Top Rope Belay

There are many ways to set up a top rope anchor and this article covers 7 of them.

Top rope belay.

Each of them has its pros and cons. In order to belay in the vr facility you must be 13 years or older or receive approval from vr management. When a climber falls having a solid top rope anchor is literally a matter of life and death. A new climber typically starts with a style of climbing called toproping where the rope runs from the belayer s device and harness up through the anchor at the top of the climb and back down to the climber s harness.

The climber rope side of the bight which goes up to the anchor and back down to the climber should always be on the top side of your belay device. Top rope climbing is all about having fun being outside and climbing rock faces. An anchor refers to the whole system the anchor points the protection gear runners carabiners and climbing rope. If a climber falls while climbing on top rope their weight transfers from the rock to the rope.

Attach a locking carabiner which must pass through the bight and belay device cable as well as your harness belay loop. As the belayer you provide a brake on the rope to prevent the climber from falling to the ground. Top rope belay certification test rules and conditions for belay testing all climbers requesting to belay in the vertical rock facility must have prior climbing experience and successfully pass the vr belay safety test. Toproping simply put is climbing a rock face with the climbing rope always anchored above you.

A belay device helps you provide this brake by applying friction to the rope. As the climber ascends the wall the belayer pulls the rope through a belay device shortening the length of rope between the two. Climbing magazine is producing a series of how to videos in 2012 to demonstrate a number of skills and techniques. Top rope climbing or top roping is a style in climbing in which the climber is securely attached to a rope which then passes up through an anchor system at the top of the climb and down to a belayer at the foot of the climb.