Stuff you don't NEED, learn from our mistakes

Lee Harris wrote:

BrightassmfZebralight

This thing...

Zebralights are definitely worth it. I bought 2 of them for caving (a spotlight and a floodlight), since a good light really matters for that, but have been lovely for climbing/general outdoors. Batteries last forever (over a day on medium bright, which is still bright enough to put any cheater headlamp to shame), and effectively infinite on low light (which is still perfectly fine walking around).  

Radios are contrived and unnecessary - learn to be comfortable with communication that is limited only to the necessary commands, and read your climber's actions based on the behaviour of the rope. The situations where you actually need to communicate with your belayer or leader in order to protect each other are narrow. Most people are talking to each other to allay fears, but do not add any meaningful context and potentially adding confusing information or instructions.

FosterK wrote: Radios are contrived and unnecessary - learn to be comfortable with communication that is limited only to the necessary commands, and read your climber's actions based on the behaviour of the rope. The situations where you actually need to communicate with your belayer or leader in order to protect each other are narrow. Most people are talking to each other to allay fears, but do not add any meaningful context and potentially adding confusing information or instructions.

it is possible that what works for me will not work for you. but i doubt the people who live near the gunks missed me adding to the screams of ‘off belay’. 

Anonymous wrote:

People live near your crags? Interesting. 

There are a very few houses below a small section  the main cliff at the gunks 

Anonymous wrote:

People live near your crags? Interesting. 

Wow, I hope the Sat phone bill isn't too big this month posting from a universe that has no access issues even at its most accessible crags. 

FosterK wrote: Radios are contrived and unnecessary - learn to be comfortable with communication that is limited only to the necessary commands, and read your climber's actions based on the behaviour of the rope. The situations where you actually need to communicate with your belayer or leader in order to protect each other are narrow. Most people are talking to each other to allay fears, but do not add any meaningful context and potentially adding confusing information or instructions.

Highly dependent on the partner combo and experience level.  95% of the time I have never needed nor wanted a radio.  In certain situation however, a radio would have been really nice.  Specifically, when I climb with my wife who is competent but not experienced in MP etc.  I act essentially as a "guide".  In these "as a guide" situations, clear communication to someone with much less mileage in MP climbing is a huge benefit.  In the Dolomites, where we were with several other parties, having a set would have been great for things such as "wait down there for 10 minutes as this belay clears out" etc etc.  You can yell this of course but wind, rock feature etc can make it hard.  

mattm wrote: 

Highly dependent on the partner combo and experience level.  95% of the time I have never needed nor wanted a radio.  In certain situation however, a radio would have been really nice.  Specifically, when I climb with my wife who is competent but not experienced in MP etc.  I act essentially as a "guide".  In these "as a guide" situations, clear communication to someone with much less mileage in MP climbing is a huge benefit.  In the Dolomites, where we were with several other parties, having a set would have been great for things such as "wait down there for 10 minutes as this belay clears out" etc etc.  You can yell this of course but wind, rock feature etc can make it hard.  

The clear communication comes at the start of your day: they are to keep you on belay until you call "Off" or the rope runs out. I am often in similar situations - "guiding" less experienced followers on climbs; however, the only reason inexperienced followers want communication is to assuage their fear. You can do this by clearly outlining the behaviour they can expect from you during the climb and how they should be respond:

• Always keep your leader on belay until they clearly hear "Off" and confirm it;

• If the rope runs out, break down the belay and start climbing;

• If you are unsure, keep your leader on belay. See the bullet above if you run out of rope;

• Occasionally check for slack to take in if the leader is down climbing and back cleaning.

For example, in your particular scenario, there is nothing to communicate. You are not moving, and have not run out of rope which could mean you are: i) waiting for a belay station to clear; ii) trying to make decision with route finding; iii) building a belay station (intermediate or otherwise); iv) assessing the risk before committing to a move... etc. all of which is just extraneous information that does not need to be communicated to the belayer because their response is the same: keep you on belay.

Radios are not a panacea to difficult communication - it is entirely possible that your "waiting 10 minutes for the belay to clear" becomes "...the belay... clear". Then what should your follower do? Are you off? Should they start climbing?

More communication is not necessarily safer communication.

I don't know why everyone is ragging on a PAS. It has loops for your gear and everything...