Top rope

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Top rope climbing on the wall of the Hohenzollern Bridge in Cologne

The top rope assurance (of Engl. Top - above, rope - the rope) is a fuse form of climbing sports and a name for a particular inspection style with this fuse shape. Top rope climbing and top rope belaying are the first content taught in beginner courses. Top rope climbing is the safest and easiest way to learn to climb and belay.

The form of security

With the securing type, the rope remains hooked into the top of the deflection and the partner secures the climber from the ground. With top rope belaying, the belayer must constantly use rope while his partner is climbing. The climber can hang himself on the rope at any time without falling to rest, or be lowered back to the ground by his belaying partner.

For hanging the rope in the diversion route can once in lead climbing to climb, after which the climber lowered, the rope is then not deducted. Or an easier neighboring route is climbed, from which the top safety point can be reached. In some climbing halls and climbing gardens, it is also possible to hang the rope directly in the deflector.

Since the rope has to be hung up in advance for top rope climbing, it cannot be used for alpine climbing , but only for sport climbing on shorter climbing routes or in climbing halls.

Differentiation from other forms of security

Climbing can be practiced with three basic forms of security: lead climbing , 'follow and top rope.

In relation to the lead climb, the demarcation is simple, the rope always runs downwards when the climber leads and always upwards when it comes to the top rope.

It is more difficult to differentiate between top rope and descending. With both types of belay, the rope comes from above and the climber has almost the same conditions. Top-rope climbing can be distinguished from subsequent ascent in that in top-rope climbing the rope above the climber runs through no or only individual intermediate securing devices (attached for safety or comfort reasons) . On the other hand, on the next ascent, several intermediate securing devices are attached above the climber and are detached again by the next climber and, if necessary, taken with him.

Applications

Top-rope climbing is mostly the climbing practiced first in the individual climbing career , as the demands on the securing climber are lowest compared to the other forms of securing and the psychological challenges for the climber are significantly reduced. First experiences with the altitude, the technical requirements and the stamina aspects can be gained playfully and without major risk . What you have learned in the process forms the basis for learning how to lead later .

Top roping is also a useful way of climbing later, when the climber is already practiced in leading:

  • Top roping saves time when working out movement sequences ( bouldering out ), since the climber does not have to cover longer distances by falling, which needs strength to get to the place where he fell out and where he wants to practice . This ultimately enables faster red point climbing .
  • Top roping is very suitable for fitness training, since the climber can often go closer to his physical limits by eliminating the need to fall.
  • Top roping is a good way to learn new techniques.
  • Many coordination exercises such as “blind climbing” are only suitable with top rope belaying.
  • With top roping , you can start falling exercises, a so-called fall training , which aims to reduce fears. The top rope is particularly suitable because here the requirements can be reduced and varied as desired.

Risks

Top rope belaying is a comparatively low-risk belay method, as the climber cannot fall any further than is given by the looseness (slack rope) and stretching of the rope. However, it still requires correct handling by the belayer (e.g. the braking hand must never let go of the brake cable). Nevertheless, top rope climbing can also involve certain risks, especially if you have a lack of knowledge.

Redirection

Redirection is a particularly secure fixed point on the rock or on the artificial wall at the top of the route, to lower a climber by redirecting the rope or to secure top rope. Deflections are in top rope climbing with powers from 2.2 to 3.3  k N load. The forces that act on the deflection are made up of the force of the climber sitting on the rope of 1.6–2.4 kN (depending on how tight the rope and how heavy the climber is, more or less) and the Force that acts on the belay partner from 0.9–1.4 kN. These forces are no problem for average diversions in sport climbing routes in the rock or in climbing halls. In traditionally secured routes with poor quality ( rock hooks instead of bolts ) or mobile securing devices (e.g. wedges ), these forces can overwhelm a poorly set up diversion point. For safety reasons, the following applies: The deflection must be reliably, in the right place and correctly attached for top rope climbing. It is the only safety device that protects the climber from falling.

As a reliable deflection may adhesive hook or a special deflector such as adhesive hook with ring hook with pigtail or a stand -Set used. The latter consists z. B. from two hooks and a chain with two normal carabiners rotating in opposite directions and is standard in climbing halls. Hooks on the rock must not be threaded directly - except for lowering after the renovation - in order to avoid wear of the hooks due to rope looping. For this purpose, two counter-rotating quickdraws , two screw carabiners or a self -locking screw carabiner (e.g. Tri-Lock carabiner ) are attached to the hook and then deflected into the latter. In some areas, even lowering is not allowed, so that you have to abseil after the renovation.

