UKC

Hi guys.
Just finished a weekend long beginners course on top rope climbing on stanage edge so i really am a noob. I will be joining a club in order to learn this stuff but..... when i follow a lead climber for the first time how will he, she belay me from the top.
warren.

In reply to iiswoz:
How was the weather? Any midges?

What did u T rope, flying buttress direct?

Cant help u with ur question sorry

In reply to iiswoz:

The leader places bits of protection into the rock at the top of the route (usually a minimum of 2 piece of protection, more if each piece of protection isn't excellent) and then ties themselves into these, using the ropes and her harness.

She then pulls up all the spare rope and uses her belay plate to belay you as normal from the top of the route.

In reply to iiswoz:

They will sit at the top, brace themselves against some rock and take in the rope past their side, over their back and across the shoulder. You must climb confidently and steadily up to them without falling.

They may have placed some runners, tied slings, small chockstones wedged into cracks with the rope behind or even some engineering nuts on thin rope (with the thread drilled out). You should retrieve these.

It really is so much more enjoyable than top roping - or bottom roping (where the belayed stands at the bottom and the top goes all the way up to the top and back down. It's less damaging to the rock and more traditional in this country.

In reply to iiswoz:
Hiya, ignore Phillip. I think he may be making a joke.
Glad you had a good first climbing experience and you're curious about how leading works.

The lead climber starts at the bottom of the climb and ties onto the rope.
The leader starts climbing and as they work up the climb they place protection into the rock (various ways). If the leader falls they will fall to beneath (and potentially further) their last piece of protection
The second belays the leader from the bottom by paying out slack as the leader climbs and holding any potential fall.
Once the leader gets to the top of the pitch/climb they place multiple pieces of protection and link them together in a similar method to how your top ropes were linked.
The leader pulls up the spare rope betweent them and the second, places the second on belay and then belays the second from the top of the climb/pitch.

In reply to mgce25c:
You sure thats right?

In reply to mgce25c: yeah this is what you would expect to happen, best to learn in a group as more experienced climbers can guide you as you lean to lead belay as it is very different.

In reply to iiswoz:

This one might be helpful http://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/page.php?id=628
or this has more detail about how to set up anchors http://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/page.php?id=2592

In reply to Philip:

We all like a laugh, but taking the piss & trolling in the Starting Out forum is taboo. Don't.