You only need a clutch for 1st-gear and Reverse. Once you’re going, you can shift without it.
I’ll back you up on that one.
Actually, if your vehicle doesn’t have a clutch safety switch (or if it has been disabled, or if you can disconnect it), you don’t even need a clutch then. Just put it in gear with the engine stopped, then start up in gear, and away you go. I used to drive VWs all the time with bad clutch cables, sometimes going weeks at a time before fixing them. As long as the clutch stays engaged, you’re not stuck. It’s fun to teach someone how to drive without using the clutch, too.
This sort of thing has kept me from being stranded more than a few times.