Friendly Reminder

Russ Bwrote:

I won't rope up with anyone who wants to use rope tugs,

2. To signal coming off belay, the climber literally fights the belayer for slack for several seconds, 

I see.  You pull on the rope several times.  But rope tugs are jangous?

climber patwrote:

An easier way is for the leader to put the rope on belay before pulling up the slack.  

So, you routinely pull 50-100 feet of slack through your belay device on multi pitch, every pitch?  Sounds slow and strenuous.  

Somewhat related to the OP topic:

In recent years, I've heard the command "SAAAFE!" or "I'm safe!" with the meaning that the leader has reached and clipped into an anchor. With a little bit of noise added in the scene, it could be heard as "?AAA?E", which the belayer might think means "TAAAKE!". Nothing to worry about here. But ... if the leader yells "TAAAKE!" and the belayer hears "SAAAFE!", trouble is quickly invited to the party.

Greg Dwrote:

So, you routinely pull 50-100 feet of slack through your belay device on multi pitch, every pitch?  Sounds slow and strenuous.  

I do if I cannot communicate effectively.  It's not every day that the wind is so bad that i cannot hear but the spring is very windy here.  

It is pretty satisfying to be walking home listening to other parties yelling at each other in a vain attempt to communicate.

Honestly it's not that hard to pull rope through a belay device, just imagine you climbed a full rope length.

climber patwrote:

I do if I cannot communicate effectively.  It's not every day that the wind is so bad that i cannot hear but the spring is very windy here.  

It is pretty satisfying to be walking home listening to other parties yelling at each other in a vain attempt to communicate.

Honestly it's not that hard to pull rope through a belay device, just imagine you climbed a full rope length.

But a much easier solution is to pull up the slack like normal and then *always* immediately put your partner on belay. And make sure they know that once the rope comes tight you'll have them on belay within about 30 seconds. So you build an anchor, do all the other shit you want to do (take off your shoes, etc) then pull up the rope and put them on belay.

Short Fall Seanwrote:

But a much easier solution is to pull up the slack like normal and then *always* immediately put your partner on belay. And make sure they know that once the rope comes tight you'll have them on belay within about 30 seconds. So you build an anchor, do all the other shit you want to do (take off your shoes, etc) then pull up the rope and put them on belay.

While your way is fine, I think my way is slightly safer.

Short Fall Seanwrote:

But a much easier solution is to pull up the slack like normal and then *always* immediately put your partner on belay. And make sure they know that once the rope comes tight you'll have them on belay within about 30 seconds. So you build an anchor, do all the other shit you want to do (take off your shoes, etc) then pull up the rope and put them on belay.

This.  Communication in advance is critical, of course.  Top belay is always an autoblock or gri gri and the belay is on when the rope comes taught AND moves up when the climber moves up.  It's easily testable by the climber before leaving or removing the anchor.  Vocal communication is still faster when possible.  

Erroneous Publicuswrote:

This.  Communication in advance is critical, of course.  Top belay is always an autoblock or gri gri and the belay is on when the rope comes taught AND moves up when the climber moves up.  It's easily testable by the climber before leaving or removing the anchor.  Vocal communication is still faster when possible.  

Always autoblock or gri-gri?  Binary much, EP?

Patrikwrote:

Somewhat related to the OP topic:

In recent years, I've heard the command "SAAAFE!" or "I'm safe!" with the meaning that the leader has reached and clipped into an anchor. With a little bit of noise added in the scene, it could be heard as "?AAA?E", which the belayer might think means "TAAAKE!". Nothing to worry about here. But ... if the leader yells "TAAAKE!" and the belayer hears "SAAAFE!", trouble is quickly invited to the party.

Belay commands are no doubt out of control. The other day, instead of saying "take" at the top of a sport route, I heard a guy say, "I'm coming on you." Talk about unnecessary communication; your partner is definitely going to notice if you come on them.

Bill Lawrywrote:

Always autoblock or gri-gri?  Binary much, EP?

I'd accept having a partner belay off their loop, applying the same protocol.  But it doesn't really come up, because pretty much everybody I climb with nowadays uses an autoblock or GG off the anchor for top belays.  And I personallyI like knowing that I'm not relying solely on somebody's attentiveness (or consciousness) to get a catch.  

I always yell my belayers name before the command. “Steve, you can take me off belay” I just hope no one else has the supper generic names that most of my climbing partners have. 

HUGE Tradifan wrote:

Using a munter or hip belay is like riding a bike, you never really forget.

Using a belay device and climbing intuition are different types of skills. Intuition is a much more cerebral and complex, which requires maintenance. Radios are a crutch, snatch the crutch away and you fall.

Fortunately, radios fail often. So you get lots of practice on your intuition, right?

Josh Gibbelwrote:

I always yell my belayers name before the command. “Steve, you can take me off belay” I just hope no one else has the supper generic names that most of my climbing partners have. 

So you are one of those many beginners at the crag yelling on blah blah blah off blah blah blah insert name blah blah blah, thinking your partner has a unique name and can hear you clearly. 

Did you read the op?  Not only is it really obnoxious to hear all those parties yelling, it’s dangerous. 

Greg Dwrote:

So you are one of those many beginners at the crag yelling on blah blah blah off blah blah blah insert name blah blah blah, thinking your partner has a unique name and can hear you clearly. 

Did you read the op?  Not only is it really obnoxious to hear all those parties yelling, it’s dangerous. 

I think adding your belayers name in the command helps prevent some confusion. I could clip some brush to my harness and send a smoke signal when I get to the top. Is that safer?

thanks for the reminder. not for me because that's always been my nightmare and i always pay attention. but i know that this happens and i hope this would help someone. https://pharmacomlabs.to/
thanks everyone else for all the tips either