In reply to jon_barnes:
To be clear, my 1st post was not so much my own view as that expressed by many. Having said that, I do have some sympathy with some aspects of it. I suggest you read the BMC's guidance on climbing outdoors. The following is cut and paste directly from it. Hopefully that puts my comments in perspective and will give you the view of the closest thing we, as climbers, have to a national voice.
"At climbing walls you either top-rope routes
that have ropes already in place, or you bring
your own rope and lead routes. With trad
climbing normal practice is to lead, not toprope.
Most climbers have probably top-roped
a route at some point, but there are others
who take exception to this practice; they
believe top-roping is against the sports ethos
as it reduces the challenge. The obvious
attraction of top-roping is that much of the risk
is eliminated, but being able to manage risk is
not only central to the sport, but one of its most
exciting and satisfying aspects.
If you do top-rope a route be quick and
discreet, as a common annoyance felt by other
climbers is top-roping parties hogging routes
so do not leave your rope hanging for a long
time. Another issue to be aware of is that some
rock is extremely soft, the sandstone outcrops
in Sussex have been permanently damaged
due to poor top-rope practices, for example.
Ensure that the karabiner at the top of the cliff
is extended over the edge to prevent the rope
sawing through any rock or vegetation, and
consider using a rope protector, carpet-square
or empty rucksack as padding.
When you have finished a climb consider
untying and walking down to the cliff bottom.
This eliminates the real risk of being dropped
as you are lowered, and reduces erosion to
ropes, rock and vegetation."
Post edited at 11:35