Top rope vs belay reddit. I use a Trango Vergo as a backup.

Top rope vs belay reddit Now, I should have said that the anchor on the left is a really nice setup for multipitch climbing because you isolate yourself from the belay device/follower. It can become dangerous quickly. 00:00 Introduction01:18 Preparation07:11 Belaying13:52 Most Common Mistakes Camera & Assist As for belaying I would personally top rope on the last climb and top out. Both of my children, who weigh at least 100lbs less than me, can successfully belay me on top rope. Redundancy is especially important when it is out of your range (anchor, top rope setting, etc. I have been strictly top rope so far and have gotten up to 5. Have fun with your 3 inch range of motion while you try to pull the rope and set the next rap. It's why we tie a knot at the end of a rope for instance. 5-5. I am going to go for my lead rope certification within the next month hopefully and I was wondering about everyone's opinions on using an ATC or GriGri or any other belay device for lead climbing. My final note would be, if you’re a pre-2009 Grigri user, to not go back and forth between the two devices, to avoid the belay confusion described above. The GigaJule is assisted belay when he wants, standard tuber when he doesn’t, doesn’t freeze up, can be used for positioning on a fixed rope for top rope anchors, and as a progress capture device/ guide mode belay device. The rope is already dynamic and to achieve speed, there’s a trade off for redundancy/over building anchors vs time. Cord is static and regardless it is not rated to take a fall on. Traditionally, V0 is equivalent to 5. Better than a GriGri for TR solo since the rope runs almost straight through the device in the open position so if you put some weight on the end of the rope, you don't have to manually pull it through. Neither the grigris nor the neox will slip if already locked with a climber hanging on the load strand. What is more preferred for glacier travel: static/hyperstatic ropes like a rad line or something like a dynamic alpine rope? I’d imagine you don’t want to fall on a static line into a crevasse as that would hurt pretty bad, but it seems like people love the rad lines? I've tried belay glasses a few times and I was impressed by how easy it was to keep the climber in my view when tilting my head up and down. For ice climbers, this is one of the few assisted braking devices that has no moving parts to freeze up. Just got one myself. You should use a safelocking carabiner or two carabiners with gates looking in opposite directions. It was just too sensitive to rope diameter. when one rope gets a coreshot, reducing rope drag by clipping just one strand etc. lowering: you stay on belay, and the belayer lowers you down using his belaying device. It won't work here, because the rope is going through small chain links that won't fit a bight. Catching falls is also very different, in top rope the climber basically just sits down and the device takes them but in leading the climber can fall a lot further so the belayer should lock off the belay and jump slightly to catch the climber with See full list on rei. You don’t want to setup your belay device in guide mode because of the “hassle”. And when I top rope, I use dynamic rope, too. In the gym on top rope, have your belay partner give you a little slack and not take in too much especially on hard moves. Peronally, I use a combination of grigri and petzl asap for lead rope solo, and either a jumar and microtraxion or a jumar and grigri for top rope solo. The top rope moves tend to be easier but once you exert that energy there's so much more left to climb! So this thread is making me feel kind of I'm at a "normal" progression. I am thinking about starting to top rope soloing on one of my projects, and I see so many opinions on the best way to do this… The best and simplist method for top rope self belay BY FAR is to tie in on one end of the top rope and thread the other end through a grigri. Clipping the rope adds a totally different dynamic to the climb. Lead Climbing: Defined Hi climbers, I’m planning on top rope soloing a 50m single pitch, anchor at the top, throw my 70m rope down, rap, and then climb back up. You saying "I top rope with an ATC because I see OTHER PEOPLE who don't know how to belay with a GriGri properly" is nonsense - are you confident in your own attentiveness and skill level? Because if you were then it wouldn't matter whether you belay with an ATC or a GriGri because you should be prepared and confident to belay with either. 8 range. . In my opinion the 'slip slap slide' method has treated me best in any belay scenarios aside from multi pitch. I also don't waste time teaching people to belay on an ATC. When I boulder, I can do most V2s and some V3s, having sent one V4 in my life. That rope is connected to the climber and a belayer (or multiple belayers) who controls the rope and pulls in slack as the climber ascends and slowly releases slack to lower the climber to the safety mats after the climb. These spell it out perfectly. 