Mountain climbing covers a range of activities, primarily hiking, rock climbing and mountaineering, according to Craig Conally in "The Mountaineering Handbook." The muscles worked during a climb may differ, depending on the activity. The intensity of each activity also may vary according to technical difficulty, duration, distance and altitude.
Significance
Hiking entails walking up to a summit on a trail and relies mainly on the muscles of the lower body, whereas rock climbing predominantly involves the use of muscles of the upper body to scale a sheer vertical cliff. Mountaineering, by contrast, entails climbing all types of terrain to reach a summit and thus works the muscles of both the lower and upper body.
Hiking
Hiking for hours works the leg muscles, specifically the quadriceps, hamstrings, gluteals, calves and hips, all of which are utilized differently when ascending and descending a mountain. When hiking uphill, these muscles perform a concentric action, in that they shorten as they contract. Conversely, downhill hiking requires eccentric contraction, where the muscles lengthen to resist the pull of gravity. This combination of concentric and eccentric contraction can place immense stress on the leg muscles.
Rock Climbing
In rock climbing, the leg muscles facilitate upward progression. However, it is the muscles of your upper body that enable you to hold onto, and pull yourself up, the rock. The muscles used to hold onto the rock are found in the forearm, specifically the brachioradialis, pronator teres, flexor carpi radialis, palmaris longus and flexor carpi ulnaris. The muscles that come into play while you pull yourself up the rock include those of the arms and shoulders, primarily the biceps, triceps and deltoids.
Mountaineering
Mountaineering involves a combination of hiking and climbing on a variety of terrains, including rock, snow and ice. Climbers who use mountaineering techniques to reach a summit utilize the muscles worked in hiking and rock climbing. Mountaineering requires full-body strength.
Considerations
In addition to working different muscles of the body, each aspect of mountain climbing also requires various tools and technical knowledge. Rock climbing, for example, entails the use of technical rope-work skills and safety procedures to ensure a successful ascent. Hiking, although less gear intensive, demands orienteering skills. Mountaineering, by far the most advanced form of mountain climbing, calls for in-depth knowledge in terms of rope work, orienteering, safety precautions and skills regarding an array of equipment usage, says Clyde Soles, author of "Climbing: Training for Peak Performance."
References
- "The Mountaineering Handbook: Modern Tools and Techniques That Will Take You to the Top"; Craig Conally; 2004
- "Climbing: Training for Peak Performance"; Clyde Soles; 2008
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