Tips on staying safe while setting up top rope anchors above the anchor

I've been through REI's anchor building class, the rappel class, and feel comfortable setting up top ropes that I can hike up to (I do know how to lead climb, but huzzah 'rona weight gain).  The thing I'm wondering is how everyone feels about tying in above using trees (5 and alive!), boulders and such like that.  Should I buy a cheap, short dynamic rope and double bowline it around a tree/boulder and use a gri-gri + stopper knot, or if I have the rope length, tie off a section of the climbing rope around a tree in a similar fashion, set up the anchor, and just get decently far from the edge and throw both sides down?

I know it sounds like a dumb question, but I know when I was climbing with some people with more experience, they were taking chances at the top that I'm just not comfortable taking, such as belly crawling to the edge and clipping in with things not rated for type 2 falls (dyneema, slings, ect ect) and now that I'm the one setting up the anchors (usually quads because I feel most comfortable with them) I want to be safe and show the other people I'm climbing with how to be safe.

I bought a twenty-five foot length of dynamic rope for exactly this purpose. I tie a bowline around a nearby tree or whatever and use my grigri to attach myself to it so I can move along the line easily. I tie a catastrophe knot at a point in the rope that gives me enough length to get to the cliff edge. Most of my climber friends think that this whole arrangement is overkill, but it’s my safety and my risk tolerance so I do what I want.

I highly recommend it because this is a relatively cheap set up, it takes very little time to set up, and the dynamic rope is much better protection than static slings.

Edit: just to be clear: I use the 25 ft dynamic rope only for moving around the cliff edge. I use a separate static rope for building a top rope anchor if I’m not using bolted anchors. 

Josh Coryell wrote:

I know it sounds like a dumb question, but I know when I was climbing with some people with more experience, they were taking chances at the top that I'm just not comfortable taking, such as belly crawling to the edge and clipping in with things not rated for type 2 falls (dyneema, slings, ect ect) and now that I'm the one setting up the anchors (usually quads because I feel most comfortable with them) 

This is normal. Live within your sphere of acceptable risk.  I say that in all sincerity. 

I want to be safe and show the other people I'm climbing with how to be safe.

This thinking may be inverted.

Likely, your sphere of acceptable risk is smaller than the average climber right now.  Instead, focus on learning ways to do things to reduce your perceived risk.   And allow your sphere to change as you gain experience.

In any case, respect your sphere!

You want STATIC rope for anchoring to a tree above the cliff edge, because your rope will run over that edge and you don't want it to bounce while it's doing so. For extra safety you can use your rope bag to protect the rope at the edge.  This video is about building your own anchor, but you can follow the same process when there's bolts just below the cliff edge.

Mx Amie wrote:

You want STATIC rope for anchoring to a tree above the cliff edge, because your rope will run over that edge and you don't want it to bounce while it's doing so. For extra safety you can use your rope bag to protect the rope at the edge.  This video is about building your own anchor, but you can follow the same process when there's bolts just below the cliff edge.

I think he’s talking about being safe at the cliff edge, not using dynamic rope to build the anchor itself. 

Measure out your static rope for 5/6 feet past down past where your anchor will be. Take the rest and build your  bowline with backup with the remaining. With the backside of the bowline take that rope and drop a loop over the edge with enough loop to build a BHK. Then take the other side of the loop back to another anchor point and tie off with another bowline or something. Then put yourself on your tether, set up your rappelling  gear and rope, transition over the edge and set up your rope on the BHK with two opposite and opposed locking carabiners. Transition to your climbing rope from tether and rappel down.

OR 

buy the Falcons guide SPI guide(yes, I have my SPI but not gonna spray)

practice at home first.

Hire a guide for a quick teaching session.

Or set up a static line for tether and then transition to building your anchor(quad, sliding X with limiter knots) with your rope and then rappel down.

What you're describing is pretty common practice (both using a tether, and just crawling to the edge...)

I'd also recommend getting a longer static rope rather than short dynamic.  Much more useful to have, especially if you'll be setting a lot of top ropes. Bowline/fix to a solid anchor (tree/boulder/other anchors, etc), use that fixed line with your Grigri to pay out slack as you approach the edge (be careful to not let slack build up - even if it's low angle scrambling/walking, keep the same mindset as rappeling), set up top rope anchor. Climb back up (taking in slack!) and walk around to base. Same process when it's time to retrieve your anchor. 

There are a lot of ways to use just your climbing rope to get yourself safely to the anchors, but if you're just starting out stick with a simple, reliable system you understand and expand from there as your knowledge/skills/comfort level grow. Eventually, you'll probably want to learn how to use one leg of your static line as a tether while setting an anchor with the rest for situations where you don't have bolted anchors to set a top rope on (as in video posted above).

on a side note, your location says Baton Rouge, LA - where the hell are you climbing lol?? (I'm from east tx, and I know there aren't a lot of rocks around there...)

