UKC

Any difference between top roping and seconding,apart from getting the gear out?

In reply to paul mitchell:

Seconding requires someone to have lead the route prior. Top roping requires someone to set up anchors at the top and throw the rope down.

In reply to paul mitchell:

Technically there is nothing different though the term top roping is used interchageably with bottom roping which is a term used to differentiate where the belayer is.

In reply to paul mitchell:

Can be an eye widening difference if there is a traverse or diagonal climbing involved.

In reply to paul mitchell:

Seconding is feasible on multi-pitch crags

In reply to Michael Gordon:


Depends how many ropes you own

In reply to paul mitchell:


Wuthering is a good route to test this out.

In reply to paul mitchell:

When spending 20 minutes retrieving a stuck hex that the leader fell on, I'd rather be top roping.

In reply to paul mitchell:

The really big difference is the lack of gear on some classic routes which require a steady head to lead and no balls to second. eg. Hairless Heart at Froggatt, Flashdance at Telegraph Hole, any of the Rainbow slab routes ....Even apparent good gear may only be good enough to slow you down!

In reply to Sean Kelly:

pretty much the same (top-roping and seconding) on those routes then?

In reply to Sean Kelly:

They actually require NO balls?

In reply to Sean Kelly:

But what has this got to do with the OP's question?

In reply to Jonny2vests:

Actually Wuthering would be ok. The Great Valerio now...

In reply to paul mitchell:

Without being funny about it why did you ask the question? Your not exactly a novice.

In reply to paul mitchell:

Indoors I'd say that was the difference (taking the clips out, which can be harder than leading as it's much easier to drop the rope into a clip than take it out, though it is rather less scary). Outdoors I guess it implies someone has led the route first.

Neil

In reply to paul mitchell:

Paul, you know the answer to this, what is your point in asking this question?

In reply to paul mitchell:
I would have thought you'd know the answer to that one by now Paul

In reply to paul mitchell:


Seconding is just a convenient way of removing the gear from a route once it has been led. Top roping is an immoral abomination.

In reply to paul mitchell:

I see Robert's reply has something of the flavour of today's discussion on the topic!

In reply to DubyaJamesDubya:

Hate to be a grammar nazi but "Your not exactly a novice"? tut tut

In reply to DubyaJamesDubya:


I wouldn't want to fall of TGV as leader or second. Although its fairly tame, unfluffable, cruxless climbing. Wuthering now...

In reply to Jonny2vests:


True but it's not difficult to arrange a top rope in a safe place for the 'top ropee'.
P.S. my second did not agree!

In reply to SuperLee1985:


Undeliberate spelling error. Probably age related or lazy over reliance on spell checkers. Take your pick.
I'd be surprised if you didn't find at least one spelling error in every 20 posts.

In reply to Al Evans:


Plus 1

To OP 0/10

In reply to DubyaJamesDubya:


Yeah, top rope is easy, seconding not so much. That's the point of the thread no?

Actually, with Wuthering, you can put a redirect through a no.3 cam to the right of the belay, limiting the swing to not much, but most people miss that.

In reply to Jonny2vests:

When I led it I did something like that to protect the second so it never occurred to me that it would be an issue seconding or top roping. I can see it would be a bit scary for the second if the leader didn't allow for swing potential.
There are quite a lot of traverse/descending pitches that are far safer to lead than second (another thread?)

In reply to DubyaJamesDubya:



Do it.