If you’ve ever seen photos of climbers on glaciers or high ridges, you’ve probably noticed the rope. They’re often tied to each other, spaced out across the terrain. To many, this might look strange—even dangerous.

So why do mountaineers tie themselves together?

Stopping a Fall

The most basic reason is fall protection. If one climber slips or falls, the rope connecting them allows others to stop the fall.

When mountaineers rope together on snow or glacier terrain, they space themselves evenly, typically 30 to 50 feet (9 to 15 meters) apart. If one climber falls—into a crevasse or down a slope—the rope connecting them tightens and transmits force to the rest of the team. The other climbers who are standing must react quickly. Each person drops to the ground, drives their ice axe into the slope, and uses their body weight as an anchor. This is known as the self-arrest position.

In a self-arrest, a single climber stops their own fall. Team arrest is when a rope team stops the fall of another climber. In a team arrest, the standing members of the team each perform their own self-arrests to hold the rope.

Team arrest works because the friction from the bodies and axes against the snow creates resistance. The mass of the stationary climbers counters the force of the falling climber. In physics terms, their combined weight multiplied by the friction they generate must exceed the downward force of the fall. Think of it like a tug-of-war. If one person pulls (falls), the others resist (anchor). If the resisting force is greater, the system holds and the fall is stopped. If not, everyone gets dragged down.

Proper spacing on the rope increases leverage and shock absorption. The rope stretches slightly, reducing peak force. When done right, team arrest turns individual falls into recoverable events.

Crevasse Safety

Falling into a crevasse is one of the most serious hazards in alpine climbing. Crevasses are cracks in glaciers, which are often covered in a thin layer of snow. Some are narrow. Others are wide and deep enough to swallow a bus. Crevasses can reach depths of 200 feet (60 meters) or more. Falling into a crevasse unroped can cause serious or fatal injuries. Rescue becomes nearly impossible.

Roping up is mandatory during glacier travel. If one climber falls, the rope catches them. The team then sets anchors and performs a crevasse rescue.

Connecting to Fixed Points

Mountaineers use the rope for increased safety on exposed terrain. In dangerous areas, the rope can be connected to fixed points that have been placed on the mountain, such as pickets, cams, ice screws, or bolts. If one climber slips, the rope catches the fall by transferring the force to the anchor. The anchor absorbs the load and stops the fall.

Belaying is a technique where one climber manages the rope from a secure anchor point while the other climbs. If the climber falls, the belayer uses a friction device to stop the rope and catch the fall. This setup allows teams to move through vertical or near-vertical terrain.

Why Roping Up Wrong Can Be Worse

It’s clear that roping up adds safety to a risky sport. But, it can also make things worse when used incorrectly. There are situations where being roped together increases the risk of a group fall.

One example is on steep, hard snow or icy slopes where there is no protection between climbers. If one climber slips and the rope is slack or mismanaged, the falling climber generates momentum. Without anchors or proper spacing, that force can yank the others off balance. Instead of catching the fall, the rope becomes a leash dragging the rest down. This is especially dangerous when there’s no opportunity to self-arrest. On firm terrain where ice axes can’t penetrate or where there’s no room to react, there may not be time to stop the fall. The entire rope team can get pulled off the slope.

Another high-risk scenario is scrambling on steep rock without placing protection. If climbers are roped but moving without anchors, a fall by one can whip the others off the mountain.

Moving too close together can also be hazardous. Short rope spacing reduces reaction time. If one person falls, others have no time to arrest or prepare. At the same time, moving too far apart introduces slack, which increases the fall distance and impact force.

In technical mountaineering, roping up must match the terrain. If you don’t have the experience to use it correctly, you’re better off unroped in some situations. Judgment, spacing, and terrain assessment are critical.

What About Kilimanjaro?

Mount Kilimanjaro is does not require the use of ropes.

Kilimanjaro is a “walk up” mountain—not a technical climb. There are no glaciers to fall into, no ridgelines requiring rope protection, and no sections of exposed rock that demand belaying. Because there is virtually no risk of a fall, there is no need for mountaineering equipment such as ice axes, harnesses, helmets, crampons and ropes. Likewise, there is no need to have mountaineering skills such as being able to self-arrest.

If you can walk, you can climb Kilimanjaro—safely and successfully.