International Mountaineering Day is a holiday for professional athletes and amateurs, rock climbers and tourists, as well as professional climbers and industrial climbers. It is celebrated by lovers of high mountains and climbing.
On August 8, the whole world celebrates Mountaineering Day or International Mountaineering Day. A holiday that unites people, strong in spirit, ready for the most unthinkable trials that nature presents at each ascent.
The history of the origin of the holiday
Mountaineering day owes its appearance to two Swiss. One day in early August in 1786, they were the first climbers to climb the highest point of the Alps. Physician Michel-Gabrielle Packard and mountain guide Jacques Balma reached the summit of Mont Blanc, which is 4810 meters above sea level.
The real craziness in the early 60s began after the Swiss mountaineer, who was also a botanist and geologist, Horace Benedict de Saussure, failed to conquer this height and appointed a fabulous prize to the one who was the first to reach the summit. The massive desire to conquer Mont Blanc and get a reward for many ended in tragedy.
It was the hunter and guide Jacques Balma, who wished to receive the prize, who persuaded Packard to conquer the Alps, saying that he knew about the easy way to the top of Mont Blanc. They began their journey on August 7, and the next day, on the 8th at 18:23, the doctor Michel-Gabriel stuck the flag into the ground and wrote down data on the air pressure and temperature conditions at the point of location in the travel diary, and sketched the neighboring peaks.
This day is fixed in the calendar of climbers as their holiday, and it is celebrated both by people who conquer mountain slopes and peaks, and by those who, by virtue of their profession, are engaged in industrial mountaineering. They are specialists in wet cleaning, painting and cleaning tall buildings that use scaffolding.
In Russia, the origin of the holiday is tied to a different date. Its source is considered to be the founding of the Russian Mountain Society in 1900, and the official appearance of Soviet mountaineering took place in 1923 on 28 August. Then 18 scientific workers and students from Tbilisi, headed by Professor Nikoladze, conquered the top of Mount Kazbek. And the emergence of industrial mountaineering as an independent profession originated in the "school of courage", established for the education, training and development of climbers.
What is important to be able and to know for climbers
Climbers are strong people both physically and mentally, ready to risk their lives in pursuit of thrills, conquering the next peak. For this profession or hobby, you need to be in good physical shape and have a certain training, skills worked out in the course of systematic studies and training, but also certain moral and volitional qualities. This is especially taken into account when climbing mountain peaks in conjunction with other climbers. If the team has a "weak link", it can destroy all members of the group.
Before any climb, a lengthy preparation is required in the form of special training from professional climbers. The candidate must be in good health and in excellent physical shape. Regardless of gender, it is necessary to reach the age of 17, but if a high-altitude ascent is planned, then the lower age threshold increases to 24 years.
Before climbing, you need to adequately assess your strength, set specific tasks and, of course, purchase the necessary tools and equipment for the upcoming conquest of a new height. When choosing them, it is important to remember three main rules: adaptation to certain conditions, convenience, speed and ease of use, reliability. Climber's tools are conventionally subdivided into tipping, belaying and auxiliary tools. You cannot save on them, they must certainly be made of high-quality material, checked in advance and without flaws.
International Mountaineering Day
Sports clubs traditionally hold noisy celebrations on August 8 with concerts, competitions and other festive events. On this August day, it is customary to meet with friends and visitors from other cities and countries to exchange experiences, experienced climbers organize master classes where they share their trade secrets and give recommendations. Games are held and new records are set, at the end of which the winners are awarded with memorable souvenirs, equipment and tools, and the heads of the clubs assign them the title of "mountain nominations". Having conquered the next height, climbers often capture mountain beauty with a camera, and on holidays they organize large-scale exhibitions, giving everyone the opportunity to see and admire the beautiful landscapes.
On this day, it is customary to congratulate not only rock climbers and industrial climbers, but also manufacturers and sellers of equipment and tools, without which climbing would be impossible; doctors, employees of various services that are part of rescue teams in mountainous areas; geophysicists, geologists and archaeologists who have devoted their lives to the study of mountain ranges.