Possible mistakes
  • The redirection is not secure enough because there is only one bolt. A single bolt with an M 8 crown drilling dowel has, if it is newly set correctly in good rock, a holding force in the radial direction of at least 6 kN (good quality adhesive boring hooks at least 30 kN). Axially, the values ​​can be 50% lower, i.e. at least 3 kN. From this it can be concluded that a single bolt has enough holding force, even in the worst loading direction, to serve as a top rope deflection alone. Nevertheless, there were several crashes due to erupting older bolts. Self-made bolts, some of which have very poor holding power, represent an additional risk that is difficult to calculate and identify. For this reason it is usually recommended to always use two bolts to deflect. An exception to this are special adhesive drill hooks suitable for deflection such as Bühler hooks or other deflection hooks such as the top rope hook of the DAV or hooks in the shape of a pig -tail with at least two turns, which also offer sufficient security on their own.
  • The deflection is not secure enough because the hooks, bolts or mobile securing devices are not reliable. It is therefore recommended that hourglasses , normal hooks , wedges or trees that are used as deflector anchor points are only attached by experienced climbers and, with the exception of thick, well-rooted trees, are not used alone. In the case of unsafe fixed points , it is recommended to attach a deflection to at least three different fixed points. Larger hourglasses have already broken out, and wedges are also associated with risks , especially in limestone and dolomite .
  • The deflection is not secure enough because a pulley is used instead of a screw carabiner. This is often explained by the fact that the rope is protected by less friction in the deflection. This explanation is illogical, however, since what is saved in friction by the rope pulley has to be compensated for by more friction in the belay device (since the load of the climber to be held remains constant). Falling accidents have already occurred due to a break in the rope pulley when top roping, as it had too low a breaking load value (the minimum requirement would be 10 kN). For this reason and taking into account the lack of utility and the limited freedom of movement of the pulley when it comes into contact with the rock, Schubert recommends that you do without rope pulleys for top roping.
  • The rope is attached to insufficiently secure karabiners on the deflector. Safety is insufficient if the rope does not run through at least one screwed-on screw carabiner or through two carabiners attached in opposite directions.
  • The rope is deflected in the wrong place at the deflector because it runs directly over rope or tape material. If a rope is pulled over the band or rope material under load, as happens when lowering it, high frictional heat is generated, which can quickly burn the deflection through ( melt burn ). The result is a fall of the climber.
  • Two top rope ropes are in the same deflection. As one rope can run over the other, there is a risk of melt burns and, as a result, of the climber falling.
  • The redirection is located at a location where the course of the rope over fragile zones creates the risk of falling rocks. In order to reduce this risk, it is important to foresee the possible rope movements and, if there is a risk of falling rocks, remove the loose stones or divert the rope using an intermediate safety device.

Missing intermediate securing and cross aisles

  • In the case of an overhanging wall, no or inadequate intermediate securing devices are attached. The climber can swing backwards and hit obstacles (e.g. a tree). In the vicinity of the ground, there is a particular risk of colliding with people standing on the ground when commuting out.
  • The route has larger crossways that can lead to pendulum falls with impacts. Therefore, it is generally beneficial to climb in the fall line of the diversion and avoid routes with larger cross aisles, as these can jeopardize the particular safety of the topline.

Drain

  • Accidents due to short rope, as otherwise during discharging can happen when Topropeklettern to exceptional cases (e.g., as at location change of the belayer) are limited.
  • The climber is lowered too quickly and carelessly and hits a rock structure, a person below or the ground.
  • Climbers and belaying partners have not clearly agreed whether to lower or abseil and communication may be difficult. If the climber assumes that he will be lowered after dismantling, but the belaying partner has already gone out of the safety device because he assumes that there will be abseiling, the climber sits down on the unsecured rope and falls unrestrained.

To back up

  • The safety partner dominates the operation of it uses backup device is not sufficient. The most common mistake is releasing or letting go of the brake cable by the brake hand, which can easily hold larger loads with the help of the braking effect of the device. If the belayer leaves the brake rope out or if he takes the load rope instead, the belayer is in almost the same situation as if he does not use a belay device at all and only holds on to the rope. The consequences of this are usually a fall of the climber and possibly major burns from the rope running through the hands of the belayer. When using tubers , an incorrect brake hand position leads to similar consequences.
  • The belaying partner gives too much slack rope, which means that he does not use the rope enough. The climber can unexpectedly fall into the rope over long distances. This is particularly dangerous if it is possible to hit a rock structure or the ground.
  • The belayer chooses a location that is too far away from the fall line of the rope and can thus be jerked against the wall and impact if the rope is loaded. The rule of thumb here is that the rope from the belay device to the (first) deflection must not fall below an angle of 60 degrees in the event of a load .

Routine and carelessness

  • An incorrectly or incompletely tied rope knot can loosen and then lead to a fall to the ground, in the worst case only at the end of the route when lowering.
  • Instead of attaching the rope with a rope knot directly to the climbing harness , a carabiner is sometimes used in between with the top rope to save time when changing climbers. With the quick and easy unlatching and engaging of the carabiner, it can easily be set incorrectly, e.g. B. in a material loop of the climbing harness instead of the safety loops, or on the rope in the wrong place of the knot.
  • In the case of intermediate securing devices (subsequent ascent), which the climber has to unhook, the last, the redirection, is also unhooked in monotonous repetition - without being aware of it. If the climber then hangs himself on the rope, he falls to the ground without being secured.

Rope elongation

At high top ropes can in the first meters of the rope elongation occur slightly braked ground falls. Every climbing rope has to stretch under load. The rope elongation relevant for top roping is called the working elongation and is defined in rope normalization as the elongation that occurs when a climber weighing 80 kg hangs on the rope. It must not exceed 10%. This is only annoying when the climber is already higher up when he is e.g. B. in the middle of a longer key point in the rope to take a break and then have to restart two meters lower. When falling close to the ground, however, more or less slowed-down contact with the ground can occur. Assuming the maximum allowable elongation in use, the climber who sits on the rope only stops completely when this 10% has been reached.

Pitch Topropheight Stretching from a fall
20 metres 10 meters 2 metres
40 meters 20 metres 4 meters
60 meters 30 meters 6 meters

These numbers are maximum values ​​that are often not fully achieved in practice because most ropes do not have the maximum 10% elongation, but only approx. 7% elongation.

Ecological aspects

If the top rope rope is set up in nature by first climbing the route (or a neighboring route that leads to the diversion of the top rope route of choice), no additional ecological problems arise. Another way of attaching or removing a top rope rope is to get to the route from above, over the ecologically sensitive rock head. Since such rock heads normally no longer have to be entered, with the exception of the one-time establishment of the route in which the bolts are attached, such a practice presents special problems due to the damage caused by treading. It is therefore recommended that you do not step on rock heads unnecessarily and that you do not stand above the existing deflectors. Such recommendations are followed by most climbers, so that the already low stress on the rock heads by climbers, also with regard to inadequate top rope setup, is further reduced. In Saxon Switzerland , top rope climbing should be avoided, as the soft sandstone is more stressed by increased rope friction and an expected increase in ascents than is the case with climbing in front and behind.

The walking style

Originally, top rope only meant the form of securing. It didn't matter how you climbed the climbing route. If it was possible to climb the route toprope without a cable pull, the term Rotkreuz was used. If the route could even be climbed according to the on-sight style (without the lead climbing required there) without prior knowledge or partner tips, one spoke of topsight or red cross on sight. Some of these terms are still used in this way today.

In sport climbing, the term top rope is increasingly being used in the sense of the Rotkreuz above as a name for an ascent style. An example of this is the international ranking of the website 8a.nu, in which top rope means red cross.

In contrast to the form of securing, however, it should be borne in mind that when this word is used, the subsequent ascent is also toprope, as the climbing community makes no difference between toprope (as a form of security) and subsequent ascent in the athletic value of an ascent.

