Scrambling (also known as alpine scrambling) is a method of ascending rocky faces and ridges. It is an ambiguous term that lies somewhere between hillwalking and rock climbing. It is often distinguished from hillwalking by defining a scramble as a route where hands must be used in the ascent. Less exists to distinguish it from climbing, with many easy climbs sometimes referred to as difficult scrambles. A distinction can be made by defining a climb as any ascent where hands are used to hold body weight, rather than just for balance.
The Mountaineers climbing organization defines scrambling as follows:
"Alpine Scrambles are off-trail trips, often on snow or rock, with a 'non-technical' summit as a destination. A non-technical summit is one that is reached without the need for certain types of climbing equipment (body harness, rope, protection hardware, etc), and not involving travel on extremely steep slopes or on glaciers. However, this can mean negotiating lower angle rock, traveling through talus and scree, crossing streams, fighting one's way through dense brush, and walking on snow-covered slopes."
Read more about Scrambling: Overview, British Routes, Hazards, Scrambling Safety, Classification Systems
Famous quotes containing the word scrambling:
“He appeared to be a very religious man, and said his prayers in a loud voice, in Indian, kneeling before the camp, morning and evening,—sometimes scrambling up again in haste when he had forgotten this, and saying them with great rapidity. In the course of the day, he remarked, not very originally, “Poor man rememberum God more than rich.””
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)