4. Their claim is that you should top-rope send a route first before you worry about trying to lead it, otherwise you're just wasting your belay partner's and everyone else's time by trying to project on lead. 11+ confidently in a gym setting. If you can belay on a Grigri, you can belay on an ATC. Lead is a different story, though there are solutions there, such as the Eldrid Ohm. I like the Cinch as the primary since at the top I only need to disengage the MicroTrax and lower directly on the Cinch. I belay with a Jul and I’m surprised by the fact that more people don’t belay with them, as they feel much more like an ATC (the device I learned to belay with) and are simpler overall. No need to switch devices for lowering. this sounds like laziness. Lead climbing is a true equalizer because you can't just pull past hard moves, you actually have to solve them. Hi, my half ropes' lifespan comes to an end soon and I m looking at new options. Lead climbing, on the other hand, is a lot harder to get used to, and it requires a much more active roll from your belayer. Same goes for your belay loop. You shouldn't belay heavier people without compensating the weight difference somehow. A little more info: people lead belay off their belay look - it is strong as fuck. Just the rope drag from a few draws and lowering is 50X easier! Just if she's belaying you and there's a fairly low clip it's prudent to down climb and unclip the first clip. 8 - 5. As far as rope wear is concerned, it only causes some fuzzing of the sheath, no real damage is done to the rope. Recently within the past two months I have gotten into top rope climbing and I can confidently climbing 5. I always clove in with the rope while climbing, but I’ll use a sling or a PAS as a personal anchor while rappelling. . You believe using cord for a top rope belay/above belay would be fine, which is not. Hello! I've been climbing for about 2 years now, but over the past 3 months have been going on a regular basis and getting more serious about it. Is top rope climbing just like belaying or is it different somehow? With top rope climbing, the anchor is at the top of the climb, with the rope going down one side to the belayer, and the other side to the climber. The figure 8 on a bite is strong as fuck and the biner is likely rated to 8+kN cross loaded (aka 10x the force you will generate on top rope). You don't need to worry about a single point of failure with the belay loop. Anyway, I'm not sure how both climbers could get themselves into a situation where they are toproping something they can't lead from a hanging belay with no escape other than climb out, but the climber could pull themselves up the dead end of the rope till they got to the top and then half haul the second up from the top. Antipanic is great for novice especially if belaying someone who weighs a lot more than you. com Apr 28, 2025 · This puts a bend in the rope at the belay device that will keep the rope from moving through it. The physicality is identical (for top rope belaying. Trad/ice: megajul Pros: so light! easy to use coming from an ATC. Seems to feed very smoothly, once you get a feel for belaying sideways rather than up and down. I'm pretty sure the gyms here in Holland use dynamic rope even for top roping (possibly low stretch dynamic rope). So far I've only used it for top rope belaying. It will also feel more comfortable/less awkward when you fall on the belay loop vs the tie in points. However I would belay off the master point of the anchor over/at the edge to maintain visual with my climber. Inattention is more dangerous than improper belay technique, for example the belay is chatting up a cute girl while the climber is running out a bunch of slack. When your partner climbs upwards the rope will create an L-shape which is adding more friction and easily compensating up to 30kg more weight compared to my 60kg. It is however, less versatile and while you can rappel with it, it can only be used for single stranded rappels, which depending on your rope size might not be a great idea. ). The rare individual might lead and top rope the same grade, but in my experience most people will get a clean top rope ascent at least two letter grades harder than they redpoint. Going to use a standard grigri on my belay loop and a Petzl shunt as a backup on my leg loop (but also pas’d up to my main harness loops). I haven't tried the Giga, though. 