What does top rope mean on mountain project route

I know this is probably a silly question to many but I noticed recently that some routes on here say top rope((Along with sport/trad)). I know what TR is obviously but I was always under the impression that you needed to lead climb to set up top rope when outdoors. Does this mean you are able to set up top rope from the top? If so do you use just opposite and opposing QuickDraws on the chains? If not how would you set up top rope?
thanks In advance 

I wouldn't look too carefully at that designation, sometimes it means what you said (it is possible to set up a top rope from the top), other times it means that it isn't safely/commonly lead and TRed from an anchor for another route which requires leading.

Cherokee Nunes wrote:

 

Damn, I thought I was a dick sometimes, but this is next level.

Kailee, I’ve always interpreted the TR designation to mean that the route hasn’t been led, likely because there isn’t adequate protection and no one has deemed the ground-fall risk worth it. Some routes have been led with inadequate protection; they will have an X rating.

Anchor-wise, a TR route can run the gamut:

• Two-bolt anchor right atop the route. It could be accessible with a hike around or leading another route nearby.
• Using another route’s two-bolt anchor with or without a directional. Again, accessed by walking around or leading.
• Natural anchors: trees/roots/bushes, boulders, threads, and/or removable cams/nuts.

I’m not going to try to tell you how to safely build an anchor in a forum. You should find a competent person to explain it to you in person; either a guide service or experienced friend is best.

Good luck and be safe out there.

Marc H wrote:

Damn, I thought I was a dick sometimes, but this is next level.

My God, he used a smiley face! How horrible!  

FrankPS wrote:

My God, he used a smiley face! How horrible!  

I took it as an experienced climber laughing at a beginner’s legitimate question. 

A TR classification on MP can also used as a catchall category for climbs and boulder problems that don’t fit either designation. The difficulty of crack boulder problems is best described by the YDS, but on MP boulder problems can only have a V rating so I’ve classified them as TR only to use YDS ratings. In other situations, a TR classification is used for cracks that are longer than a typical boulder problem but too short to typically be a climb – somewhere in the highball-to-solo range. For these cracks there’s not usually an established anchor, and it may or may not be practical to set a removable-gear anchor. See: mountainproject.com/area/11….

One example of a TR only route, though there isn't a good picture, there is a good text description of how to set up a TR on it.
https://www.mountainproject.com/route/116194684/crystal-balls

In ticking a route on MP, if you want to be honest to yourself and others, you would choose TR if you did not lead or solo a rope route, rather the rope was already up from someone else leading it, or the rope was set on it in some other way before you climbed it. Like the anchor was close enough to swing over to from an adjacent route, or you rapped in from above, or something else. How you want to record laps is up to you. As-is on MP you could tick that you lead a route, then number of pitches or laps you did... but its likely that most of us don't lead and pull and re-lead multiple times (not often at least), we probably lead and then did TR laps. If I lead a route and then did TR laps, I mark it as lead, pitches/laps, then put in the notes something like: "lead, then several TR laps." Often I'll lead rope solo an easy route, then TR solo it and multiple routes next door. So the first route will be ticked something like: "lead, redpoint, 6p, LRS then 5x TRS laps" and the routes nearby will be something like: "Top rope, 6p, 6x TRS laps."

Perhaps a bit of a silly question, but better to ask than be one of the ignorant masses... like those who call a clove hitch a knot, or call knee bar pads as knee pads, etc...   

Something I haven't heard mentioned here is that sometimes a route will be listed as "sport, TR" meaning there's an easy way to get to the top set up a top rope. Sometimes it means you must lead an adjacent route to set up the TR, though. For people who want to top rope outside the designations on MP aren't very useful, but often times the route description will clarify what they meant. 

Without searching the data base Highway Star would be an example. Short, leadable yet easy to rig for TR (trad w/ tree anchor).