Top rope set up (gear) question

Here's the deal: looking to rig a top rope anchor off of appropriately sized trees which stand about 15 feet back from the lip. In the past I used a redundant set up consisting of a retired rope. No falls or frays on the rope - just retired.

What type/size webbing or line would be better (lighter/stonger) for this set up?

One inch nylon tubular webbing works well, it's relatively cheap and the climbing spec stuff is sold at eany store that sells climbing gear, maybe also army surplus stores but double check the rating (should be 4000lbs).

I had a 50ft, 40ft, 10ft, 20ft that I kept with me when I was just top-roping.

Super obvious point, but should say it anyway:

Tubular webbing is definitely a good choice. But when you get it off the spool at the store, check to make sure it's all one piece, and not two separate pieces connected with masking tape. Apparently they manufacture it in set lengths (100'? something like that..), and connect those lengths with masking tape when putting it on the spool. There have been rumored to be a few accidents caused by this.

My 2c since I am a recent convert. I too owned a 10', 20' 40' 50'... oh jeez which one to use.

IMO you need to own a ~20' cordalette for multipitch (this sometimes comes in handy for TRing) and you just go out and buy a 150' 11mm static line for TRing. Someone will comment about how 11mm lines are for submarine anchors, and you will think 150' is overkill. But if you buy a ~40' line now (2 strands 15' back, plus bunny ears and knots to trees) and then tomorrow you TR a 25' back and the next a 30' back, it gets old. Buy the big ass heavy line, know that it's always long enough for the job, and never worry about abrasion to the rope because its super-overkill. If you buy webbing you'll always be looking at it, is this frayed, abraided, sunbaked, the stuff is too thin to set it and forget it.

150' 11mm Static and replace in 5-10 years

Personally, I think a static rope is the best option for tree-anchor top-roping. For one, it's more durable than webbing. Two, you always have the option to attach yourself to the rope (once it's anchored) with a prusick or belay/rappel device to build/inspect your master point. Three, you have a static rope for other climbing situations. 100ft x 11mm, perfect. That should be more than enough to extend over an edge with two trees, each 15 feet away. Wrap one tree with a figure-8 tie-in knot, throw the bunny ears over the edge with the climbing rope, pick up the other side and friction wrap it around the tree to equalize, close it off with a biner on a bight clipped to the rope. Solid, closed system.

Michael C wrote:Personally, I think a static rope is the best option for tree-anchor top-roping. For one, it's more durable than webbing. Two, you always have the option to attach yourself to the rope (once it's anchored) with a prusick or belay/rappel device to build/inspect your master point. Three, you have a static rope for other climbing situations. 100ft x 11mm, perfect. That should be more than enough to extend over an edge with two trees, each 15 feet away. Wrap one tree with a figure-8 tie-in knot, throw the bunny ears over the edge with the climbing rope, pick up the other side and friction wrap it around the tree to equalize, close it off with a biner on a bight clipped to the rope. Solid, closed system.

+1 for static line. I use mine all the time for TR anchors, and also for abseiling when it's appropriate. Can't do that with webbing.

I'm ' old school', so have used double identical lengths of one inch tubular webbing for decades to set up a top rope.,,and 2 'biners, one is locking. Flawless, no accidents or failures ever.

I do see alot of static line used today, oftgen tied as a cordalette. Alot of new instructional dudes have suddenly changed to this over the last decade or so.,,,not sure if this is an AMGA originated thing or what.,,but it works for those who choose. Just too much time doing more knots it seems to me.
I don't use old dynamic ropes..I want a static anchor, such as the webbing and static line will provide. My dynamic rope will give me the stretch I need..I don't want to suddenly feel some 'stretch' coming from my anchor point too,,,,difficult to figure out if it's from your old rope stretching,,or your anchor slipping for some unseen reason.

Woodchuck, I, and I think many people today, chose static over webbing because of it's added versitility. I often create an anchor using static, then create an "instructors leg" using the excess. In institutional settings, this is great for instruction and spending time up top. It also is a great way to safly access a cliff edge and transition to rappel. And so on...... This, as I learned it, is the "AMGA Standard" as they now prescribe.

With that being said to OP.... Webbing and static cord are the two popular solutions. Both work fine, abd both have many pro's and cons. Like everything in climbing, it's situational, and may also depend on which you like using. Like Woodchuck said, you really want your anchor to be static, so while an old rope may work fine, it's not ideal for a number of reasons.

Max Forbes wrote:Woodchuck, I, and I think many people today, chose static over webbing because of it's added versitility. I often create an anchor using static, then create an "instructors leg" using the excess. In institutional settings, this is great for instruction and spending time up top. It also is a great way to safly access a cliff edge and transition to rappel. And so on...... This, as I learned it, is the "AMGA Standard" as they now prescribe. With that being said to OP.... Webbing and static cord are the two popular solutions. Both work fine, abd both have many pro's and cons. Like everything in climbing, it's situational, and may also depend on which you like using. Like Woodchuck said, you really want your anchor to be static, so while an old rope may work fine, it's not ideal for a number of reasons.

I have to say, I don't think webbing has caught on in the UK, I guess maybe because of the ratio of trad/sport? Either the route has been led so the anchor is set using dynamic, or a top/bottom rope set up is used, in which case slings/cordlette/static is used. Mainly because these items have at least dual functionality (whereas I can't see me climbing with 100' of webbing on me, which can't be used for anything but anchors?).