Best way to top rope from a single hanger?

What's the best way to setup a top rope on a regular hanger? Often I see people just use a single quickdraws and top rope off that.

Yer gonnnaaa diiieieeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

People often top rope off a "single" draw when they bail partway up a sport route, and their buddy TRs to the highest draw and leads from there. In this case you'd have draws below the top one, so the system would become redundant one you're rope stretch + 2×(distance between the bolts) off the ground, assuming there are no ledges. Depending on the situation this can be reasonably safe, but you could always just pull the rope and lead from the ground.

You shouldn't top rope off of just one draw.

You shouldn't top rope off of just one draw.

Agreed.

You could do a single bolt + trad gear/natural pro though, but it any case, "You shouldn't top rope off of just one draw."

BACK IT UP

You are going to die. 

Julian Jwrote:

What's the best way to setup a top rope on a regular hanger? Often I see people just use a single quickdraws and top rope off that.

Have you ever climbed outdoors before?

Julian Jwrote:

What's the best way to setup a top rope on a regular hanger? Often I see people just use a single quickdraws and top rope off that.

Since you posted in beginners, let's be clear and KIND. By "regular hanger" perhaps you meant "regular anchor", which means two bolted hangers, usually with chains or something.

And, "single quickdraws", plural? Yeah, a draw on each anchor, if they are long enough the two bottom carabiners meet, or are close, is pretty standard.

If you want to up that, get a couple bulletproof biners for the rope end, and have a dedicated setup for top rope. Locking biners all around, and you're set. The bulletproof ones have a steel inset, so they'll last forever and not leave aluminum in your rope. 

Don't top rope off a single point anything, unless it's truly huge and totally bomber.

Here's a thread with a whole bunch of anchors you might encounter out in the real world!

https://www.mountainproject.com/forum/topic/120861309/bolted-anchor-demo-wall

Best, Helen

Julian Jwrote:

What's the best way to setup a top rope on a regular hanger? Often I see people just use a single quickdraws and top rope off that.

Just to clarify, you frequently see people top out at a two-bolt anchor, clip one of the two bolts, and toprope off the single bolt while ignoring the second top anchor bolt? Am I misunderstanding something? 

Or are you seeing what Jason Z described above, where one leader has been unable to make it to the anchor, and the second climber goes up to finish the lead but all the draws below the high point are still in place? 

The second scenario is very common. The first, I have literally never seen or heard of... 

Bolts, carabiners, and webbing really can fail. Redundancy is a beautiful thing, especially when it's as simple as adding a second quickdraw. 

whats the best to say hmm... Don't?

If it's a single bolt then likily you're not at the top so it wouldn't be top roping. Maybe it'd be called midroping? Either way. Don't. 

Well in my home area (the Frankenjura) you will be top-roping off one bolt so clip a draw into the next bolt down.

Julian Joseph, it would be good if you would return to your own thread and clarify your question. In other threads you say 1. There are no climbing gyms in your area 2. You are a beginning climber and you climb limestone 3. Climbing is just getting started in your area. 4. There is one route developer in your area.

Jim Titt’s answer of the Frankenjura aside, most route developer’s will not equip a top anchor with a single bolt and hanger. I hope this is not the practice of the developer in your new area. It’s usually two.

 To toprope, yes, some people will put a single quickdraw in each hanger and toprope off the two “regular” quick-draws. It is preferable if the quickdraws or slings have a locking carabiner at one or both ends. Do not toprope off a route equipped with a single top anchor bolt unless you can create redundancy in one of the ways already suggested in the thread. 

phylp phylpwrote:

 To toprope, yes, some people will put a single quickdraw in each hanger and toprope off the two “regular” quick-draws. It is preferable if the quickdraws or slings have a locking carabiner at one or both ends. 

Agree, lockers are preferable. Also, I didn't say it in my first comment, but if you do decide to use non-locking draws (or don't have a locking carabiner), opposing the gates (clip the right carabiner gate facing left, left carabiner gate facing right) will give you a little added margin of safety. Adding a third non-locker would make it mighty tough for something to unclip accidentally. 

Lastly (maybe shoulda been firstly), toproping is serious business, where others are literally trusting their lives to your work without being able to check your system, so if you're not (or aren't experienced enough to be) sure of your setup, get someone to show you how first. 

phylp phylpwrote:

Julian Joseph, it would be good if you would return to your own thread and clarify your question. In other threads you say 1. There are no climbing gyms in your area 2. You are a beginning climber and you climb limestone 3. Climbing is just getting started in your area. 4. There is one route developer in your area.

"Julian" is a known spam account. 

Nick Rwrote:

"Julian" is a known spam account. 

This.

Nick Rwrote:

"Julian" is a known spam account. 

Thanks for letting me know. I miss detecting trolls all the time because I find the concept of trolling rather incomprehensible. I can’t conceive of why someone would find it entertaining. I guess it’s some kind of creative writing exercise or something. 

40 years ago this might have been a valid question.  To TR off a single bolt anchor was much more common then.  Often put in as a directional or prime anchor then backed up with natural protection from trees, slung objects or pro in cracks.  The single bolt would be part of a 3-point anchor in this case with a cordelette  making the TR anchor.   A single draw would be sloppy.   

If I was in some odd place and really wanted to TR something easy off I single bolt, which would pretty much never happen, yeah, never mind.  It would just never happen.

Unless the single bolt was like half-inch with and 8 inch depth, super-bomber and the route being TRed was like 5.6 and so sweet you couldn't resist, then yeah.

Nick Rwrote:

"Julian" is a known spam account. 

We know this..... how?

Marc801 Cwrote:

We know this..... how?

I'd say it's not a certainty, but a probability.

Look at when he joined and his posting history, then make a judgment call.  Could be wrong, though.

M Montoya wrote:

So basically go full stalker mode?

Not necessarily stalking. If I’m going to go to the effort of replying to a question, I often look at the profile because it gives me a better sense how to answer. That’s fun for me - like being a detective, looking for clues. With “Julian” I thought maybe there was an ESL issue and looked at previous posts. I thought maybe he was posting from Africa, maybe a former French or Belgian colony.
so now you see how I get my entertainment! Him possibly being a troll never entered my mind.
Either way, whoever you are, wherever you are, safe climbing wishes to you, Julian.