Without troubling you with a thesis length reply, it goes like this. The safest way to get the rope to the top of the cliff is to hike up the backside and drop it over the face. This is called top roping. This works great if the cliff is only 50-100ft tall. If the cliff is too tall, or the climber wants a greater challenge, the climber needs to lead the rope up there. This is accomplished by scaling the face of the rock using the rope for safety in case he or she should fall. As the person climbs, they clip the rope into metal links called carabineers that are attached to the rock. Once at the top, the climber attaches the rope through a secure point called an anchor and their partner then lowers them back to the ground or climbs up to meet them.