Mountaineering Examples
Mountaineering is a sport that has evolved from an ascent of a mountain to a more technical ascent — requiring extensive knowledge and experience with wilderness travel, climbing fundamentals, mountain navigation, etc.
Key things to look for when identifying images of mountaineering:
- Traveling over snow, ice, or glaciers
- Ice axe
- Climbing Rope
- Crampons – a “set of metal spikes that strap on over boots to penetrate hard snow and ice where boot soles cannot gain sufficient traction” (Mountaineering: Freedom of the Hills, page 324)
- Harnesses
- Packs
- Snow shovels
- Helmets (not commonly used prior to early 2000)
- Goggles or other protective eyewear to prevent snow blindness
Applicable LCSH Terms
Mountaineering Examples
Example Image 1: Dan Lynch parades his features atop Lone Peak, while Karl Dunn and Jan Austin by-stand
This image is from the Alpine Mountain Club Photograph Collection and courtesy of Multimedia Archives, Special Collections, J. Willard Marriott Library, University of Utah.
Although there is not snow or ice in this photo, the people are all holding axes and there’s a rope connecting them. This would not be considered modern mountaineering – think Himalayas or Karakoram mountain ranges – however, they have the proper gear!
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Image Example 2: Mel Cutting Across an Icy Couloir, 1931
This image is from the “Climbing the Colorado Rockies” photo album, 1929. Dwight Garrigues Lavender Photo Albums , COU: 4439. Rare and Distinctive Collections, University of Colorado Boulder Libraries.
In this photo we see a person traversing an icy couloir (a narrow and steep gully on a mountainside) and using an axe while being tethered by a rope. The description of the image indicates they are navigating a glacier.
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Image Example 3: Steep couloir at Killpacker Glacier, 1929
This image is from the “Climbing the Colorado Rockies” photo album, 1929. Dwight Garrigues Lavender Photo Albums , COU: 4439. Rare and Distinctive Collections, University of Colorado Boulder Libraries.
Here is another image from the same collection as above. From this view, the axe and couloir is more visible. The description indicates they are in couloir on a glacier.
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