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The pleasures of mountaineering lie not only in
the conquest of the peak but also in the physical and spiritual
satisfactions brought about through intense personal effort, ever-increasing
proficiency, and contact with natural grandeur. The greater rewards
do not come without considerable risk and danger.
Rock climbers train by bouldering, which means practicing
difficult climbing moves on large boulders or small outcroppings
of rock that are only several feet above the ground. Bouldering
is relatively safe because climbers can jump back onto solid ground
at any moment. Difficult and strenuous movements can therefore be
rehearsed without the use of ropes and hardware. When ascending
cliffs that are less than 50m (164 ft) high, climbers use a technique
called top-roping. On a top-rope belay, the climber is
anchored from above, so he or she is protected against a serious
fall. Rock climbers generally use a standard 50-m or 60-m rope.
Rock climbs higher than 60 m thus require more than one pitch,
or rope length, to be scaled; this type of climbing is termed
multipitch or continuous climbing.
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