diff --git a/Modules/read_xml.f90 b/Modules/read_xml.f90
index eda4c2539..c987ee2b6 100644
--- a/Modules/read_xml.f90
+++ b/Modules/read_xml.f90
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ MODULE read_xml_module
   USE read_xml_fields_module, ONLY : read_xml_fields
   USE read_xml_cards_module, ONLY : card_xml_atomic_species, card_xml_atomic_list, &
        card_xml_chain, card_xml_cell, card_xml_kpoints, card_xml_occupations, &
-       card_xml_constraints, card_xml_climbing_images, card_xml_plot_wannier, card_default, card_bcast
+       card_xml_constraints, card_xml_plot_wannier, card_default, card_bcast
   !
   !
   IMPLICIT NONE
@@ -404,40 +404,6 @@ CONTAINS
     CALL mp_bcast ( found, ionode_id, intra_image_comm )
     !
     IF ( found ) CALL card_bcast( 'OCCUPATIONS' )
-    !
-       !
-    ! ... reading CLIMBING_IMAGES card
-    !
-    card = 'climbing_images'
-    CALL card_default( 'CLIMBING_IMAGES' )
-    !
-    IF ( ionode ) THEN
-       !
-       CALL iotk_scan_begin( xmlinputunit, trim( card ), found = found, ierr = ierr )
-       IF ( ierr /= 0 ) GO TO 9
-       !
-       IF ( found ) THEN
-          !
-          CALL card_xml_climbing_images()
-          !
-          CALL iotk_scan_end( xmlinputunit, trim( card ), ierr = ierr )
-          IF ( ierr /= 0 ) GOTO 10
-          !
-       ELSE
-          !
-          ! ... due to a iotk problem with gfortran compiler
-          CALL iotk_rewind( xmlinputunit )
-          !
-       END IF
-       !
-    END IF
-    !
-    CALL mp_bcast ( found, ionode_id, intra_image_comm )
-    !
-    IF ( found ) CALL card_bcast( 'CLIMBING_IMAGES' )
-    !
-    !
-    !
     !
     RETURN
     !
@@ -586,40 +552,6 @@ CONTAINS
     !
     IF ( found ) CALL card_bcast( 'OCCUPATIONS' )
     !
-    !
-    ! ... reading CLIMBING_IMAGES card
-    !
-    card = 'climbing_images'
-    CALL card_default( 'CLIMBING_IMAGES' )
-    !
-    IF ( ionode ) THEN
-       !
-       CALL iotk_scan_begin( xmlinputunit, trim( card ), found = found, ierr = ierr )
-       IF ( ierr /= 0 ) GO TO 9
-       !
-       IF ( found ) THEN
-          !
-          CALL card_xml_climbing_images()
-          !
-          CALL iotk_scan_end( xmlinputunit, trim( card ), ierr = ierr )
-          IF ( ierr /= 0 ) GOTO 10
-          !
-       ELSE
-          !
-          ! ... due to a iotk problem with gfortran compiler
-          CALL iotk_rewind( xmlinputunit )
-          !
-       END IF
-       !
-    END IF
-    !
-    CALL mp_bcast ( found, ionode_id, intra_image_comm )
-    !
-    IF ( found ) CALL card_bcast( 'CLIMBING_IMAGES' )
-    !
-    !
-    ! ... reading CLIMBING_IMAGES card
-    !
     card = 'plot_wannier'
     CALL card_default( 'PLOT_WANNIER' )
     !
diff --git a/Modules/read_xml_cards.f90 b/Modules/read_xml_cards.f90
index c60e5343f..87451ccab 100644
--- a/Modules/read_xml_cards.f90
+++ b/Modules/read_xml_cards.f90
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ MODULE read_xml_cards_module
   PRIVATE
   !
   PUBLIC :: card_xml_atomic_species, card_xml_atomic_list, card_xml_chain, card_xml_cell, &
-       card_xml_kpoints, card_xml_occupations, card_xml_constraints, card_xml_climbing_images, &
+       card_xml_kpoints, card_xml_occupations, card_xml_constraints, &
        card_xml_plot_wannier, card_default, card_bcast
   !
   !
@@ -1596,41 +1596,6 @@ CONTAINS
   END SUBROUTINE card_xml_constraints
   !
   !
-  !
-  !_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_!
-  !                                                                         !
-  ! CLIMBING_IMAGES (optional) OBSOLETE, NOT IMPLEMENTED                    !
-  !                                                                         !
-  !   Needed to explicitly specify which images have to climb               !
-  !                                                                         !
-  ! Syntax:                                                                 !
-  !                                                                         !
-  !   <climbing_images>                                                     !
-  !      <images>                                                           !
-  !        <integer rank=1 n1="N">                                          !
-  !         index1                                                          !
-  !         index2                                                          !
-  !         ...                                                             !
-  !         indexN                                                          !
-  !        </integer>
-  !      </images>                                                          !
-  !   </climbing_images>                                                    !
-  !                                                                         !
-  !                                                                         !
-  ! Where:                                                                  !
-  !                                                                         !
-  !   index1, ..., indexN are indices of the images that have to climb      !
-  !                                                                         !
-  !                                                                         !
-  !_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_!
-  !
-  SUBROUTINE card_xml_climbing_images( )
-    !
-    RETURN
-    !
-  END SUBROUTINE card_xml_climbing_images
-  !
-  !
   !_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_!
   !                                                                         !
   ! PLOT_WANNIER (optional)                                                 !