Simul-climbing (or using a running-belay) is a

climbing technique Climbing technique refers to a broad range of physical movements used in the activity or sport of climbing. Notable sub-groups of climbing technique include: *Aid climbing technique as is used in aid climbing *Big wall climbing technique as is ...

where a pair of climbers who are attached by a

rope A rope is a group of yarns, Plying, plies, fibres, or strands that are plying, twisted or braided together into a larger and stronger form. Ropes have high tensile strength and can be used for dragging and lifting. Rope is thicker and stronger ...

simultaneously ascend a

multi-pitch climbing Multi-pitch climbing is a type of climbing that typically takes place on climbing routes, routes that are more than a single rope length (circa 50 to 70 metres) in height (or distance), and thus where the lead climber cannot complete the climb as ...

route Route or routes may refer to: * Air route, route structure or airway * GPS route, a series of one or more GPS waypoints * Route (gridiron football), a path run by a wide receiver * Route (command), a program used to configure the routing table * ...

. It contrasts with

lead climbing Lead climbing (or leading) is a technique in rock climbing where the 'lead climber' Glossary of climbing terms#clip in, clips their rope to the climbing protection as they ascend a pitch (climbing), pitch of the climbing route, while their 'seco ...

where the leader ascends a given pitch on the route while the second climber remains in a fixed position to

belay In climbing and mountaineering, belaying comprises techniques used to create friction within a climbing protection system, particularly on a climbing rope, so that a falling climber does not fall very far. A climbing partner typically applies ...

the leader in case they fall. Simul-climbing is not

free solo climbing Free solo climbing, or free soloing, is a form of rock climbing where the climber (or ''free soloist'') climbs Solo climbing, solo (or alone) without Climbing rope, ropes or other Rock climbing equipment#Protection devices, protective equipmen ...

, as the lead simul-climber will clip the rope into points of

climbing protection Rock-climbing equipment varies with the specific type of climbing that is undertaken. Bouldering needs the least equipment outside of climbing shoes, climbing chalk and optional crash pads. Sport climbing adds ropes, harnesses, belay dev ...

as they ascend. Simul-climbing is different from a

rope team A rope team (sometimes also called moving together) is a climbing technique where two or more climbers who are attached to a single climbing rope move simultaneously together along easy-angled terrain that does not require points of fixed climbi ...

(which can involve larger groups) and (used by

guides A guide is a person who leads travelers, sportspeople, or tourists through unknown or unfamiliar locations. The term can also be applied to a person who leads others to more abstract goals such as knowledge or wisdom. Travel and recreation Exp ...

with their clients), which are used for flatter terrain that doesn't typically need protection points. Simul-climbing is an advanced and potentially dangerous technique. A fall by either climber is serious, and a 2019 article in ''

Outside Outside or Outsides may refer to: * Wilderness Books and magazines * ''Outside'', a book by Marguerite Duras * ''Outside'' (magazine), an outdoors magazine Film, theatre and TV * Outside TV (formerly RSN Television), a television network * '' ...

'' said "That's why there's a simple rule of simul-climbing: don't fall." In simul-climbing, the strongest climber goes second. Contemporary simul-climbers use

progress capture device Glossary of climbing terms relates to rock climbing (including aid climbing, lead climbing, bouldering, and competition climbing), mountaineering, and to ice climbing. ebook: The terms used can vary between different English-speaking countries; ...

s (PCDs) at some of the protection points so that if the following climber falls, the PCD will lock the rope holding the falling climber and preventing the leader from being pulled off. While PCDs can control the consequences of a fall, no manufacturer of PCDs recommends their use for simul-climbing, and the falls from simul-climbing can place greater forces and stresses on the rope and/or the PCD than they were made to handle. The second climber will also use an

assisted braking device A belay device is a mechanical piece of climbing equipment used to control a rope during belaying. It is designed to improve belay safety for the climber by allowing the belayer to manage their duties with minimal physical effort. With the right ...

as a

belay device A belay device is a mechanical piece of climbing equipment used to control a rope during belaying. It is designed to improve belay safety for the climber by allowing the belayer to manage their duties with minimal physical effort. With the righ ...