@M Wolf,

I moved to Denver a while ago, so the location is off.  Makes sense with the static rope, as long as I'm not actively falling on it it should be fine.

I didn't mean to ruffle feathers by saying the other way of belly crawling and such isn't safe, it's just not my bag ha.  I like climbing, but for whatever reason hanging out above the top just makes me more nervous than hooking in and rappelling.  I guess it's because I'm that guy who will trip and fall in the middle of a work hallway ha.

Setting and using a safety line when doing stuff near the edge of a cliff is definitely a good practice, it is more time consuming though. A lot of people belly crawl because they don't want to spend the extra effort so they take the risk, I've done the same when the edge is flat and the risk is small. But I wouldn't fault you for being careful if I see you using a safety line.

Sport anchors here are sprouting bolts on top of climbs so you can be clipped in while reaching over the edge to set up top ropes. The cliffs that have this are much more crowded. Before someone had to lead up.

Aaron Clifton wrote:

Measure out your static rope for 5/6 feet past down past where your anchor will be. Take the rest and build your  bowline with backup with the remaining. With the backside of the bowline take that rope and drop a loop over the edge with enough loop to build a BHK. Then take the other side of the loop back to another anchor point and tie off with another bowline or something. Then put yourself on your tether, set up your rappelling  gear and rope, transition over the edge and set up your rope on the BHK with two opposite and opposed locking carabiners. Transition to your climbing rope from tether and rappel down.

I'm not sure the backside of a simple/conventional bowline is a good thing to use. A fully retraced Bowline, or better yet, a Fig 8 or clove hitch would be my choice, if you're weighting the backside line.

Gunkiemike wrote:

I'm not sure the backside of a simple/conventional bowline is a good thing to use. A fully retraced Bowline, or better yet, a Fig 8 or clove hitch would be my choice, if you're weighting the backside line.

Totally right. I meant to say the other end of the bowline. My bad. Thanks for the catch! 

Maybe someone else can confirm, but I'm pretty sure that loading the tag end of a conventional bowline makes it into a different, named knot, maybe like the French bowline or something. Pretty sure it is listed in ABOK. Maybe someone can inform us as to it's stability and other characteristics. 

I haven't read all the advice yet, but thought that I would make a small suggestion. Instead of throwing the rope down, rap off with the rope saddle-bagged, or coiled and placed over your shoulders. It will pay off one day.

Glen Prior wrote:

I haven't read all the advice yet, but thought that I would make a small suggestion. Instead of throwing the rope down, rap off with the rope saddle-bagged, or coiled and placed over your shoulders. It will pay off one day.

That's good advice.  It doesn't even remotely address OP's question, but it is good advice.

Ive used this technique for moving top rope anchors from bolts if I only have one anchor system with me and I can top out above the anchor and I want to traverse over to another set of bolts near the edge of the cliff. Top out, find a sturdy tree to use as a temporary “anchor.” You just walk up, around the tree so your rope goes around the tree so the tree is now protecting you. Return to your anchor, unclip from just the bolts, keeping the rope running through. Bring the system to the other set of bolts, and clip it in, possibly go indirect to test it or just give it a few hard tugs. Climb back around the tree, removing it from the system, belayer takes in slack and then lowers the climber down. Be nice to the trees! Make sure your rope has as little movement along the bark of the tree as possible, if you are careful, you won’t have any. Also works with big boulders. It is a super convenient way to stay safe when moving anchors along the cliff top but not for the initial set up. 

Josh Coryell wrote:

I've been through REI's anchor building class, the rappel class, and feel comfortable setting up top ropes that I can hike up to (I do know how to lead climb, but huzzah 'rona weight gain).  The thing I'm wondering is how everyone feels about tying in above using trees (5 and alive!), boulders and such like that.  Should I buy a cheap, short dynamic rope and double bowline it around a tree/boulder and use a gri-gri + stopper knot, or if I have the rope length, tie off a section of the climbing rope around a tree in a similar fashion, set up the anchor, and just get decently far from the edge and throw both sides down?

I know it sounds like a dumb question, but I know when I was climbing with some people with more experience, they were taking chances at the top that I'm just not comfortable taking, such as belly crawling to the edge and clipping in with things not rated for type 2 falls (dyneema, slings, ect ect) and now that I'm the one setting up the anchors (usually quads because I feel most comfortable with them) I want to be safe and show the other people I'm climbing with how to be safe.

The technique you are describing is standard practice among guides / professional climbing instructors. Don't worry too much about dynamic vs. static for casual use. The potential fall forces aren't high enough and unless your doing this several times a week durability isn't a big worry. Just make sure to manage the slack and make sure the rope is thick enough that the GriGri grabs quick in event of a slip. 

Buster Jesik - IFMGA Mountain Guide