The thirst for knowledge has always drawn a man to the new and the unknown. Under the influence of this power, people discovered and explored new lands in the era of great geographical discoveries.
Gradually, white spots disappeared on the map of our planet, and now, there is not a single corner, no matter where people were. But the spirit of research still lives in each of us and forces us to start traveling in search of another reality.
One of the most attractive places for a man will always be the mountains. The abundance and variety of vertical forms, unusual for the inhabitant of the plains; the harsh climate, its laws and regulations – all this makes the mountains similar to another planet or other dimension.
And so you, a resident of the city, decided to touch the unknown. What to do? How do you get into this new world? Well, if you have friends who will help you with advice or become guides to the world of mountains. And if not? There are many other ways to get into the mountains.
What are the mountains?
Someone has the image of green alpine meadows murmuring in the valleys of the creek when they say “mountains” in their heads. Some of them have severe ice-covered giant peaks. One thing is for sure – the mountains are very diverse.
They can be divided into low mountains, middle mountains and high mountains. Also, mountain systems differ in age, nuances of geological structure, origin.
And who goes to the mountains? These are two large groups of people – (mountain) tourists and climbers. They have a lot in common, but no less than excellent. They are like skiers and snowboarders, fans of Sappop and Nikon photo equipment or Intel and AMD processors.
From a financial point of view, there are two ways to get to the mountains – either through commercial or sporting lines.
Let’s start with commerce, it’s simple. Now on the Internet you can find a lot of companies that offer hiking and climbing to the top. You only buy a tour, and the company takes care of everything.
The company will provide you with almost everything: it will meet you at the airport or at the station, organize a transfer from the collection point to the base camp, arrange accommodation, provide a ready program of acclimatization and climbing, as well as guides.
They will also help with the missing equipment – in a word, with all the problems faced by inexperienced people.
Besides companies, there are also guides who work individually. Alas, in this field, there are sometimes non-professionals who pose a danger to themselves and customers. Alas, so far in the field of commercial mountaineering and tourism there is a legal vacuum. Anyone can be called a mountain guide, recruit a group of people and take somewhere else.

“As long as there’s a legal vacuum in commercial mountaineering and tourism.”
It is only recently that the State has begun to make timid attempts to resolve this activity. Unlike Europe, commercial tourism and mountaineering have been formed recently.
The profession of guide in the Alps is officially recognized, and it is reflected in the legislation of many European countries. There are also trade unions of mountain guides. And to work in the profession, a person needs official accreditation and about 5 years of training for serious money.
In Russia, this profession is only developing – not so long ago it was fixed in the register of professions as an “instructor-guide”. Now the issue of creating an accreditation mechanism is being resolved.
If you decided to go to the mountains, using the services of the company, here are a few tips:
- Be sure to provide yourself with insurance for extreme sports. The insurance policy should clearly indicate “mountaineering” and the possibility of transportation by small aircraft.
- Check the reputation of the company – hasn’t there been any unpleasant cases in the history of its work? Here it is desirable to find and ask clients who have already gone hiking with the company.
- Find out how the guides of this firm work with clients. You can look reviews on the Internet, but do not forget that they are custom-made.
- Do not save on the duration of tours. Take Elbrus as an example. It is possible to go to the highest point of Europe in 5 days, as some suggest, but the ascent will not be pleasant for you. Because of the lack of acclimatization you will suffer. If your body does not have time to adapt to hypoxia, brain cells will die in a discharged atmosphere. As you get older, this will make a difference. More time is needed for a comfortable and healthy ascent. Add time to this to catch the good weather. In total, it will take 10 days to get to Elbrus.
- Remember – on the one hand, it is difficult to make a claim to the company now. On the other hand, a serious company that has been working in this field for a long time, always values its business reputation, and therefore all the processes associated with the organization of tours and ascents, there are adjusted as hours.
Commercial tours are mostly focused on the average person without serious hiking or climbing experience. This is not a bad option for those who want to get into the mountains for the first time.