The Glacier Rope Metrics calculator is a planning tool for rope teams on glaciers.
It takes two simple inputs – the number of participants and the total rope length – and provides clear, practical values:

• How much rescue rope must be reserved at the front and rear.
• The spacing between climbers on the rope.
• The number of rope coils needed.
• The distance from each participant to their coil.

You use Glacier Rope Metrics when planning or adjusting a rope team before entering glaciated terrain.
Typical situations include:

• Preparing a climb where crevasse rescue capability is essential.
• Reorganizing the rope team after a change in group size.
• Deciding how to distribute coils and spacing when using ropes of different lengths.
• Training or teaching safe glacier travel techniques.

Glacier travel is never without risk.
Proper rope distribution directly affects:

• Safety – ensuring enough rope is available for crevasse rescue.
• Efficiency – preventing too much slack or dangerous tightness between climbers.
• Clarity – giving each participant a precise role and spacing within the team.
• Adaptability – making the team structure work even if conditions or team size change.

The calculator applies simple mountaineering rules of thumb:

1. A fixed amount of rope must be set aside at the front and rear for rescue.
2. The remaining rope is divided evenly across the team members.
3. Based on this, the tool computes:
   1. Distances between climbers.
   2. Number of coils needed for adjustment.
   3. Exact distribution of rope across the team.
4. An illustration is shown to visualize the setup for the given team size.