How Do Alpinists Get Down?

Mountaineering or alpine climbing is an outdoor activity where people climb very tall mountains. Some consider sport climbing, indoor climbing, and bouldering to be types of mountaineering or alpinism. And while alp is part of the word alpinism, most people involved in alpinism do it on many other mountain ranges other than the Alps. People are even doing alpinism on glaciers at both poles and mountains everywhere in between for glory and adventure.

Alpinists typically get down from the peak of the mountain by either walking down, getting lowered on ropes, rappelling or abseiling, downclimbing and in most cases, a mix of all of these techniques. The process of getting down isn’t as challenging or as interesting as getting up, which is likely why it is less documented. However, famous climbers such as Marc-André Leclerc died on his descent when caught in an avalanche so it is not without significant risk. This makes the question, how do alpinists get down an important question for the climbing community.

How Do Alpinists Get Down?

People are often fascinated by rock climbers reaching the summit of the tall mountains. However, being able to get down safely is just as important. People involved in alpinism have four ways to get down a mountain. They can rappel, downclimb, walk-off, or use lowering. In some complicated descents, climbers may have to use all four of those methods in order to make it to the ground safely. Generally, more climbers rappel down than use any other method of descent.

Walking Down

Walking down or walking off is considered by many as the best way to get down from a mountain. Walking down is the least technical method for getting off a mountain if it’s available. A walking down route offers a quick and easy way to get down the mountain. The walking down route often includes going through bushes and climbing down gullies.

Lowering

Lowering is a safe method for getting off of a high mountain. In lowering, one climber lowers another down a cliff using the climbing rope. Climbers use it because it’s quick and easy. However, there is a level of risk involved because there are a number of ways things can go wrong. Climbers should make sure they have a long enough rope. Plus, they should tie a stopper knot on the free end so the rope won’t be able to slip through the device being used to fasten it.

Rappelling Abseiling

To rappel and to abseil are essentially both the same thing. It’s an activity that involves the climbers doing a controlled descent using a piece of rope. In North America, people tend to say rappel most often to denote the activity. In the United Kingdom and throughout Europe, it’s commonplace to hear the process referred to as abseiling. A French word, rappel means ‘to recall or withdraw’. The term to abseil is descended from the German term abseiling. It means ‘to lower on a rope’. This is the older term.

Lowering Versus Rappelling

Both to lower and to rappel mean using ropes to help climbers quickly make their way down a mountain. However, lowering requires two people. One person lowers the other. When you rappel, one person uses their own rope to quickly slide down to the ground. Some climbers see it as much safer to lower climbers to the bottom quickly. Plus, it can be a way to get an injured climber to the ground.

Down Climbing

Sometimes the path down from mountaintops calls for going down steep sections of rock or places where there are loose or broken rocks. Climbers can handle the terrain without a safety line if it’s solid rock. If it’s a loose rock surface, it may be wise to use climbing ropes to get to the bottom without slipping or falling.

How Do Climbers Get Their Ropes Back?

Usually, climbers don’t tie their rope on the top anchor. The rope is doubled and a figure-eight blocks the rope from sliding through the two anchor points. The anchor has a nylon webbing with some opposing carabineers clipped to it. The climbing ropes are fed through the carabineers as the climber makes their way down using one side of the rope. When the climber gets to the bottom, they just pull on one end of the rope to release the eights from the anchor points to pull it free.

High-Risk Exposure

Alpinism is a very risky activity. Climbing high mountains exposes climbers to bad weather conditions and dangerous situations. This is especially true if you’re doing a winter ascent. Many mountain climbers suffer serious injury or death trying to make their way up and down the world’s highest mountains. They have to endure a lack of oxygen, tired muscles, and slippery, treacherous, footing to get to the mountaintop. In case of a winter ascent, you also have to be prepared for possible avalanches and frostbite.

Marc-André Leclerc

Marc André Leclerc was a Canadian-born rock climber and alpinist known for solo mixed climbing. In 2015, after Leclerc, then 22, made the first solo ascent of the Corkscrew on Cerro Torre, Patagonia legend Rolando Garibotti called it “an ascent of earth-shifting proportions.” In the film, after Leclerc solos Mount Robson, the holiest and scariest mountain in the Canadian Rockies, veteran expedition leader Jim Elzinga states that Leclerc is “doing things people thought could never be done. (redbull.com)

He was known in mountain climbing circles for his daring solo ascents of difficult mountains worldwide but especially of those in British Columbia. Leclerc was the first to complete a winter solo ascent of both the Torre Egger in Patagonia and Mount Robson’s Emperor Face ‘Infinite Patience’ route. A rock-climbing documentary called ‘The Alpinist’ about Marc-Andre Leclerc’s life and his astounding climbs was released in 2021. Leclerc and Ryan Johnson, his climbing partner, died in March 2018 when they climbed the Mendenhall Towers’ North Face via a new route. During their descent, they were caught in an avalanche and their bodies were never recovered.

Alex Honnold

American rock climber Alex Honnold is known for the free solo ascents of many big walls. Honold’s free soloing of Yosemite National Park’s El Capitan in 2017 captured worldwide attention. He was the first person to ever free solo climb the dangerous El Capitan in one day. Alex Honold did the fastest ascent of The Nose, Mount Watkins, and Half Dome’s Regular Northwest Face, the Yosemite triple crown. He wrote ‘Alone on the Wall’ in 2017 and ‘Free Solo’, his 2018 biographical documentary, won an Academy Award and a BAFTA. For many of Alex’s ascents, his descents include walking down another path than the one he came up. El Capitan, for example, is hiked by thousands every day.

Tommy Caldwell

Tommy Caldwell is another professional climber that needs to be mentioned when it comes to daring alpine ascents. He has done a few free solo ascents but he has also participated in many ice climbing ascents where he used ice tools to help reach the top. In the documentary about Marc-André Leclerc, Tommy mentioned how he always climbs with gloves to help with the exposure to the cold. Additionally, he has proved that climbing experience is key to the hardest alpine ascents.

Safe Ways to Descend Cliffs and Mountains

Nowhere is the old adage “What goes up must come down” truer than in climbing. We climb up and after we reach the top, whether it’s a mountain summit, top of a sandstone spire, or the end of a bolted sports route, we have to return to the ground, descending to the flat earth below. Depending on where you are and what descending options are available to you, safety doesn’t look the same for everyone. However, if you can hike down, that is probably going to be the safest way to get down. After that, being lowered is also typically safer than rappelling. The least safe way is typically down climbing without any ropes or gear to prevent you from stumbling if you lose your footing. 

Sara Climbing Coach, Climbing Trainer, Writer

Sara is the founder of Send Edition, author of '77 Drills to Help You Climb Better,' the creator of 'Elevate Your Climbing: Training Planner and Tracker,' and climbing coach.

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