Pitch (vertical space)
Encyclopedia

Climbing

In rock climbing
Rock climbing
Rock climbing also lightly called 'The Gravity Game', is a sport in which participants climb up, down or across natural rock formations or artificial rock walls. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a pre-defined route without falling...

 and ice climbing
Ice climbing
Ice climbing, as the term indicates, is the activity of ascending inclined ice formations. Usually, ice climbing refers to roped and protected climbing of features such as icefalls, frozen waterfalls, and cliffs and rock slabs covered with ice refrozen from flows of water. For the purposes of...

, a pitch is a steep section of a route that requires a rope between two belays, as part of a climbing system. 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 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
Simul climbing
Simul climbing or climbing with a running belay is a climbing method or style where both climbers, climb at the same time while tied into the rope. Protection is placed by a pseudo-leader and the second removes the pieces of gear. The length of rope used during simul climbing varies but is often...

, effectively combining several pitches together by means of a running belay
Anchor (climbing)
In rock climbing, an anchor can be any way of attaching the climber, the rope, or a load to rock, ice, steep dirt, or a building by either permanent or temporary means...

. Speed climbers
Speed climbing
Speed Climbing is climbing in which speed is the ultimate goal. Speed Climbing is done on rocks, walls and poles...

 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.

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
Cave
A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...

 that needs ladders or Single Rope Technique
Single Rope Technique
Single Rope Technique is a set of methods used to descend and ascend on the same single rope. SRT is used in caving, potholing, rock climbing, canyoning, roped access for building maintenance and by arborists for tree climbing.-Historical Developments:...

 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 603 m (1,978.3 ft) in Vrtoglavica Cave
Vrtoglavica Cave
The Vrtoglavica Cave is a cave located inside the Kanin mountain in the Slovenian part of the Julian Alps, near to the border between Slovenia and Italy. The cave holds the record for having the deepest single vertical drop of any cave on Earth at a depth of ....

 in the Julian Alps
Julian Alps
The Julian Alps are a mountain range of the Southern Limestone Alps that stretches from northeastern Italy to Slovenia, where they rise to 2,864 m at Mount Triglav. They are named after Julius Caesar, who founded the municipium of Cividale del Friuli at the foot of the mountains...

, Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...

.

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'.

While a pitch refers to a drop that can be descended, the term Aven is used to refer to a pitch when discovered from below. Avens can be ascended by means of a bolt climb, where a caver places an ascending series of bolts in the walls of the aven and gradually ascends to the top. A rope can then be rigged to the bottom allowing following cavers to pass the obstacle.

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