Editing Scrambling

{{More citations needed|date=July 2024}}{{Short description|Walk up steep terrain involving the use of one's hands}}
{{About|climbing steep slopes|other uses|Scramble (disambiguation)}}
[[File:Scrambling Mt. Galwey in Waterton Park.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Scrambling [[Mount Galwey]] in [[Waterton Lakes National Park|Waterton Park]], [[Alberta]], [[Canada]]]]

'''Scrambling''' is a [[mountaineering]] term for ascending steep terrain using one's hands to assist in holds and balance.<ref name="auto1">''New Oxford American Dictionary''.</ref> It can be described as being between [[hiking]] and [[climbing|rock climbing]].<ref>See Terry Adby and Stuart Johnston, ''The Hillwalker's Guide to Mountaineering,'' (Milnthorpe:Cicerone, 2003), {{ISBN|1-85284-393-4}}, pp. 62–65 for more on defining scrambles.</ref> "A scramble" is a related term, denoting terrain that could be ascended in this way.

[[Sure-footedness]] and a [[head for heights]] are essential. [[Canyoning]] and [[stream climbing]] both involve scrambling.

==Overview==
[[Image:crib goch ridge arp.jpg|thumb|upright|A dangerous scramble traversing an [[exposure (heights)|exposed]] ridge on [[Crib Goch]], [[Wales]]]]

Scrambling is ascending or traversing a grade without technical apparatus. Unroped ascent in [[exposure (heights)|exposed]] situations is potentially one of the most dangerous of [[mountaineering]] activities. As soon as an ascent involves a rope, going up or down, it is no longer a scramble.

== Alpine scrambling ==
Alpine scrambling is scrambling in high mountains and may not follow a defined or [[waymarked]] path.<ref name="auto1"/> The Seattle Mountaineers climbing organization defines alpine scrambling as follows:<ref>The Mountaineers. FAQs on Alpine Scrambles. Retrieved on 2008-01-15 from {{cite web |url=http://mountaineers.org/seattle/scramble/FAQ.htm |title=FAQs |access-date=2008-01-15 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080310182017/http://mountaineers.org/seattle/scramble/FAQ.htm |archive-date=2008-03-10 }}.</ref>
<blockquote>
Alpine Scrambles are off-trail trips, often on snow or rock, with a 'non-technical' summit as a destination. A non-technical summit is one that is reached without the need for certain types of climbing equipment (body harness, rope, protection hardware, etc), and not involving travel on extremely steep slopes or on glaciers. However, this can mean negotiating lower angle rock, traveling through  crossing streams, fighting one's way through dense brush, and walking on snow-covered slopes.
</blockquote>

==Hazards and safety==
{{See also|Hazards of outdoor recreation}}
Many easy scrambles become serious climbs in bad weather. [[Black ice]] or [[Glaze ice|verglas]] is a particular problem in cold weather, and [[mist]] or [[fog]] can disorient scramblers very quickly.

[[Hypothermia]] is a danger to all hikers, particularly the inexperienced. Any combination of cool temperatures, wind, moisture, and an absence of sunlight can create the condition.

The book ''Freedom of the Hills'' recommends bringing the [[Ten Essentials]], including proper gear, clothing, supplies, first aid materials, and in most cases a map.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://www.thebmc.co.uk/hill-skills-scrambling|title=Hill skills: Scrambling|website=www.thebmc.co.uk|access-date=May 28, 2020}}</ref><ref name=freedom/>{{rp|18–41}}

==Classification systems==

[[Image:Aggy ridge.jpg|left|thumb|The [[Aonach Eagach]] above the A82, looking up [[Glen Coe]], [[Scotland]].]]
By climbing grade, the [[United States|U.S.]] generally defines scrambling as Class 2 or 3 in the [[Yosemite Decimal System]] of [[climbing]] difficulties.<ref name=freedom>{{cite book|title=Mountaineering: Freedom of the Hills|edition=6th|publisher=The Mountaineers|year=1997|isbn=0-89886-427-5}}</ref>{{rp|511}} In the [[United Kingdom|British]] [[Climbing grade#British|climbing system]], it is ''Easy'' with some of the harder scrambles incorporating moves of ''Moderate'' or even ''Difficult'' standard.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thebmc.co.uk/understanding-scrambling-grades|title = Scrambling skills: The grades explained}}</ref>