The sporting value of top rope or red cross climbing is marginal. On the one hand, it cannot be used for a first ascent , nor can it be referred to as an ascent without mentioning that this was done top-notch, on the other hand it counts as a (inferior) ascent.

literature

  • Walter Fimml, Michael Larcher: Energy is power times way. Security theory basics, part 2 . In: mountaineering . No. 4 , 2000, pp. 14 ( bergundstieg.at [PDF]).
  • Jürgen Schmied, Frank Schweinheim: Sport climbing. The practical book for beginners and advanced users . Bruckmann Verlag, Munich 2006, ISBN 3-7654-4542-8 .
  • Jürgen Schmied, Frank Schweinheim: Sport climbing. Textbook and guide for beginners and advanced users . Bruckmann Verlag, Munich 1996, ISBN 3-7654-2849-3 .
  • Stefan Winter: Correct sport climbing . BLV Verlagsgesellschaft, Munich 2001, ISBN 3-405-16074-X .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Eric J. Horst: How to Climb 5.12 . 2nd Edition. Falcon Press Publishing, Guilford 2003, ISBN 0-7627-2576-1 , pp. 137 .
  2. ↑ a b c Walter Fimml, Michael Larcher: Energy is power times way. Security theory basics . In: mountaineering . Part 2, No. 4 , 2000, pp. 18 ( bergundstieg.at [PDF; accessed on February 28, 2008]).
  3. ↑ Michael Larcher: Securing in mountain sports. Basics . 2006 ( PDF ( memento of March 24, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) [accessed on February 28, 2008]).
  4. ↑ Jürgen Kollert: Infoscript Bohrhaken. (PDF; 212 kB) In: ig-klettern.com. P. 3 , accessed on September 16, 2009 .
  5. ↑ a b Pit Schubert: Safety and risk in rock and ice . tape 1 . Rother Verlag, Munich 1995, p. 123 .
  6. ^ Pit Schubert: Bolts. Standard testing of bolts. (PDF; 2.0 MB) In: Bergundstieg 3 2005. 2005, p. 72ff , accessed on September 16, 2009 .
  7. ^ Pit Schubert: Safety and risk in rock and ice . tape 1 . Rother Verlag, Munich 1995, p. 129 .
  8. ^ Pit Schubert: Safety and risk in rock and ice . tape 2 . Rother Verlag, Munich 2000, p. 192 .
  9. ↑ on sight.de (Hrsg.): Lexicon of technical terms around climbing . August 27, 2003, p. 1 , “Clean Climbing” ( on-sight.de [accessed on March 3, 2008]).
  10. ↑ a b Pit Schubert: Safety and risk in rock and ice . tape 1 . Rother Verlag, Munich 1995, p. 125 .
  11. ↑ John Long, Bob Gaines: Climbing Anchors Field Guide . Globe Pequot Press, Guilford 2007, ISBN 0-7627-4504-5 , pp. 99 .
  12. ↑ John Long: How to Rock Climb! Falcon Press Publishing, Guilford 2003, ISBN 0-7627-2471-4 , pp. 197 .
  13. ↑ Stefan Winter: Correct sport climbing . BLV Verlagsgesellschaft, Munich 2001, ISBN 3-405-16074-X , p. 76 .
  14. ↑ Fatal fall of a female climber here on Sunday, October 5th , 2014 , report on a fatal accident on top rope due to improper roping
  15. ↑ a b Walter Fimml, Michael Larcher: Energy is power times way. Security theory basics, part 2 . In: Mountaineering . No. 4 , 2000, pp. 14 ( bergundstieg.at [PDF; accessed on February 28, 2008]).
  16. ↑ Mammut (Ed.): Seil . 2002, p. 28 ( ( Page no longer available , search in web archives: mammut.ch ) [accessed on February 28, 2008]).@1@ 2Template: Dead Link / www.mammut.ch
  17. ^ Pit Schubert: Safety and risk in rock and ice . tape 1 . Rother Verlag, Munich 1995, p. 129 .
  18. ↑ a b Pit Schubert: Safety and risk in rock and ice . tape 2 . Rother Verlag, Munich 2002, p. 194 .
  19. ↑ DAV (ed.): As a guest in the rocks . April 2015 ( PDF [accessed March 18, 2020]).
  20. ↑ on sight (ed.): Effects of climbing on rock biotopes . 2003, p. 1 , claim 2 for "Effects of climbing" ( on-sight.de [accessed on February 22, 2008]).
  21. ↑ Sächsischer Bergsteigerbund: Information flyer on the waiver of top rope in Saxon Switzerland. Retrieved August 7, 2020 .