Rock Climbing Basics - VDiff Climbing Rock Climbing Basics - VDiff Climbing | Page 7

Climbing Calls 'Climbing calls' are certain words that climbers use so that everyone knows exactly what is happening, a bit like 'copy' or 'over' on a two-way radio. These calls may seem a bit excessive standing when you're standing next to each other at the wall, but they help to avoid any confusion when you're starting out. Once you're 50m away from each other outside and the wind is howling, you'll see why they're essential! When the climber is ready to climb, they tell the belayer to 'take in' the slack rope. The belayer pulls the rope through the belay device until it is tight on the climber. When the rope is tight, the climber tells the belayer 'that's me'. This lets the belayer know that the rope is tight on to the climber and not twisted or stuck anywhere else. When the belayer is ready to belay, they tell the climber they are 'on belay' and they can 'climb when ready'. Learn more: www.vdiffclimbing.com 29