Article Excerpt:

One way to move faster on long routes – Short-fixing is an experts-only technique that essentially separates a climbing team into two roped soloists via a knot at an anchor, allowing the climbers to move simultaneously. It’s most commonly used on one-day ascents of big walls, or to speed up the process during multi-day ascents. Don’t confuse short-fixing with simul-climbing, when both climbers move together, without the rope fixed to an anchor in between. When simul-climbing, if one climber falls, the results can be catastrophic.