Cooped Up? Get Uncooped.

The relative safety levels of different ways of climbing depend upon if and how you use ropes. Learn why a cliffhanger dangling from a well-secured toprope has little to worry about, while a free soloist is gambling his or her life.

Toproping
What is toproping?
Toproping means climbing while attached to one end of a rope that is anchored at the top of the wall or cliff. The climber’s partner controls the other end of the rope using special safety equipment, a skill called belaying. If the climber loses her grip on the rock, the belayer and the rope catch her. The climber does not fall.

How safe is it?
If the route is appropriate for the climber’s level, the anchor is set up correctly and the belayer is competent, toproping is extremely safe – far safer, for instance, than riding in a car.

Lead climbing
What is lead climbing?
In lead climbing, the climber anchors the rope as he or she climbs by placing pieces of specialized equipment called protection into rock features, such as cracks. The climber attaches the rope to each piece of protection. If the climber falls, the topmost piece of protection acts as an anchor.

How safe is it?
Short answer: it depends. Typically, lead climbing is riskier than toproping but not as dangerous as free soloing. The factors that determine the safety level of a lead climber, or “leader”, include:
•    The quality of the rock itself  
•    The leader’s skill level
•    The belayer’s skill level
•    External factors like weather and the behavior of other climbers
A skilled leader on a suitable climb with the right equipment and a reliable partner is almost as safe as a climber on toprope.

Free soloing
What is free soloing?
Free soloing means climbing without a rope.

How safe is it?
Short answer: not very. Free soloing is the climbing equivalent of walking a tightrope without a net – there is zero margin for error or external factors. If your arms get pumped, a crucial hold breaks off or a careless climber above sends down a hail of rockfall, you’re in potentially fatal trouble. My advice? Don’t do it.

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