Belaying is a term that means that someone is securing a rope to a rock face or gym wall for another individual who is about to climb up. The person who is belaying is going to be helping the other climber to get up the wall or rock surface. Knowing how to communicate during this process is crucial and this is why you need to understand certain terms. Keep reading to learn about belaying terminology that every rock climber should know.
On Belay?
When someone says something such as “on belay,” it’s going to mean that they’re asking you if you’re ready to belay. You can respond with something such as “belay on” to let them know that you’re ready for them to start climbing. The person who is belaying should wait to say this until the slack is gone and things are good to go. This is the normal way to indicate that the climbing session can begin.
Slack
When someone asks for slack, this means that they want a little more rope. When this occurs, you should try to pay out the rope a little bit to see if that gives them enough. If they want more, then they will say the word “slack” again until they are satisfied. Wait several seconds after paying out some rope to see what they say or do.
Up Rope
Up rope is a term that means that someone is asking you to pull up the slack. Go ahead, pull in the slack, and then pause to see what the climber says back. If the climber says to keep going, then try to pull up more slack.
Tension
Tension means that the person who is climbing would like to take a little break. This means that they want to just hang on the rope now while they rest their limbs. What you want to do is remove all the slack and then hold the rope tightly. Just respond with something such as “gotcha” when you’re good to go.
Ready to Lower
Ready to lower means that someone is done climbing now. You want to reposition your hands so that you can safely lower them to the ground.
Off Belay
Off belay is what the climber will say when they are all done climbing and they have safely planted their feet on the ground. You should then respond with “belay off” to acknowledge that you’re now finished.