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jonny_211 t1_j1tmfrt wrote

Reply to comment by Clinggdiggy2 in The granite towers of the Cirque of the Unclimbables are a special sight to behold [OC] [1920x1278] by TritonTheDark

Pardon my ignorance but what is the difference between a mountaineer and a climber, don't they both climb things?

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Clinggdiggy2 t1_j1toz6w wrote

You're absolutely right, in both instances You're climbing things (even the same mountain occasionally) it's just the means by which you get there. The TL;DR explanation is "climbing" is specifically centered around vertical cliffs, while mountaineering is a more all-encompasing sport focused on sumitting mountains. Basically climbing is more specific than mountaineering.

If you're curious to know more, look into the Yosemite Decimal System, it is how climbs/mountains are rated in difficulty (in the US) and gives a quick numerical value as to how hard a mountain is to summit (via a particular route) and gives a rough idea of what to expect.

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