Traverse (climbing)
In climbing and mountaineering, a traverse is a section of a climbing route where the climber moves laterally (or horizontally), as opposed to in an upward direction. The term has broad application in climbing and mountaineering, and its use can range from describing a brief section of lateral movement on a pitch of a climbing route, to large multi-pitch climbing routes that almost entirely consist of lateral movement, such as girdle traverses that span the entire rock face of a crag, and multi-peak traverses that span entire ridges connecting chains of mountain peaks. Long traverses in rock climbing require additional techniques and equipment to manage the risks of the lead climber and the following climber falling and place greater pressure on the abilities of the following climber. Traversing is also a popular training technique in rock climbing, particularly in indoor climbing walls.
In rock climbing[edit]
Some rock climbing routes have traverse sections that move horizontally for a period. There are many reasons for this including avoiding or side-stepping challenges whose grade is too hard (e.g. a major roof or a very 'blank' section of rock), or trying to follow a crack climbing route where a set of cracks run out and the climbers must move horizontally for a period to find the next set of cracks to continue upward. The term 'direttissima' (or 'direct') is used for climbing routes that dispense with existing traverse sections and rise vertically upward in the straightest possible line from the ground to the top.
Traversing uses some specific climbing techniques, including 'crossing through', which is more efficient than shuffling, where the limbs are crossed so that the moves are longer and more fluid.[1] On some traverses, such as the famous King Swing on Yosemite, the traverse cannot be climbed but is instead crossed using a pendulum or a 'tension traverse' technique. Traversing requires the following climber to have stronger technical climbing abilities than they would need in normal climbing where the following climber is essentially top roped by the lead climber when climbing.
Long traverses require different types of climbing equipment and climbing protection. In any fall, the lead climber can end up in a place where climbing back up is impossible and they will have to jumar back up to the route using ascenders. In addition, the lead climber will place strong protection both before and after a difficult (or crux) move on a traverse to allow the following climber to remove the first piece of protection before making the difficult move while still having good security from the protection that was placed just after the move.[2]
Routes with traverses can be found at most climbing areas and some are famous for their 'girdle traverse', which are very long routes that span the entire rock climbing area or crag.[3] Notable girdle traverses include The Great Wall of China (3,000 metres, 67-pitches, 5.9 R) on the Shawangunks, the Stanage Traverse (circa 5,000 metres but broken up in places, E5 6b) at Stanage Edge, and as of 2024, the world's largest continuous climbing pitch,[4] the El Capitan Girdle Traverse (4,500 metres, 75-pitches, 5.10 A4) on El Capitan in Yosemite.[5][6]
In mountaineering[edit]
As in rock climbing, mountaineering routes will also use the term 'traverse' to describe sections that require horizontal or lateral movement. However, the term is also used in a broader sense to describe large mountaineering routes that follow high ridges that connect several mountain peaks, a classic example being Peter Croft's Evolution Traverse (VI, 5.9, 8-miles, elevation change of circa 3,500 metres) in the Evolution Basin of the Sierra Nevada, which crosses nine peaks of over 13,000 feet, and takes circa 1-2 days to complete.[7]
A key metric in such traverses is the cumulative elevation gain, or the amount of vertical climbing required (i.e. a flat ridge across a chain of peaks will have a zero gain). The greater the cumulative elevation gain, the less the route is like a traverse and more akin to an enchainment of peaks; however, the distinction between both is not defined.
Famous mountaineering traverses include the 5 km traverse of 8 oeaks of the Cerro Chaltén Group, which is called The Fitzroy Traverse done north-to-south, and the Moonwalk Traverse done south-to-north. The traverse of the Mazeno Ridge, which is the longest ridge of any of the eight thousander mountains is also notable.
In training[edit]
In climbing, 'traversing along a climbing wall' is often performed as a warm-up exercise.[8]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ Matt Burbach (2005), Gym Climbing, pp. 90–91, ISBN 978-0-89886-742-8
- ^ Jerry Cinnamon (2000), "Traversing", The Complete Climber's Handbook, pp. 138 et seq., ISBN 978-0-07-135755-5
- ^ "Girdle Traverse". Collins English Dictionary. 2024. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
mountaineering: a climb that consists of a complete traverse of a face or crag
- ^ "Longest climbing route". Guinness World Records. 2024. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
- ^ Leavy, Michael (1 July 2022). "Why Go Up When You Could Go Sideways? Here Are 4 Massive Girdle Traverses". Climbing. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
- ^ Corrigan, Kevin (3 January 2023). "An Ode to Traverses". Climbing. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
- ^ Samet, Matt (19 September 2019). "Classic Routes: Evolution Traverse (VI 5.9), Sierra Nevada, California". Climbing. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
- ^ S. Peter Lewis, Dan Cauthorn (2000), "Traversing", Climbing, p. 53, ISBN 978-0-89886-682-7
 | This climbing-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |