top rope climbing

In top rope climbing, an anchor is set up at the summit of a route prior to the start of a climb.

It is also a popular rock climbing attraction as the cliff heights and terrain lend themselves well to top rope climbing.

It is often not leadable, or climbable from the ground up, unless it has pre-drilled bolts to protect the climb, making most slab climbs either top rope climbing or sport climbing.

Some climbers feel that the Grigri is only suitable for top rope climbing and not lead climbing due to the assisted braking feature, though Petzl recommends the device for use in both applications.