Does the first climber do it bit by bit until those behind have a decent distance to climb? In my head they’re climbing using a rope that’s anchored 20 feet above them. If so, how does it get there?
In: 272
You place gear as you go. This means you’ll fall below the last gear you placed. If you are 3m above your last placement you’ll fall at least 6m. The gear can be anything from simple slings wrapped around rope outcrops (or trees) to nuts or spring loaded camming devices shoved into cracks. Or it’s bolts drilled into the wall.
The reason why falling these big distances is generally safe and survivable is because modern ropes are intentionally stretchy (“dynamic”) and absorb energy. The important thing is that you don’t hit the ground or any other bigger feature (ledges etc.) and don’t get tangled in the rope. Hitting the wall with your head can also be dangerous (which is one of the reasons why climbers often wear a helmet). Falling 20m into the rope is totally fine and doesn’t even hurt if you don’t hit anything and there is enough rope to absorb the impact.
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