It’s thrilling, moving quickly and continuously along an exposed mountain ridge, unencumbered with ropes and protective gear, getting hands on with the ancient rock. Yep, compared to the short bursts of activity followed by faff and a long belay wait when climbing, scrambling feels like a purer pursuit – a liberating form of adventure. Just you and the mountain. Not as risky as free soloing, but still something that feels just a little…edgy.
The popularity of scrambling has been gaining pace alongside its better-known cousins, namely hiking and rock climbing, for some time. Scrambling is the bridge between the two. At one end of the scrambling spectrum, you’ve got adventurous hiking, the sort where you can no longer amble along with your hands in your pockets. At the other extreme, you’ve got the sort of terrain on which the vast majority of folk, unless you’re someone like Alex Honnold, would want to be attached to a rope.