3. Before we get into the primary differences between lead climbing vs top rope, let’s get to know a little more about these two forms of rock climbing. Is your partner also directly through the bolts with a biner on the belay loop? Now you’re completely on top of each other. Feb 1, 2022 · A correctly rigged Black Diamond ATC. This is generally not an issue for top rope, especially if your gym wraps the rope around the pipe at the top of the route, as most do. Just looked this up to double check. It's a hassle compared to having a belayer, but it works :) As I see it auto belay is perfect when just starting but I think once you find people to climb with top rope is a lot safer as there is a mechanical component which is the grigri and a human if one fails the other kicks in and having someone you trust and is trained in top rope helps as well as having your own equipment for repealing that way 12 votes, 17 comments. IDK just didn't appeal to me almost at all. A traditional belay system involves hardware at the top of the climbing wall that secures the safety rope. Things like escape the belay, belay and lower from the top and you can even use it as a ghetto Jumar. Jul 29, 2024 · In a lead-belay scenario, he imagines the Neox will also be a better option for left-handed climbers, who can adopt traditional ATC rope-feeding tactics. The bust method is something gym employees will teach people as an idiot proof way to top rope belay. I will sometimes LRS up an easier route to then traverse into my project, build an anchor and then TRS the project. g. You are way within the safety limits of that system. Being scared shitless to take a whipper on the non-climbing rated, Chinese made gear you bought off Amazon is 100% aid because it forces you to be a better climber or else. Outdoor climbing grades (like gym grades) vary, but folks tend to ann Got my top rope belay cert, and ended up climbing top rope or autobelay a total of like 3 times in the following 6-7 months. see the rest of the conversation below, but lead climbing is both psychologically and physically more difficult than top roping. But it’s 1 more carabiner to use a belay device. I used to only boulder but am Top rope belaying is easy, and with 15 minutes of practice, just about anyone can be taught to do it. The Grigri is a more versatile device. ) A regular grigri slips under the weight of the rope when belaying someone from above. This is sometimes called a static vs dynamic belay point, top rope is static, leading is dynamic. Even if your belay lets go of the ropes completely, you'll lower at a rate that isn't going to seriously hurt you. I am doing sport and alpine multipitch and so far I had a single rope for sport (light, belay with grigri, easy handling rope management) and half ropes for alpine (for long abseils, extra safesty e. Part 1: Applying Top Rope Belaying to Lead Belaying Yeah most of my belaying is lead belaying, where tunneling is considered more acceptable because you are able to maintain tension on the rope as you slide. It's good because the black cover is an easy visual check that krab is correct and also removes any risk of the screw gate working undone. With lead climbing, the rope starts at the bottom of the climb, with one end tied to the climber and the belayer attaching a short I use a Trango Vergo as a backup. Cons: slightly annoying in top belay/guide mode if you are using a single rope. And the profile of the glasses was thin enough that I could find my belay device, rope, and feet easily by just glancing down. But when the anchor has actual rap rings, just: Get off belay Clean the draws Pull up a bight of rope and pass it through the rings PullPullPullPullPull! Let go of all the ropes to make sure it doesn't pull back through. If sitting at the edge I would belay off my harness, if hanging I would extend and use a guide mode device. And when ascending, it's very difficult to belay when there is any tangle in the rope. I'd rather spend my time/energy doing tries on individually harder stuff at the bouldering walls than climbing easier but more physically exhausting things on rope. Locked carabiner attached to belay loop, climber’s strand top, brake strand on the bottom. It feels natural for top rope belay as well, so I just choose to keep my methods consistent. I think I'd only prefer static rope for top rope soloing, and even that is theoretical because in order for me to get the top rope up I first have to lead rope solo up there and Trad/ice: megajul Pros: so light! easy to use coming from an ATC. I do always wear belay gloves, even when I’m belaying top rope in the gym, because it makes me feel more confident - if something crazy happens I can grab the rope and hopefully hang on. Use two hands on the brake strand if the climber wants to hang for a while, or consider wrapping the brake strand around your hip and slightly under your Antipanic is great for novice especially if belaying someone who weighs a lot more than you. One of my climbing buddies belays with a grigri and I feel like the rope has a tendency to be more… “sticky” when she’s trying to pull up slack? It is most definitely safer for top rope, and climbing is all about removing those little 'happens once in a thousand' accidents. For a gym, especially top-rope, new climbers tying