Single-pitch Climbing on:
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In Variety of pitches over 30 stages
illustrated superimposed on the successful ascent of the Dawn Wall, as photographed on El Capitan in Yosemite.
The term ''pitch'' is also used by cavers to refer to a very steep or vertical section (called a drop, pit, or 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 not standardized, the length of a pitch is usually equal to that of the drop. The deepest underground pitch is in Vrtiglavica Cave in the Julian Alps, Slovenia.
In some cases, cavers may choose to split one drop into two or more distinct pitches. However in most cases a single rope or ladder is used for the entire drop, so in practical usage, ''pitch'' has become synonymous with the terms ''drop'', ''pit'' or ''shaft''. In England, the term ''pot'' is often used to refer to a pitch, although this may also refer to the entire cave, particularly in northern areas where vertical caves are predominant.
While a pitch refers to a drop that can be descended, the term ''aven'' refers to a pitch when discovered from below. If not free-climbable, avens can be ascended by means of a bolt climb, where a caver places an ascending series of bolts in the walls and gradually ascends to the top. A rope can then be rigged to the bottom, allowing following cavers to pass the obstacle. Some avens have been tackled by lifting ropes or ladders using long poles (''Maypoling''). Narrow avens can be climbed by pushing against opposite walls (''chimneying'').
The world's deepest pitches, by Bob Gulden
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pitch (ascent descent) Climbing Caving
In rock climbing
Rock climbing is a sport in which participants climb up, across, or down natural rock formations. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a usually pre-defined route without falling. Rock climbing is a physically and ...
and ice climbing, a pitch is a steep section of a route that requires a rope between two belays, as part of a climbing system
Climbing is the activity of using one's hands, feet, or any other part 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 fo ...
. Standard climbing ropes are between 50 and 80 metres long, so a pitch is always shorter, between two convenient ledges if possible; longer routes are multi-pitch, requiring the re-use of the rope each time. In free climbing, pitch refers to classification by climbers of the difficulty of ascent on certain climbing routes.illustrated superimposed on the successful ascent of the Dawn Wall, as photographed on El Capitan in Yosemite.
In climbing
In advanced climbing or mountaineering, another definition of ''pitch'' is not restricted by the length of the rope. On easier terrain or when moving quickly, the length of a pitch can be extended by means ofsimul climbing
Simul climbing, also known as climbing with a running belay, Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills, Swan Hill Press; 6th Revised edition (14 Oct 1997) is a climbing method or style where all the climbers climb at the same time while tied into ...
, effectively combining several pitches together by means of a running belay
Simul climbing, also known as climbing with a running belay, Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills, Swan Hill Press; 6th Revised edition (14 Oct 1997) is a climbing method or style where all the climbers climb at the same time while tied into ...
. Speed climbers
In everyday use and in kinematics, the speed (commonly referred to as ''v'') of an object is the magnitude of the change of its position over time or the magnitude of the change of its position per unit of time; it is thus a scalar quantity. ...
will often state that they completed a long route with a reduced number of pitches, effectively calling a pitch any time a fixed belay was used or a changeover in the lead occurred. This definition is used loosely, since the length of a pitch is only limited by the nature of the terrain and the confidence of the individual climbing party.
In caving
The term ''pitch'' is also used by cavers to refer to a very steep or vertical section (called a drop, pit, or 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 not standardized, the length of a pitch is usually equal to that of the drop. The deepest underground pitch is in Vrtiglavica Cave in the Julian Alps, Slovenia.
In some cases, cavers may choose to split one drop into two or more distinct pitches. However in most cases a single rope or ladder is used for the entire drop, so in practical usage, ''pitch'' has become synonymous with the terms ''drop'', ''pit'' or ''shaft''. In England, the term ''pot'' is often used to refer to a pitch, although this may also refer to the entire cave, particularly in northern areas where vertical caves are predominant.
While a pitch refers to a drop that can be descended, the term ''aven'' refers to a pitch when discovered from below. If not free-climbable, avens can be ascended by means of a bolt climb, where a caver places an ascending series of bolts in the walls and gradually ascends to the top. A rope can then be rigged to the bottom, allowing following cavers to pass the obstacle. Some avens have been tackled by lifting ropes or ladders using long poles (''Maypoling''). Narrow avens can be climbed by pushing against opposite walls (''chimneying'').
See also
*Pit cave
A pit cave, shaft cave or vertical cave—or often simply called a pit (in the US) and pothole or pot (in the UK); jama in South Slavic languages scientific and colloquial vocabulary (borrowed since early research in the Western Balkan Dinaric ...
*Grade (climbing)
In rock climbing, mountaineering, and other climbing disciplines, climbers give a grade to a climbing route or boulder problem, intended to describe concisely the difficulty and danger of climbing it. Different types of climbing (such as sport ...
References
External links
The world's deepest pitches, by Bob Gulden
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pitch (ascent descent) Climbing Caving