THE SPECIFIC OF TOURISM AND LEISURE ACTIVITIES IN HIGH MOUNTAINS AREAS. CASE STUDY: MONT BLANC AND ELBRUS MASSIFS

Ioan BÎCA

doi:10.24193/subbeag.63(1).08

Authors

Ioan BÎCA Babeș-Bolyai University, Faculty of Geography, Cluj-Napoca, Romania. *Corresponding author: john_grimo@yahoo.com https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8727-0123

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24193/subbeag.63(1).08

Keywords:

mountaineering, bioclimat, climate tourism, trekking, scrambling, ice climbing, aerobic endurance, adventure lifestyle, mountain risk, acute mountain sickness, high-altitude pulmonary edema, high-altitude cerebral edema, hypoxia.

Abstract

The high mountains, situated over 3000 m altitude, induce specific features of tourism and leisure activities. Their level of equipment for tourism restricts because of difficult access, rugged terrain, and adverse weather conditions. The main activities are those with extreme features, like skiing, snowboarding, ski touring, ski paragliding, wingsuit and mountaineering. This study is the result of research conducted in the highest massive of Europe, Mont Blanc (4810 m) and Elbrus (5642 m), on several issues, such as: tourism infrastructure, the organization of tourism activities, tourist flows, leisure activities features, management of mountain expeditions, and behavior of body to altitude.

REZUMAT. Specificul activităților turistice și agrementale în munții înalți. Studiu de caz: masivele Elbrus și Mont Blanc. Munții înalți, situați la peste 3000 m altitudine, induc caracteristici specifice activităților agrementale și turistice. Gradul lor de echipare pentru turism se restrânge datorită accesului greu, reliefului accidentat și condițiilor climatice nefavorabile. Activitățile principale sunt cele cu caracter extrem, respectiv schi, snowboarding, schi de tură, schi paragliding, wingsuit și mountaineering. Studiul de față reprezintă rezultatul cercetărilor efectuate în cele mai înalte masive din Europa, Mont Blanc (4810 m) și Elbrus (5642 m), asupra mai multor aspecte, cum ar fi: infrastructura turistică, modul de organizare a activităților turistice, fluxurile de turiști, activitățile agrementale specifice, managementul expedițiilor și comportamentul organismului uman la condițiile impuse de altitudine.

Cuvinte cheie: alpinism, bioclimat, turism climatic, trekking, scrambling, cățărare pe gheață, anduranță aerobă, stil de viață aventuros, risc montan, rău de munte acut, edem pulmonar, edem cerebral, hipoxie.

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