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

belay Belaying is a variety of techniques climbers use to create friction within a climbing system, particularly on a climbing rope, so that a falling climber does not fall very far. A climbing partner typically applies tension at the other end of t ...

s, 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.Variety of pitches over 30 stages
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 of simul climbing, effectively combining several pitches together by means of a running belay. Speed climbers 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

caver Caving – also known as spelunking in the United States and Canada and potholing in the United Kingdom and Ireland – is the recreational pastime of exploring wild cave systems (as distinguished from show caves). In contrast, speleology is ...

s to refer to a very steep or vertical section (called a drop, pit, or shaft) in a

cave A cave or cavern is a natural void in the ground, specifically a space large enough for a human to enter. Caves often form by the weathering of rock and often extend deep underground. The word ''cave'' can refer to smaller openings such as sea ...

that needs ladders or

single rope technique Single-rope technique (SRT) is a set of methods used to descend and ascend on the same single rope. Single-rope technique is used in caving, potholing, rock climbing, canyoning, roped access for building maintenance and by arborists for tree climb ...

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 The Julian Alps ( sl, Julijske Alpe, it, Alpi Giulie, , ) are a mountain range of the Southern Limestone Alps that stretch from northeastern Italy to Slovenia, where they rise to 2,864 m at Mount Triglav, the highest peak in Slovenia. A large pa ...

Slovenia Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, an ...

. 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'').

References

External links

The world's deepest pitches, by Bob Gulden

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pitch (ascent descent) Climbing Caving

In climbing

In caving

See also

References

External links