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Stop saying 23-Jan-2015 At 10:07:34 AM Wendy

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I think we missed a few here, I'll just fill them in

On 20/01/2015 earwig wrote:

>So, before we begin

HANG ON, I NEED A PEE FIRST - I am rather nervous about this lead

>READY TO CLIMB – I am safe and ready for action, but I shan’t be going
>anywhere until you inform me that I am on belay.
>ON BELAY, CLIMB WHEN READY or just ON BELAY – I have you on belay and
>accept responsibility for your safety
>CLIMBING – I believe that you have me on belay so I’m heading on up
>Then along the way
>AT RUNNER – so I’m going to stop climbing while I fix/remove an anchor

FÜCK - there goes the skin on my knuckles trying to remove another of your deep set bloody pieces

>CLIMBING – runner is in, bloody bomber too, and I’m climbing again/runner
>has been removed, and gosh it was real bomber too, and I’m climbing again
>SLACK PLEASE – can you play out some rope please

SLACK, FÜCKING SLACK NOW - either you can't belay for shît or i can't manage rope drag for shit

>TAKE IN – the rope seems a little loose for my personal taste, can you
>please remedy that situation

TAKE IN THEM MILLIMETRES - of course i'd only say this in honour of chris baxter, not cause i'm scared.

>And at the top of a pitch or climb
>I’M THERE – There being the top of the climb/pitch, so I’m going to stop
>climbing while I make myself secure.

REALLY, WHERE'S THERE? AT THE CRUX, THE REST, THE DREADED OFFWIDTH IN THE MIDDLE, THE TOP, OUTER MONGOLIA?

There is also the rather redundant
>I’M HERE for when you’re seconding, which usually gets the response I CAN
>SEE THAT YOU DIPSTICK. I’m there does not mean safe but means I’m not climbing
>and will probably be dicking around for a bit so keep me on belay.
>SAFE – I am now assuming full responsibility for my safety
>OFF BELAY – I have no responsibility for your safety.
>And generally
>OKAY – Heard you and understood (an echo to every call)
>SAY AGAIN – Sorry, didn’t catch that
>WATCH ME – The next moment might be spectacular for a good/bad reason
>so please pay attention
>BELOW – I seem to have dislodged/dropped something.
>

I'm surprised this list doesn't include MOVING LEFT FOOT, RESTING, SCRATCHING NOSE

There are rather doubltlessly a ton of redundant calls some people make, but one that I do actually use occasionally is CLIPPING, which i'd actually suggest is a lot more useful call than at runner, because what really happens when you say at runner? Nothing. You wait a bit. It's nice as a belayer to be warned you need to feed out rope in a hurry now and it's nice to have a smooth feed of rope rather than catch your belayer unawares and not getting enough rope in a hurry. It's often actually extended to CLIPPING REAL BLOODY QUICK NOW, and followed by OH THANK FÜCK FOR THAT. And if i've been hanging out somewhere for a long time, i'll say something like I'M GOING FOR IT NOW, which in all honesty is frequently followed by, OH, ACTUALLY, NO, I'M NOT.

All this rigmarole is lovely when you can communicate. I'm probably also chatting away about our assorted sex lives, relationship dramas, world politics etc etc. When you can communicate, you really have to trust each other to read what is happening with the rope in line with what is to be expected from the pitch, think about it senisible and maintain standard practices. And it's amazing what this lack of direct communication does for increasing your feeling of being out there - being around an arete, in a howling gale, at the end of the pitch really tends to leave me feeling almost on my own even though my brain is aware of the existance of rope and belayer.