Like Fingernails on a Chalkbag

Daniel wrote:

“I was going for a soft catch”

Says every gym belayer as they drop their partner 20+ feet when less than a foot above the bolt, often on an overhang with no chance of slamming into the wall. Yet somehow, we’ve gotten to the point of “more slack = softer catch” even when a soft catch isn’t actually applicable to the situation.

Hahaha, I totally relate to this. When it turns into the norm to get lead certified, I have to purposely leave a soft J and walk in as they fall to “pass”. When actually belaying, even partners weighing half my weight appreciate a good solid catch with just that tiny bit of give along with the rope stretch.

Soft catch is possibly just a “safety” thing for the gym insurance, I believe? To prevent “whiplash” or something like that?

When a belayer drops someone 20 feet in a gym, it’s generally cause they’re distracted…

Pretty sure one time during my gumby days, I was on a snow slog on a particularly baking day and referred to the soft snow on the glacier as “chossy” because of its poor quality

There really should be a mandatory phrase-test to graduate gym and be let out in to the world.

Cherokee Nunes wrote:

There really should be a mandatory phrase-test to graduate gym and be let out in to the world.

And this is the door they use to let you out of the gym and out into the world…

Mark Pilate wrote:

And this is the door they use to let you out of the gym and out into the world…

(I’m just sayin’ they need to know how to down climb ;)

Ooooh, is there a moat with crocodiles?  I want a moat wit crocodiles…

Spencer Barrack wrote:

People shouting “I’m in direct!!!” Or “I’m on my personal!!!”…Yes yes that’s cool and all but can I freaking take you off belay??!!!? 

I have only seen this be used when working a route, specifically bolt to bolting a route, not at the anchor. What context have you seen it? 

99.99% of the time anyone uses the term "project"

Spencer Barrack wrote:

People shouting “I’m in direct!!!” Or “I’m on my personal!!!”…Yes yes that’s cool and all but can I freaking take you off belay??!!!? 

Even worse in when they are "indirect".  Or use their "break" hand.

When someone "backsteps" because their leg got behind the rope

that guy named seb wrote:

I have only seen this be used when working a route, specifically bolt to bolting a route, not at the anchor. What context have you seen it? 

People love to yell that in the red river gorge when they reach the anchor, even if they’re planning to clean the route via lowering (standard practice here)

going "multipitching"

I’m lying in bed after yet another surgery and wondering if general anesthesia kills brain cells. I know adrenaline does. Each would explain a lot. 

Yesterday, when the anesthesiologist told me what she was putting into my IV and that she was going to pass gasses, I asked which. She replied, “desflurane and laughing gas.”

“Nitrous oxide?”

“Are you a doctor?”

“I play one on Mountain Project. Do you indulge? Does it leak out?”

“Not too much. I do use it when I get Brazilians.”

So off I went to dream with the Gotez.

Now that I have read this thread, old anguish is resurfacing about how climbers use the word “runner.”  Why not “sling?”  We’re talking about slings, the strips of webbing (tape) knotted or sewn into loops.

When the Brits invented the running belay (ie: putting in protection on leads), they were talking about advancing the capability of the belay up the pitch, where each peg (piton) or chock (nut) or sling is placed and clipped with a crab (carabiner) into which the rope is clipped. The rope is running through the clips, creating the running belay. Each piece of pro is referred to as a runner.

A sling can be a runner, although a runner isn’t necessarily a sling. A sling over your shoulder or looped in an alpine draw on your harness is NOT a runner—until you use it as a runner. Get it?

This rant was inspired by the brave Gotez slain by the common usage of “runner.” In my dream, they called via Skype from Valhalla and beseeched me rise up and say something!

A runner ain't a runner till its in the running, eh?

Just like a climber ain't a climber till she's climbing.

Thanks for the reminder on Brit terminology, George! I like saying, "run-ah!"

George Bracksieck wrote:

 Gotez.

My name is Fritz Nuffer and I approve this message.

I assume we’ll all be runners when they try to lock us up in a home someday.  The whole “dirt me” thing is rather hilarious in the gym. 

that guy named seb wrote:

I have only seen this be used when working a route, specifically bolt to bolting a route, not at the anchor. What context have you seen it? 

That seems to make sense in that context especially if it’s an overhanging route and you’re letting your partner know you’re in direct to a bolt to take a rest and not swing away. But I climb a lot of moderate classics so it’s typically newer climbers as they get to an anchor and for some reason a lot of YouTube go pro gumbies seem to say it a lot too. 

"Lead" used as a verb--in the past tense.

I'm indirect.  Exactly the opposite of what they are trying to communicate.  What is wrong with "direct".

Jay Anderson wrote:

I'm indirect.  Exactly the opposite of what they are trying to communicate.  What is wrong with "direct".

What's wrong with it is that it too is superfluous.

Jay Anderson wrote:

I'm indirect.  Exactly the opposite of what they are trying to communicate.  What is wrong with "direct".

As an alternative, I humbly submit “I’m personal-ed!” which I heard a guy yell down to his partner last year upon finishing the first pitch of a multi