Top Rope Solo Static Rope

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.

Top rope solo static rope.

But solo toprope can very handy. If there are no cruxes off the ground i also just pull the rope through with one hand until the weight of the rope allows the mini traxions to feed by themselves. If he falls the pcds will catch on the rope and arrest his fall. 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.

Toprope soloing is when the climber is not tied into the rope directly. Some progress capture pulleys and ascenders can be rigged to travel along a fixed line providing a self belay for a solo top rope climbing experience. Instead he sets up a fixed line from a solid anchor above the route attaches himself to the rope with two pcds e g petzl micro traxion or camp lift and then climbs up while the pcds move up the rope. Some of those same friends that tease me have bought static ropes and a couple devices because they too want to unlock the art of the solo toprope.

Solo top roping is a great way to get a lot of laps in and have a positive training day when you can t find a partner or are just looking for some solitude. A static rope is best. So i won t go through the whole process. When you hang the toprope clip it through numerous directional pieces.

Using a static rope is most convenient but a dynamic will work as well. If there s a crux near the ground i ll clip something to the end of the rope. In this method a static rope is safest and easiest to use. A water bottle my shoes a few cams or a cloth grocery bag with a rock in.

This makes a fall minimal just a couple of centimeters. Rappel the pitch on a single strand placing a few pieces of directional gear if needed. Fix your 9 2 10 4mm rope off a solid top anchor. Connect both devices onto the rope and into your belay loop as shown above.

On the static rope i attach the micro traxion with a oval carabiner on the belay loop. I use two ropes on a top rope anchor. A static rope won t abrade or cut as easily as a dynamic rope an important trait when the rope is running over edges and around roofs above you as it will almost always be doing. Rope soloing is highly dangerous and demands a great deal of experience and good judgment and in many ways is more dangerous than free soloing due to an increased reliance on systems.

There are already a couple great online articles that demonstrate how to solo toprope. The traxion is held up by a shock cord around my neck do not use slings or something that can hurt you in a fall.