Questions tagged [top-roping]

A top rope is when a rock climbing rope is mounted in such a way that the climber is always protected from above. this is typically peoples first experience in rock climbing. Top-ropes can be mounted utilised indoors or outdoors. Use this tag for issues and questions concerning the usage or mounting of a top rope.

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Is there a reasonable way to build a toprope anchor if the only available natural anchor points are greater than 90 degrees apart?

I generally use the Joshua Tree anchor system for toproping, as taught to me by a professional guide. Essentially, a static rope is tied to two anchor points to make a "V" shape of 90 ...
SamWeiss's user avatar
-1 votes
1 answer
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Ice climbing top rope with joined roped [duplicate]

Are there any safety concerns connecting two ropes (40 and 50 m) with 2 double fisherman knots and then installing an anchor with 2 carabiners connecting the anchor to the rope for top-roping? Let's ...
cerv21's user avatar
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9 votes
1 answer
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Would top-roping in this limestone quarry be reasonable?

So there's this limestone quarry that looks like a beautiful place to rock climb. It's about 40 feet high, and the top is easily accessible and has many trees that look like they'd make fine top-rope ...
user42541's user avatar
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12 votes
6 answers
4k views

How to belay top-rope climbers who are ascending quickly?

Some of my climber friends are pretty fast climbers with a speed of about 20s for a 10m long route. The really fast ones use auto-belaying-systems seen on speed climbing competitions. Those auto-...
Andreas Schwab's user avatar
1 vote
0 answers
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How long can a new climbing rope be safe? [duplicate]

I have a climbing rope (Maxim, 11mm) that I bought back around 2008-2009 (so it's about 10 years old now). It has never been used, it's been stored properly, and the sheath and core appear to be in ...
James's user avatar
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8 votes
2 answers
2k views

When making an anchor with static rope around a boulder, what knot should I use

If I'm using a natural feature such as a boulder or a lump of rock as part of an anchor by tying a static rope around it, what are the best knots to use? I'm thinking that there would be different ...
stib's user avatar
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5 votes
2 answers
1k views

How to use a static rope as a tether at the anchor of a top rope climb?

I just recently returned from a course where we utilized a static rope to construct a top-rope anchor from a top-accessed ledge: the system was like that described in this answer - the resulting ...
Thomas's user avatar
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19 votes
6 answers
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How can someone fall 3m to the ground while top-roping & how to prevent it?

My boyfriend and I do top rope climbing quite regularly in our indoor climbing centre. On attempting a harder route, he slipped and fell, reaching the ground. I am trying to understand what went ...
Kelsea Stewart's user avatar
12 votes
2 answers
575 views

(Why) Should I hold the rope when belaying the second climber with Reverso?

When climbing a multi-pitch route, suppose I am belaying the second climber, using Reverso or a similar device. It lets me arrange the rope in such a way that when the climber falls, the rope ...
anatolyg's user avatar
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4 votes
3 answers
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A method to retrieve a carabiner

I saw this a few times, years ago I met some guys who were top roping next to us in Jackson Falls, IL 25 years ago who showed us a method of retrieving your top carabiner(s) when you were done top ...
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Top Rope Anchors - is a figure-8 on a bight stronger or just easier to untie than an overhand knot?

I've been learning to build basic TR anchors; a sling clipped to two bolts with a master point in the loop of a figure-eight on a bight. While learning this I struggled to get a tidy figure-eight ...
STW's user avatar
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8 votes
2 answers
747 views

How can I transfer my weight to a toprope anchor at the bolts?

I'm going to the crag with some friends in a few days and I plan to lead the first route, clip into a quickdraw on one of the anchor bolts and build a top rope anchor on the bolts. I've been ...
user avatar
12 votes
4 answers
5k views

Why static rope rather than webbing for toprope anchors?

I'm signed up for an AMGA single-pitch instructor course (to learn how to teach other people single-pitch climbing). One of the pieces of gear we're supposed to bring is a 30 meter static rope "for ...
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14 votes
3 answers
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Is a single strand of webbing unacceptable for climbing anchors?

While browsing the DumbAnchors blog, I came across a post which points out the poor use of a single strand (not a loop) of webbing for building top rope anchors. The blogger doesn't say why these are ...
Chris Mendez's user avatar
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16 votes
4 answers
9k views

Rock climbing over edge - What can I put under the rope to protect it?

I am working on a very fun problem with an overhung roof that induces serious rope drag (Goat Rock Roof @ Castle Rock if you know it). I am very nervous about training this beta intensive problem ...
SwimBikeRun's user avatar
11 votes
4 answers
6k views

How to top belay 2 climbers at the same time on multi-pitch climb?

Senario: I am leading the climb with 2 ropes. I reach at the first pitch. I put myself on the self anchor and built a master point. Now I want to top belay 2 climbers at the same time. They both will ...
Scorpio's user avatar
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11 votes
2 answers
1k views

"Used" top rope when bouldering

My friend and I often boulder around my home instead of driving to the local area, and when attempting some more challenging features, such as overhangs and slightly taller cliffs, we would feel ...
Liam McInroy's user avatar
20 votes
3 answers
17k views

Climbing with a much lighter partner?

Both my fiancee and myself bought some climbing gear recently and we're planning our first trip to an indoor rock gym this weekend. We decided to practice our knots and belay technique before we went ...
Blackbear's user avatar
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11 votes
3 answers
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How tight should the line be kept for toproping?

I was climbing with someone recently and they complained that there was too much slack any time the line wasn't completely taut. By the same token when they were belaying me it was almost hard to ...
Russell Steen's user avatar
15 votes
2 answers
3k views

Toproping with two ropes joined by a double fisherman's

The other day we were waiting in line for a popular 200 foot single pitch climb in the valley and the party in front of us was using two 70 meter ropes they had joined together with a double fisherman'...
DudeOnRock's user avatar
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14 votes
5 answers
2k views

How to avoid pendulum descent when belaying?

I recently started indoor rock climbing at a local spot. I got to the top and (after appropriate communication) my partner started to belay me down. I instantly starting swinging and spinning pretty ...
Russell Steen's user avatar
24 votes
4 answers
3k views

How to inspect climbing bolts?

I am most interested in setting up a top rope anchor on 2 bolts side by side. I feel like in this case you almost have to be more careful using bolts for a top rope than sport climbing because in ...
DJBunk's user avatar
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9 votes
4 answers
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Is there an accepted way to self-belay on top rope?

I have seen a handful of methods and devices on the market: http://www.rockexotica.fr/products/downloads/belay.html (Wayback Snapshot here) These include Rock Exotica's "Soloist", "Solo-...
DJBunk's user avatar
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12 votes
1 answer
4k views

When rock climbing, what is the difference between top-roping and leading?

I'm starting to learn how to rock climb, and there seem to be two types of climbing, top-rope climbing and lead climbing. What's the difference between the two, and what would be better for a ...
Reverend Gonzo's user avatar
15 votes
2 answers
5k views

How do I set a top rope anchor?

When rock-climbing, I need to set up a top-rope anchor so if I fall, it will minimize chance of injury. So, how would I safely set one up?
Reverend Gonzo's user avatar