The heights of the mountains have become more accessible to exploration over the past decade with the advancement in gear and support services. However, each mountain route warrants its own style of exploration. In this article, we detail out the differences between a mountaineering expedition, a high altitude trek and a hike, to help you understand which is best suited for you and how you can gradually progress in your outdoor journey.
What is a Hike?
Hikes usually involve trails through mountain regions covered in a single day or two days. These are not as strenuous as high altitude treks and expeditions but still require the one to have a reasonable level of fitness. Hikes can be a good starting point for people who do not have prior experience in the mountains. Hikes are not limited to reaching the end point but could also involve exploring a forest for bird watching or with a pure focus on understanding the flora of the region or just being out in nature interacting with your environment.
What is a High Altitude Trek?
These are treks that span over multiple days to high altitude passes, base camps or peak climbs on smaller mountains. These treks do not require prior technical training but could be physically demanding. High altitude treks require the use of basic mountaineering gear. Examples of high altitude treks include Rupin Pass, Buran Ghati, Bali Pass and Goecha La.
What is a Mountaineering Expedition?
Expedition is a style of mountaineering which usually involves summit climbs and glacier crossings on high altitude mountains. It spans over multiple weeks and includes the use of technical mountaineering gear. It requires prior training and a high level of physical fitness. Examples of mountaineering expeditions are summit climbs on Mt. Kang Yatse I, Mt. Shivling, Mt. Nun and Mt. Kun.
Major Distinctions Between an Expedition and High Altitude Trek
The Bikat Rating Scale is a good starting point to understand the differences between an expedition and a high altitude trek. BRS rating 4-6 are considered as high altitude treks and ratings 6 and above are considered to be expeditions. A number of factors go into deciding whether a certain activity is categorised as an expedition or a high altitude trek. These include the number of days, altitude, gear used and skills required among other things.
Altitude
Expeditions typically involve climbing to altitudes above 6000m. The routes are difficult and take multiple weeks to cover in order to ensure proper acclimatisation. This means expeditions are multi-camped with more than one stop point between the base and summit, thus taking you higher in a progressive manner. The oxygen levels in the air here are much lower and require participants to be in perfect health and fitness. Snow is common on almost all expeditions at this altitude, thus resulting in lower temperatures.
Maximum altitude on high altitude treks ranges between 4000-5500m. The trekking routes are not as difficult as those on expeditions but still require the participants to have high levels of stamina and fitness. Depending on the season, temperatures vary during the trek. The initial days are warmer and temperatures drop as we climb higher up.
Hikes usually take you to a maximum altitude of 1500-3000m. The trails are easy with a gradual incline and moderate temperatures throughout.
Terrain
The terrain that you encounter on expeditions is far more difficult to traverse than what you would on a high altitude trek. Since the altitude of expeditions is far higher, the terrain takes you above the treeline with the landscape turning drier, rockier and colder with less oxygen in the air all for the lack of vegetation. Ice and snow are a common phenomena. The terrain on summit climbs is more steep and requires the use of technical gear for support and safety.
High altitude treks involve climbs through alpine forests, meadows and mountain passes. The terrain is relatively easier to traverse with a mix of steep and gradual slopes on the route.
Hiking trails take you through a variety of landscapes from forests to meadows. It is almost like a stroll in the mountains with easy ascents and descents. Snow is uncommon on hikes and most trails are well laid mud paths.
Skills Required
Mountaineering expeditions don’t just require high levels of fitness; technical mountaineering skills are mandatory to successfully embark and complete one. Participants should have completed the Basic Mountaineering Course (BMC) from an accredited mountaineering institute. Furthermore, the Indian Mountaineering Foundation (IMF) has set regulations for the composition of a team heading out on an expedition. It is mandatory to follow the requirements set forth by them as a safety measure and in order to ensure that the participants are fully prepared, physically and mentally, for the expedition.
(Read, How to best prepare for a mountain climbing expedition: all you need to know)
The climbing conditions, on expeditions, are strenuous and require participants to know how to use technical mountaineering gear such as ice axe, harness, ascenders, descenders and climbing rope.
(Read, Basic mountaineering gears and their uses)
While high altitude treks do not require any certification course, they require participants to have had prior trekking experience in order to ensure that they are aware of safe trekking practices, have necessary skills such as pitching a tent or using sleeping bags and other basic mountaineering gear. The climbing conditions are moderate to difficult and it is important for participants to know how to effectively use trekking boots, trekking poles and crampons where needed.
Hiking does not require any prior skills or extremely high levels of fitness. However, any kind of adventure sport demands a certain degree of stamina and hiking is no different. A pair of hiking boots and a hiking pole would make your trail easier to traverse.
The information above covers the specifics needed to understand if you want to and are eligible to attempt an expedition or a high altitude trek. If you are new to activities in the mountains, it is best to start with smaller hikes of shorter duration at lower altitude. Once you have gained some hiking experience, you can progress to a trek that takes you to a higher altitude over a longer duration. Keep a check on how your body is acclimatising and adjusting to altitude changes. It is always a safe practice to be one hundred percent prepared before attempting adventure activities in the mountains which take us to remote corners with minimal or no access to medical services. If you are unsure about which trek would best suit you, please answer a few questions on this page and we will help you pick your next adventure based on your responses.
