Top roping

From Freepedia

Top-rope climbing (or Top roping) is a style of climbing in which the rope runs from the belayer at the foot of the route through a carabiner connected to an anchor at the top of the route and back down to the climber. Assuming the anchor holds and the belayer pays attention, the climber cannot fall more than a short distance and can safely attempt the most difficult routes.

To top rope a route, the route must be shorter than half the length of the rope, and the climbers must have some other way of getting to the top of the route than climbing it, in order to set up the top rope anchor.

Top roping is most commonly used at climbing walls, or to practice a very hard route in preparation for a redpoint attempt. Some climbers look down upon top roping as inferior to traditional climbing, but many climbers are started out in this style. While it is frowned upon by some in the climbing community who consider it an unpure form of ascent, some consider it one of the purer forms of climbing that is free from burden of having to place protections. Many novice climbers initially experience the sport through top roping.

The exception to the general attitude that top-roping is an impure form of ascent is on some sandstone areas such as Kent in southern England. Here the rock is soft and prone to erosion, so placing protections into the rock is banned. Top-roping from permanent anchors and solo climbing are the only forms of ascent allowed.