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The Physics of
Falling:
In top rope climbing or lead climbing, there is a way to determine the safeness of a climb by analyzing the distance that the climber will face if they were to fall. This is called the fall factor. This mathematical formula is represented by:
distance fallen / available rope to absorb fall = fall factor
The fall factor is used when determining the amount of force exerted on the gear being used. The safeness of the fall the climber could face increases as the fall factor decreases and vice-versa.
The image below illustrates how as the climber ascends, the factor of the fall they could potentially face increases.