which will auto-lock in the event of a leader fall. Simul-climbing is most commonly used by experienced

alpinists Alpine climbing () is a type of mountaineering that uses any of a broad range of advanced climbing skills, including rock climbing, ice climbing, and/or mixed climbing, to summit typically large routes (e.g. multi-pitch or big wall) in an alpine ...

on very long

alpine climbing Alpine climbing () is a type of mountaineering that uses any of a broad range of advanced climbing skills, including rock climbing, ice climbing, and/or mixed climbing, to summit typically large routes (e.g. multi-pitch or big wall) in an alpi ...

routes so they can move quickly on terrain that both climbers are very comfortable with, but which is sufficiently exposed to require protection. Examples are long sharp alpine ridges or aretes or easier-angled rock slabs and

couloir A couloir (, "passage" or "corridor") is a narrow gully with a steep gradient in a mountainous terrain.Whittow, John (1984). ''Dictionary of Physical Geography''. London: Penguin, p. 121. . Geology A couloir may be a seam, scar, or fissure, o ...

s (see images).

Alex Honnold Alex Honnold (born August 17, 1985) is an American rock climber best known for his Free solo climbing, free solo ascents of Big wall climbing, big walls. Honnold rose to worldwide fame in June 2017 when he became the first person to free solo a f ...

and

Tommy Caldwell Tommy Caldwell (born August 11, 1978) is an American rock climber who has set records in sport climbing, traditional climbing, and in big-wall climbing. Caldwell made the first free ascents of several major routes on El Capitan in Yosemite Na ...

considered their ability to simul-climb grade 5.10 rock climbing routes as critical to their award winning

traverse Traverse may refer to: Places * Traverse, Michigan, an unincorporated community * Traverse City, Michigan * Traverse County, Minnesota, a county in Minnesota Other * Traverse (climbing), moving horizontally on a climbing or mountaineering route ...

of Cerro Chaltén Group in 2014. Simul-climbing has also been used in setting

speed climbing Speed climbing is a climbing discipline in which speed is the ultimate goal. Speed climbing is done on rocks, walls and poles and is only recommended for highly skilled and experienced climbers. Competition speed climbing, which takes place on a ...

records on

big wall Big or BIG may refer to: * Big, of great size or degree Film and television * Big (film), ''Big'' (film), a 1988 fantasy-comedy film starring Tom Hanks * ''Big'', a 2023 Taiwanese children's film starring Van Fan and Chie Tanaka * ''Big!'', a ...

climbing routes such as on '' The Nose'' on

El Capitan El Capitan (; ) is a vertical Rock formations in the United States, rock formation in Yosemite National Park, on the north side of Yosemite Valley, near its western end. The El Capitan Granite, granite monolith is about from base to summit alo ...

. Speed simul-climbers can reduce the climbing time by three quarters by using fewer points of climbing protection (known as "running-out"), but this has led to fatalities, and concerns about the danger of the technique. A safer alternative to simul-climbing for steep big wall routes is the technique of short-fixing, where the leader effectively sets up a

fixed rope In climbing and mountaineering, a fixed-rope (or fixed-line) is the practice of installing networks of in-situ anchored Climbing rope#Static rope, static climbing ropes on climbing routes to assist any following climbers (and Porter (carrier), po ...

for the second climber to ascend while the leader simultaneously continues up the next pitch using a

rope solo climbing Rope-solo climbing or rope-soloing (or self-belaying) is a form of solo climbing (i.e. performed alone without a climbing partner), but unlike with free solo climbing, which is also performed alone and with no climbing protection whatsoever, th ...

technique.

References

External links

Simul-climbing with a Tibloc
''

Climbing Climbing is the activity of using one's hands, feet, or other parts of the body to ascend a steep topographical object that can range from the world's tallest mountains (e.g. the eight thousanders) to small boulders. Climbing is done for locom ...

'' (2023)
Tactics for Safe Simul-Climbing
Brent Barghahn (April 2022) {{Climbing-nav Climbing techniques

See also

References

External links