What role does fitness or conditioning play in climbing?
While you do not need to be muscle bound, you do need to be in excellent shape to attempt the biggest mountains (over 8,000 meters). The most important areas are lungs, heart and muscles. It is interesting that if you look at the best climbers in the world, they are not particularly tall. They do not have huge arm muscles. They are thin and their bodies are well balanced. They also have great lung capacity.
