![]() If you’re setting up the toprope from above, build a backup anchor above the cliff, and then set your primary anchor below the lip. ![]() Ideally, your rope should be clipped to a solid anchor below the top of the cliff, so the rope does not rub over any edges. Illustration by Supercornįor simplicity’s sake, we’ll assume you’re toproping a single-pitch climb. (This is the method recommended by Petzl, which makes the most popular devices used for this technique.*) Top climbers such as Caldwell, Steph Davis, and Matt Samet prefer the method described here: two devices on a single static rope. Others climb with two different devices clipped into two separate ropes. Some climbers hang a second rope alongside the first and clip into bights pre-tied in the backup rope in case the primary rope or belay device fails. And you must be backed up-never depend on a single device. Solo-toproping techniques vary mainly in their back-up methods. (A progress-capture pulley is usually used for hauling a load-it allows the rope to roll smoothly in one direction but stops the rope if it’s pulled in the other direction.) Though there are several methods, all share a couple of aspects: Before ascending, the climber fixes one or two ropes to an anchor above the pitch, and then climbs self-belayed by ascenders or progress-capture pulleys clipped to the rope or ropes. Whether you’re an active first ascensionist or just want to do some laps after work without a partner, solo toproping is a handy technique to add to your repertoire. Often, the solution is to go alone, rehearsing the key pitches by solo toproping. When Tommy Caldwell or Mayan Smith-Gobat work a free climb high on El Capitan, the crux may be finding a belayer willing to put in days of duty in an isolated and exposed location. Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members!
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