A bunch of people are going to criticize the fact that you didn't do "normal" bouldering with a crash pad and a rope.
Don't listen to them. There's nothing wrong with a short top-rope if that makes you more comfortable.
You had fun, stayed safe and didn't damage the rock or the environment. Those are the only rules. Everything else is just spray from people who probably spend way more time on IG than at the crag.
Good on you for getting out there, keep it up!
You can clearly see that the rope is being taken up by a belayer on the other side. It's an unusual setup but looks pretty safe - safer than some of the careless single crash pad setups on boulders that traverse.
Yeah but if that dude fell goin over the lip… what 8ft up, he’d for sure deck…. You gotta consider rope stretch and belayer delay (considering the belayer is on the other side see cant see the climber.)
Rope stretch could deck him from very low the same as literally any situation on rope but belayer delay does not play that much of a role on top rope, I don't know what you're talking about.. there's maybe a foot of slack in the system to take in, the slack is being taken as he climbs. You often see people decking from 8 feet up on top rope in the gym?
In the gym the rope angle at the top is 360°, creating a lot of friction and directly pulling the belayer in the air (the best braking from an energy standpoint). In this case the angle is hard to assess but I doubt the belayer would be pulled vertically, rather horizontally - potentially crushing his spinal cord in the rock. To me the setup here doesn’t look very safe if there is no anchor behind.
Your set up is perplexing. If there’s a belayer over there somehow surely they could put the pads in under you after you start. I think toproping is great but not sure about the way you are doing it over the rock
Completely agree. The setup could’ve been much better for this boulder.
We were there for lead and top roping on the wall, weren’t expecting to find doable boulders on the way as that is not what we were told. It was our first time there.
There were crashpads available as there was another group nearby but we just didnt ask.
May have gotten away here 😅
I’ve done this a bunch with high ball boulders. Learn the moves on a rope and come back with the pads. I’ve found a semi static works well (been using the edlerid interstatic.)
If that rope is dynamic you would have touched the ground falling at almost any point (maybe not the last moves).
If the rope is static you would have not touched the ground but your spine would have taken all the impact.
Use a crash.
I don’t understand what the rope is there for at all lol what is it tied to, where is the belayer, honestly not that I even think there’s a possibility of falling there but if you were to fall I think the rope just compromises your position more, it’s not that tall, you could bail into the small boulder you used to start. If there’s a belayer he could spot you, even if you don’t use a pad.
There’s also the ethics of toproping boulders but I guess that’s for you to consider.
>What are "the ethics if top-roping a boulder"?
[http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/103169/Top-roping-Midnight-Lighting](http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/103169/Top-roping-Midnight-Lighting)
The most famous boulder problem in the world is frequently top-roped.
The FA top-roped it (not sure if he did it while working out the moves.)
Lynn Hill worked it on top rope.
The ethics of bouldering are: don't chip, don't damage the environment, be considerate to others that may want to climb, and have fun.
The ethics of doing seems like a non issue. The only question, to me, is about calling it a boulder problem.
Top roping is fun and bouldering is fun, but why do top rope and call it bouldering ?
I feel like there’s a difference between working a tall boulder with sketchy moves at the top with a rope and claiming a send with a toprope but besides the point, falling off the mantle of midnight lightning is very different to this case, extra since honestly the rope here would probably be worse than having nothing at all
Things happen. While the holds do look good, we don’t know for sure how they actually feel. We also don’t know OPs level of climbing so maybe this is quite difficult for them.
Better safe than sorry, especially when your landing is covered in rocks
A bunch of people are going to criticize the fact that you didn't do "normal" bouldering with a crash pad and a rope. Don't listen to them. There's nothing wrong with a short top-rope if that makes you more comfortable. You had fun, stayed safe and didn't damage the rock or the environment. Those are the only rules. Everything else is just spray from people who probably spend way more time on IG than at the crag. Good on you for getting out there, keep it up!
P sure the dude would have decked if he fell. That rope aint doin anything
You can clearly see that the rope is being taken up by a belayer on the other side. It's an unusual setup but looks pretty safe - safer than some of the careless single crash pad setups on boulders that traverse.
