Trekking vs mountaineering
Trekking in a general sense is hiking around mountain or challenging areas for a long period of time, generally more than two or three days. On the other hand, Mountaineering is the set of activities done to climb a mountain. Trekking and mountaineering are two activities that are similar in many ways but also completely different in various ways. For amateurs of general people, they may sound similar but they mean and relate to completely different sets of activities. For people wanting to go to the mountains and looking for adventures should know the difference and prepare what they want and need to do accordingly.
Following are the ways trekking and mountaineering differ from each other:
Budget
The first and the most obvious difference between trekking and mountaineering is the budget involved during these activities. While, it the fact that the budget depends on the number of days, Luxurious activities, and also the location. However, looking averagely on the cost spent per day mountaineering cost is higher by a very good margin. The taxpaying itself is higher for mountaineering compared to the trekking.
Gadgets and accessories
Accessories and gadgets are the most noticeable difference between trekking and mountaineering. We don’t need to be an expert to know this when we imagine a mountaineer we imagine whole body covering special suits, Oxygen tanks, special big boots, etc whereas during the trekking we don’t imagine complex accessories. Likewise, we need more specialized items, gadgets, clothes compared to that of trekking.
Altitude
While both of the activities are done at higher altitudes the altitude sets the difference between them. The climbing done to mountain base camp can be called trekking while climbing from the base camp of the mountains to the top is called mountaineering. Where trekking ends mountaineering starts.
Experience
For a short and commercialized trekking trail, you may not even need a guide or even some experience. However, to even climb the safe and easy mountains one needs to have the training and other climbing experience. It is next to impossible to climb a mountain without prior climbing experience. You need to exercise and train your body for a fair amount of time to be ready to perform the feat.
Risk and danger
Trekking is also sometimes risky and may lead to accidents and unfortunate events. However, the risk is very minimal compared to that of mountaineering. Mountaineering is very risky and compared to that of trekking. Mountaineers may have to face the mountain calamities like avalanches, blizzards, storms, etc. The climate in the higher climate can go from bad to worse within minutes. Even a little mistake, a wrong move can lead to some serious damages during such situations.
Solo traveling
While it is not common for experienced travelers to go on solo trekking. It is mainly common for commercialized trekking routes but experienced travelers have also been found to have gone for difficult solo treks on their own also. On the other hand, it is not advised to go on solo mountaineering. Mountaineering is very difficult and you may need immediate help so one should avoid solo mountaineering even for experienced peoples. Mount Everest also banned solo mountain climbing as of 2017 to reduce accidents.
Luxury
For the commercialized trekking trails, every luxury is available if you are capable of paying. From a hot bath to exotic food everything is available if you pay well. Even if this type of luxury is not available, Homestays and other accommodations are available for the travelers. On the other hand, you don’t get this type of facility in mountaineering you have to get adjusted to the situations as well as get going with what you can manage.
Physical and mental health
For doing trekking also you need to be physically fit and mentally strong but for mountaineering, you need to be in physically perfect shape as well as more psychologically prepared than trekking. As you will face more challenging obstacles during the mountaineering.
Rescue
Mountaineering areas are higher and more geographically complex areas than trekking areas. So, the people climbing the mountain obviously faces more danger than the trekking people. If some unwanted situations occur the people trekking are more like to be easily rescued as well as getting quick medical attention