They say rock climbing or mountaineering is not a profession and not even a hobby – it is a vocation, a calling, which cannot be explained or understood using traditional rational approach. There seems to be some majestic primeval connection between a man and a mountain. During years of evolution this connection got lost somewhere deep in the souls of the majority of us; but a single trip to the mountains, a short touch to their beauty, silent mightiness, and powerful tranquility is enough to wake up that sacred feeling and generate a desire to return to the mountains again and again. There is something incomparably more significant in mountain climbing than just clambering to the top of a peak. Even reaching the top itself seems to be only a part of a true purpose of mountaineering.

Years of human progress made us treat ourselves as social beings, functional but often typical elements of a complex algorithm of civilization existence. Those, who come to the mountains, say that this experience helps people re-explore themselves, find and understand their inner ego, comprehend their uniqueness, and reconsider the true values and a purpose of human life. Perhaps, this is exactly how the unexplained force of mountains influences people – it helps them regain themselves after being lost in the crowds of highly-industrialized cities and virtual environments… Anyway, reaching the tops is definitely about a triumph of a human; not a triumph over the Nature, but a triumph for and with the Nature, which created and raised a Human. The following rock climbing photographs, we believe, are the proofs of all the above said…

Climber by Eugene Vasenyoff

Bird and rock-climber by Slava Korotkov

Aerodynamics by Slava Korotkov

Rock climber by Alina Junuspekova

Climbers by Valeriy Zaytsev

*** by Eugene Vasenyoff

Hanging by Regy Kurniawan

Descending by Regy Kurniawan

Descending by Regy Kurniawan

Cliffhanger by Regy Kurniawan

Climber by Bror Johansson

Climber by Micky Wiswedel

Incredible by Alexandre Buisse

Climbing Rocks by Adam Sebastian West

Climbing #01 by Vladimir Donkov

Rock Climbing in Belapur I by D. Scott Clark

XVenture Race Extreme Challenge by Yanne Golev

Falling is Trying by Jor-El C. Zajatz

Girivihar 7th Rock Climbing Competition by D. Scott Clark

Escalade (Val-David) by Mélissa de La Fontaine

Chris Sharma rock climbing / deep water soloing in Mallorca, Spain. by penelopecastillo_22

Climbing at Brensholmen by Being LarsLars

Climbing by Tran Nikki Chau

Climbing on the Alps by Lorenz Orobico

Climbing Imja Tse by Tim Franco

Sean MacColl – Petzl Rock Trip Zillertal – Climbing Contest by loricaman78

Feeling small rock climbing in Custer State Park by Black Hills South Dakota

Gummi St. climbing today by Gummi Stóri

Climbing in Kalymnos ! (me) by Periklis Ripis

Climbing Cherry Crack by Lee-Perry

Cherry Crack by Lee-Perry

Tonsai_climber by Ken Driese

Climber by Borislav Dopudja

Vertical images by Guillaume Dargaud

Photo by Chris Sharma

Photo by Lora Slawitschka

Climb by Kristen Elsby

Adult Rock Climbing Sample by Rich Legg

Photo by Harsh

Photo by Harsh

Photo by Harsh

Photo by Harsh

Climber by Matt Takaichi