. The Keyhole route on Longs Peak, and the Standard Route on Mt. Temple. Both are pretty easy hikes, yet they each have several sections that require ’scrambling’. And although a rope is definitely not required in both cases a slip might be fatal. (has been)
 
Thank you for your reply. Now I remember the "rope not needed yet a fall could be fatal" part.

Two questions:
1- is a chalk bag required, or not really?
2- What age would you start a child out on such endeavors? Obviously terrain would have to age -relevant.
 
Thank you for your reply. Now I remember the "rope not needed yet a fall could be fatal" part.

Two questions:
1- is a chalk bag required, or not really?
2- What age would you start a child out on such endeavors? Obviously terrain would have to age -relevant.
1. A chalk bag would not be required. (One could argue not required for any climbing…)
2. I won’t answer this because of the wide range of variability in terrain, abilities, and risk tolerance in both the child and adult in question.
 
What age would you start a child out on such endeavors? Obviously terrain would have to age -relevant.
I've brought my kids on hikes that required some scrambling for them as young as 5 years old, but I was always behind the youngest one in case of a slip. I have to say though that my kids move a lot in general so they were ready for it. Also, there is a lot of variability between my 4 kids, not all of them could or would have wanted to do the hike at 5, the last one is just more of a go getter.
 
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I live near a couple of large master planned communities where quite a few endurance athletes come down to retire. Not uncommon for me to bump into my friend Roy and his buddies as they head out to do a bit of scrambling and technical climbing and they are all 75-80 years old. One of my go to training hikes near my house has a very short Class 3 scramble that if you were to fall, worst thing is probably a broken limb.

The past couple of years to make my annual Grand Canyon trip more interesting is I've added scrambling up some of the peaks that are within the canyon.
 
Scrambling is a 'big thing' here in the UK mountaineering and climbing worls.

As has been said it's the ground between walking and climbing, and of course blurs into easy climbing. We have a grading system here that's seperate to the climbing one.

Doesn't the Uk have something called "fell running" which is likened to American mountain running? Or am I confusing that term with something else?
 
Thanks for the helpful replies. We have some bouldering opportunities close by, but no real scrambling that I am aware of. may have to get creative...
 
Scrambling is a 'big thing' here in the UK mountaineering and climbing worls.

As has been said it's the ground between walking and climbing, and of course blurs into easy climbing. We have a grading system here that's seperate to the climbing one.

Good description
The video of Crib Goch is a great example of scrambling. (Although calling that ridge razor sharp is a bit much… :cool: )
 
I asked around locally and found there are some places that would work. I'm told by the local bouldering crowd its halfway between bouldering and scrambling.
 
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