Alpine climbing = multi-pitch + snow and ice skills + objective hazards + the descent. F to ED grades the seriousness of the whole route, not just the technical moves: in the definitions the Canadian ACMG uses, PD has rock of only 5.3–5.4 and snow up to 45°, while D has 5.6–5.7 rock, snow and ice around 55°, and often more than 500 m of height. North America's 71 alpine accidents in 2024 were the most of any type, but that is a count, not a rate. Taiwan only offers snow-climbing level terrain; for a first technical alpine route, the two common paths are hiring a guide or taking a course.
The five disciplines differ in three ways: what stops a fall (water, yourself, a partner), what you climb on (rock, ice, snow) and how long you are committed (half a day to more than a week). Boulderers are closest to deep water soloing, provided they can swim; big walls need trad and multi-pitch skills; Taiwan has almost no natural ice. Of North America's 2024 climbing accidents, 71 were alpine, 52 trad and 35 sport — totals, not rates, so they cannot rank which is most dangerous.
Mont Blanc granite above Courmayeur. The Skyway cable car takes you to Punta Helbronner at 3,466 m, and from there you cross the glacier to the Tacul satellites such as Grand Capucin and Pic Adolphe Rey: routes of 200–600 m, mostly 6a and up. On the Val Ferret side you walk two hours or more from the valley floor into the cirques. This is not a normal crag: you need glacier travel and crevasse rescue skills, or a mountain guide. The season follows the cable car: the Skyway reopened on 23 May 2026 and is closed from 16 November to 4 December (checked October 2026). The Aosta–Ivrea railway is shut, so public transport means buses.