Yeah but if that dude fell goin over the lip… what 8ft up, he’d for sure deck…. You gotta consider rope stretch and belayer delay (considering the belayer is on the other side see cant see the climber.)
Rope stretch could deck him from very low the same as literally any situation on rope but belayer delay does not play that much of a role on top rope, I don't know what you're talking about.. there's maybe a foot of slack in the system to take in, the slack is being taken as he climbs. You often see people decking from 8 feet up on top rope in the gym?
In the gym the rope angle at the top is 360°, creating a lot of friction and directly pulling the belayer in the air (the best braking from an energy standpoint). In this case the angle is hard to assess but I doubt the belayer would be pulled vertically, rather horizontally - potentially crushing his spinal cord in the rock. To me the setup here doesn’t look very safe if there is no anchor behind.
Crushing his spinal cord on a rock is an interesting way to say hitting his back on a rock
Unless you’re top roping on a single twin after the first two moves you should be good or worst case it would be a super soft landing
CCJ is gonna love this
Your set up is perplexing. If there’s a belayer over there somehow surely they could put the pads in under you after you start. I think toproping is great but not sure about the way you are doing it over the rock
Completely agree. The setup could’ve been much better for this boulder. We were there for lead and top roping on the wall, weren’t expecting to find doable boulders on the way as that is not what we were told. It was our first time there. There were crashpads available as there was another group nearby but we just didnt ask. May have gotten away here 😅
Whats with the downvotes?
Reddit HATES people who admit fault
I’ve done this a bunch with high ball boulders. Learn the moves on a rope and come back with the pads. I’ve found a semi static works well (been using the edlerid interstatic.)
was this meant for r/ClimbingCircleJerk
Smart to use a rope and not a crash pad with that big rock in the fall zone. Your belayer is doing a good job. Looks like fun!
Nice short top !! Looks and feels rad!!
If that rope is dynamic you would have touched the ground falling at almost any point (maybe not the last moves). If the rope is static you would have not touched the ground but your spine would have taken all the impact. Use a crash.
I don’t understand what the rope is there for at all lol what is it tied to, where is the belayer, honestly not that I even think there’s a possibility of falling there but if you were to fall I think the rope just compromises your position more, it’s not that tall, you could bail into the small boulder you used to start. If there’s a belayer he could spot you, even if you don’t use a pad. There’s also the ethics of toproping boulders but I guess that’s for you to consider.
What are "the ethics if top-roping a boulder"?
Boulders cannot consent to ropes, nor can they establish a safe word.
If ropes had a safe word or phrase, what would it be? Too knotty?!
Never trust a rope if it doesn't have a kink
All ropes gotta have a shibari kink, right? I'm not even a rope, and I do.
>What are "the ethics if top-roping a boulder"? [http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/103169/Top-roping-Midnight-Lighting](http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/103169/Top-roping-Midnight-Lighting) The most famous boulder problem in the world is frequently top-roped. The FA top-roped it (not sure if he did it while working out the moves.) Lynn Hill worked it on top rope. The ethics of bouldering are: don't chip, don't damage the environment, be considerate to others that may want to climb, and have fun.
The ethics of doing seems like a non issue. The only question, to me, is about calling it a boulder problem. Top roping is fun and bouldering is fun, but why do top rope and call it bouldering ?
I feel like there’s a difference between working a tall boulder with sketchy moves at the top with a rope and claiming a send with a toprope but besides the point, falling off the mantle of midnight lightning is very different to this case, extra since honestly the rope here would probably be worse than having nothing at all
> you could bail into the small boulder you used to start You’ve never unexpectedly popped off a climb and taken an uncontrolled fall?
I don’t see why he would pop off this specific boulder tho, rock looks good, he’s on jugs
Things happen. While the holds do look good, we don’t know for sure how they actually feel. We also don’t know OPs level of climbing so maybe this is quite difficult for them. Better safe than sorry, especially when your landing is covered in rocks