Climbing gloves allow you to grab onto any type of wall and climb up them or abseil down them as if it were a ledge. This allows you to reduce or prevent fall damage, lets you grab onto ledges one square higher than normal, and reach some areas that would normally need a rope to access. However, even with climbing gloves, there are several situations where you may need to use a rope, such as climbing up overhanging ledges or descending caverns that have no walls for you to cling to, such as in the Ice Caves.