Simul climbing

Simul climbing, also known as climbing with a running belay, is a climbing method or style where all the climbers climb at the same time while tied into the same rope. Protection is placed by the first member of the rope team and the last member removes the pieces of gear. The length of rope used during simul climbing varies but is often between 15–30 metres (50–100 ft). In most cases the climbing team maintain multiple pieces of protection between them to prevent a system failure if one of the pieces was to fail. Usually a belay device is not used. However the first climber may be belayed by the second until enough rope is out for the leader to avoid a ground fall. Similarly the leader may use a belay device as the second approaches a belay station to avoid the potential for a large fall.