Pitch (climbing)

In lead climbing — either in rock climbing, mountaineering, and ice climbing — the term 'pitch' describes the length of a section of a climbing route between belays of the 'lead climber'. A route that requires a leader to be belayed only once (ignoring any follow-up belay of the 'second climber' by the leader), is called a 'single-pitch climb'; where there are multiple belays of the leader, it is called a 'multi-pitch climb'. The term is also applied to the reverse process of abseiling, where it denotes the number of anchor points needed to complete the abseil (abseil anchor points are often, but not always, lead climbing belay points). Most lead climbing — and particularly sport climbing — routes are 'single-pitch'. In big wall climbing and in alpine climbing, it is possible to have multi-pitch routes with over 30 pitches, with notable examples being the 31-pitch big wall route, The Nose (VI, 5.9, C2) on El Capitan, or the +30-pitch alpine climbing route, the Walker Spur (ED1, IV, 5c/6a, A1) on the Grandes Jorasses. ==Length==

{{multiple image A single-pitch route can range from to the full length of the climbing rope (by definition, the longest belay of a 'leader' is limited by the length of the rope). In the 1960s to the 1980s, climbing ropes were typically in length, however, modern ropes are typically in length (and can extend to ), which sets the current theoretical maximum length of a 'pitch'. On multi-pitch routes, the typical average length of a pitch tends to be in the range, which is well inside the length of the most commonly used modern climbing ropes. This is due to the effect of other factors that also determine the ideal length of pitches (and thus the total number of pitches) on a multi-pitch route, including: • Belay stations. In multi-pitch climbing, the availability of secure—and comfortable—belay stations is an important factor for climbers; thus where a particularly good belay station presents itself, a pitch might be shortened to avail of it. • Equipment weight. Longer climbing ropes mean greater weight (and more rope drag) on the lead climber. In addition, the protection requirements of an overly long pitch may require the leader to carry too much equipment (e.g. large SCLDs on a crack climbing route), and thus more manageable pitch lengths are preferred. • Obstacles and features. Overhangs, roofs, and traverses may require pitches to be broken up to enable the climbers to set themselves up properly. Danger zones (e.g. couloirs prone to avalanche or rockfall) may also have shorter pitches to get both climbers out of the danger area quickly. • Rope drag. If the line of a pitch is not straight but instead follows an indirect or a zig-zag line (of the climbing protection follows such a line), then the leader will experience rope drag, which can limit the length of the pitch (i.e. the pitch has to be broken up into smaller sections). • Technical difficulty. If the technical grade of a pitch is high—and particularly relative to the other pitches on the route—then it may be shortened to give the leader a rest after completing it. Conversely, pitches of easier relative technical grades can often be full rope lengths. ==Linking pitches==

'' climbing route on El Capitan is almost metres in length, and requires 31 pitches (i.e. an average pitch length of over 30 metres) to reach the top of the route. On long but easier routes, the climbing pair may use simul climbing (or a running belay), whereby both climbers simultaneously ascend the route. The 'lead climber' acts like on a normal lead climb, however, the 'second' does not remain belaying in a static position, but instead also climbs, removing/unclipping the protection equipment of the 'lead climber'. Both climbers are tied to the rope at all times, and both make sure that there are several points of protection in situ between them. Simul climbing is only performed on terrain both climbers are comfortable on, as any fall is serious; often the stronger climber goes second. In such a scenario, the concept of a 'pitch' is redundant as the pair keeps moving through the belay stations that mark the end of a normal pitch. Simul climbing techniques, and the linking of pitches, are very common in alpine climbing, where snowfields can be simul-combined as one continuous pitch (although when iced, they have to be belayed in smaller pitches). A classic example is the 1938 Heckmair Route (ED2, V−, A0, 60° snow) on the Eiger, which has 7-10 sections that most parties will lead climb as individual pitches (e.g. "The Ice Hose", "The Ice Chimney", "The Quartz Crack"), while much of the rest of the route can be simul-climbed as a continuous pitch. Speed climbing on multi-pitch rock climbing routes can also use simul-climbing techniques for greater efficiency. For example, many speed climbing pairs on the 31-pitch route, The Nose, use simul-climbing on the easier established pitches, thus reducing the number of actual pitches (i.e. a 'leader' being belayed by the 'second' who is static) that they need, which significantly speeds up their rate of ascent. == In caving ==

The term 'pitch' is also used by cavers to refer to a very steep or vertical section (called a drop, pit, pot, or a shaft) in a cave that needs ladders or single rope technique to descend and ascend (a drop that can be descended and ascended without equipment is a 'climb'). As caving rope lengths are variable, the length of a 'pitch' is that of the 'drop'. The deepest known pitch is in Vrtiglavica Cave in the Julian Alps, Slovenia. ==See also==