the wrong knot or not finishing it up might be an even bigger safety concern though. like they don't want to belay someone who is projecting. you are attached to the rope with a knot. Nov 6, 2023 · Below, we’ve compiled an in-depth guide to the five key differences between lead climbing vs top rope climbing. I also have a climbing partner that uses a Mammut Smart. There was significant warping when shaking my head, but it was not disorienting. You do this by securing yourself to one locker on two strands (with a clove hitch and the rope) and place your belay device on the other two strands to belay up your follower. I usually climb with doubles so this is not a big deal. As for the rope, it is made of many smaller rope twist together, so it is considered redundant. Apr 28, 2025 · When the climber reaches the top, falls, or needs to sit on the rope to rest, take in all the slack and put the rope into a solid braking position. 9, but have been wondering lately; Should I stick with top rope, or is it better to "cross train" on bouldering problems? So for my case, the more intuitive use of the MegaJul outweighs the tiny benefits of the GriGri. I also have peace of mind when a noob is belaying me now if they have a Grigri over an atc. Lead Climbing vs Top Rope. Pull the brake strand down in front of you. That said, compared to a Grigri it's easier to misuse it while lead belaying and I never lend mine to people who belay me. Saftey considerations: The lever of a gri gri is on the left side of the device therefore the grigri must be on the left side of your tie-in figure 8 knot. For lead it introduces some risk because you can't give and take rope fast enough but that means nothing for why it's best for top. Tbh the picture guy isn’t even in direct to the bolts or anything it seems that seems more dangerous :p This was my experience with the Mega as well. Works well, seemed a bit touchy while lowering to find the sweet spot between crawling and free fall. Complete Guide to Top Rope Belaying - Tips & Common mistakes. You can also use weights but the above method is very safe. ) I don't know if that's an "official" answer, but it made lots of sense to me. It's much the same as in the EpicTV video (Jul2 vs Pilot belay test) where he shows two methods to lower - one is to use your thumb to lift the device while having that hand still around the brake rope (same position as regular belaying with it), and the other is to pinch the device with thumb and two fingers. Neither the grigris nor the neox work without a hand on the brake, from above (though the grigri+ in top rope mode does, actually,) In some ways, they use different skills and require different training to excel at, but there are easy and hard climbs in either style. It isn't the strength, it's the fact that you will have more friction and rubbing with the loose pieces. 10, but this is a very old convention which almost no one follows nowadays, gym V0 are typically somewhere in the 5. Top rope, lead, multi pitch, rope ascension, single-line raps; the device does a lot. I agree with what you said about mental training. The carabiner is incorrectly loaded (triaxially) when you put it through the tie in points, so use the belay loop. Photo: Elliott Natz. The guide that I was talking to the other day, he guides ice and rock, goes out with a GigaJule and a Kong Gigi placket. In defence of the belay master we use it when we're clipping kids into the rope for top roping for speed. In one top rope session I can climb maybe up to ten routes. Set it up with my rope just to get a feel for lead belaying. You risk management skills are poor. This may sound crazy, but switching to leading helped A TON. This is the whole reason for the belay loop. Under: Take your guide hand off the climber’s strand and place it on the brake strand under your brake hand, meaning it’s lower on the rope. You are mostly passive rappeling: you slide down along the rope, using your rappelling device (same as a belaying device, but used differently), the belayer is not involved, you are the active party. Gyms usually have the top-ropes doubled around the anchor. 11-5. ClimbingJunkie but also this is in top rope/bringing up the follower mode, so there isn’t chance of any huge force being generated. If you clip in with a carabiner, you should always use the belay loop, and never leg and waist loops. What confuses me is that the image shown clearly says that using a locker on a figer-8 on a bite into the belay loop isn't safe, but that how you would want it in certain situations, since it would be no different that catching a climber while belaying. It's basically a Grigri but the rope runs through it in a straight way when unlocked, so it feeds a bit better (didn't compare to a proper ascender). Plus as you progress has an easy switch to toggle to lead climbing so you can feed rope upwards. dujxd rehx fnfkiw vsmkndnz rknnkr yzooen nzckyf vraxb lslfe iovcuds