In Britain, scrambles are usually rated using Ashton's<ref>{{cite book|first=Steve|last=Ashton|title=Scrambles in Snowdonia|publisher=Cicerone Press|year=1992|isbn=1-85284-088-9}}</ref> system of either Grade 1, 2, 3 or 3S (S for serious), with the grade being based around technical difficulty and [[Glossary of climbing terms#E|exposure]]. The North Ridge of [[Tryfan]] in [[Snowdonia]], or Striding Edge on [[Helvellyn]] in the [[Lake District]], are classic Grade 1 scrambles. At the other end of the scale, Broad Stand on [[Scafell]] is usually considered Grade 3 or 3S. Some of the older Scottish guidebooks used a system of grades 1 to 5, leading to considerable confusion and variation over grades 1, 2 and 3 in Scotland, however most well-known scrambles now have a standardised rating.

==By country==

===Canada===
[[Image:Stanley Peak.jpg|thumb|right|[[Stanley Peak (Ball Range)|Stanley Peak]], British Columbia, Canada]]
A guide to 175 scrambling routes in the [[Canadian Rockies]] can be found in ''[[Scrambles in the Canadian Rockies]]'' by Alan Kane. ''[[Backpacker (magazine)|Backpacker]]'' magazine has twice featured the book as an expedition guide.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VeIDAAAAMBAJ&q=%22Scrambles+in+the+Canadian+Rockies&pg=PA26|title=Backpacker|date=Aug 28, 2004|publisher=Active Interest Media, Inc.|access-date=May 28, 2020|via=Google Books}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yOQDAAAAMBAJ&q=%22Scrambles+in+the+Canadian+Rockies&pg=PA58|title=Backpacker|date=Aug 28, 1999|publisher=Active Interest Media, Inc.|access-date=May 28, 2020|via=Google Books}}</ref> The ''[[Canadian Alpine Journal]]'' referred to it as a "scree gospel".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NEl6AAAAMAAJ&q=%22Scrambles+in+the+Canadian+Rockies|title=The Canadian Alpine Journal|date=May 28, 2001|publisher=Alpine Club of Canada.|access-date=May 28, 2020|via=Google Books}}</ref>

===Italy===
[[File:Hermann von Barth Weg MQ.jpg|thumb|right|upright|A via ferrata in [[Austria]]. The Hermann von Barth Weg (Path)]]
[[Via ferrata]] is "a mountain route equipped with fixed ladders, cables, and bridges in order to be accessible to climbers and walkers" common in the [[Dolomites]] of [[Italy]]. This form of scrambling has climbing aids built in on the route that help make it safe. The essence of a modern via ferrata is a steel cable which runs along the route and is periodically (every {{convert|3|to|10|m|ft}}) fixed to the rock. Using a [[Via ferrata#Safety and equipment|via ferrata kit]], climbers can secure themselves to the cable, limiting any fall. The cable can also be used as an aid to climbing, and additional climbing aids, such as iron rungs (stemples), pegs, carved steps and even ladders and bridges are often provided. Thus, via ferratas allow otherwise dangerous routes to be undertaken without the risks associated with unprotected scrambling and climbing or the need for climbing equipment such as ropes. Such routes allow the relatively inexperienced a means of enjoying dramatic positions and accessing difficult peaks, normally the preserve of the serious mountaineer; although, as there is a need for some equipment, a good head for heights and basic technique, the via ferrata can be seen as a distinct step up from ordinary mountain walking.

