A mountaineer is a person who embarks on the sport of climbing mountains. While mountaineering began as attempts to reach the highest point of unclimbed big mountains it has branched into climbing different aspects of the mountain and different terrains such as rock, snow or ice. All terrains require experience, athletic ability, and technical knowledge to maintain safety.

Mountaineering is considered to be one of the most dangerous activities in the world. Loss of life is not uncommon on the most extreme mountaineering destinations every year.

Dangers in mountaineering can be both objective hazards that exist without regard to the climber’s presence, like rock fall, avalanches and extreme weather, where subjective hazards relate only to factors introduced by the climber. Equipment failure and falls due to inattention, fatigue or inadequate technique are examples of subjective hazards.

Mountaineers must concern themselves with dangers such as falling rocks, falling ice, snow-avalanches etc. Keynote speakers are often mountaineers themselves and can tell personal stories on how to overcome perseverance and the feeling of reaching the top of the mountain. Their interesting and enticing stories can captivate all audiences.