===United Kingdom===
Scrambling has become an increasingly popular form of mountaineering in [[United Kingdom|Britain]]; the English [[Lake District]], the [[Scottish Highlands]], and the north of [[Snowdonia]] in [[Wales]] being the chief regions of interest. Popular Scrambling guidebooks exist for these areas, outlining a wide spectrum of routes in terms of both difficulty and style. UK scrambles come in many forms: the ascents, descents and traverses of ridges, gully and ghyll scrambles, rakes (lines of weakness that penetrate large, and often sheer, rock faces), and the ascents of buttresses and faces. UK scrambles vary enormously in length; from as little height gain as 30 metres, as with many crag rock climbs, up to the 700+ metres of vertical height gain encountered on [[Tower Ridge]], a famous 3S grade scramble that ascends [[Ben Nevis]] via its north face (Tower Ridge is also graded as a 'difficult' rock climb - arguably Britain's longest.). Scrambles in Snowdonia typically feature between 60 (e.g. Milestone Gully, Tryfan.) and 500 metres (e.g. Bryant's Gully, Glyder Fawr) of height gain.

Ridge routes that involve some scrambling are especially popular in [[United Kingdom|Britain]], including [[Crib Goch]] on [[Snowdon]], Bristly Ridge on [[Glyder Fach]], [[Striding Edge]] on [[Helvellyn]], and [[Blencathra#Ascents|Sharp Edge]] on [[Blencathra]], both in the English [[Lake District]], as well as numerous routes in [[Scotland]], such as the [[Aonach Eagach]] ridge in [[Glen Coe|Glencoe]]. Many of these routes include a "bad step", where the scrambling suddenly becomes much more serious. The bad step on Crib Goch for example, involves only {{convert|20|ft}} or so of climbing, but the position is exposed. The rock face here is well polished by countless boots, but there are many holds which offer firm support. By contrast, the traverse of the [[Cuillin]] Ridge on [[Skye]] demands use of a rope at one point at least. The ridge routes of [[Liathach]] and [[Beinn Eighe]] in [[Wester Ross]] are easier to traverse but are extremely exposed. Descent from such ridges is very limited, so once committed, the scrambler must continue to the end. [[An Teallach]] to the north offers scrambling, as does [[Stac Pollaidh]]  further north in [[Sutherland]], which includes a bad step.

One resource for scramblers in Britain are the guides by [[W A Poucher]] (1891–1988), though these are now dated and more recent guide books exist.

A community project consisting of a comprehensive list of scrambles in the United Kingdom is available at UKscrambles.com.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ukscrambles.com/|title=UK Scrambling Walks - Peak & Lake District, Wales & Scotland|website=UK Scrambles|language=en-GB|access-date=2017-11-09}}</ref>

===Poland and Slovakia===

[[File:Ganek Ż2018.jpg|thumb|Ganek/Ganok (2465 m) viewed from Żłobisty/Zlobiva peak, a typical example of Tatras' harder scrambles]]

Scrambling has grown ever so popular in recent years with more experienced mountain hikers in [[Tatras]], the highest mountain range within the 1500&nbsp;km-long chain of [[Carpathians]], located on the border between [[Poland]] and [[Slovakia]]. A hiker who has scaled all possible marked tourist trails will in time typically start looking for more ambitious goals, namely those peaks that by law are only accessible via hiring a licensed mountain guide (for a fee). More adventurous individuals, however, or those on a tight budget (often college/university students) endeavour to climb those harder accessible summits without assistance, especially since very accurate descriptions of (typically "normal", i.e. the easiest) routes are readily available on the Internet. Apart from dedicated websites, guidebooks for rock climbers by {{ill|Witold Henryk Paryski|pl}} or {{ill|Władysław Cywiński|pl}} (Poland) and {{ill|Arno Puškáš|sk}} (Slovakia) are particularly popular. There is an informal peak bagging challenge called {{ill|Wielka Korona Tatr|pl}} / Velka Korona Tatier (or Great Crown of Tatras), involving climbing Tatras' all fourteen 8-thousanders (in feet), only 3 of which are accessible by marked hiking trails. Typically, they are graded at most I or II in Tatra climbing difficulty scale (equivalent to British Grade 3/3s).

==See also==
*[[Peak bagging]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{wiktionary|Scrambling}}
* [https://www.thebmc.co.uk/hill-skills-scrambling/ British Mountain Council: Hill skills (Scrambling)]
* [http://www.goxplore.net/guides/Scrambling GoXplore Guides article on Scrambling]
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[[Category:Types of climbing]]
[[Category:Hiking]]
[[Category:Mountaineering techniques]]