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| Aleya, a Great Belayer, @ Rumney. |
You don't get enough recognition for what you do, or how important it is. Save free soloists and full time boulderers, there's little any of us would be be able to do without you. And for that, I'm grateful.
Thank you for knowing what to say and when to say it. Some climbers need words of encouragement shouted up to them while others don't want to hear a thing. It's a delicate balance, and you've got it down to a science. It might have taken some coaching, but you listened, and that's the mark of a Great Belayer. Better still, thank you for giving me a big hug on the ground when I've done something you know is a big deal to me, whether I'll admit it or not.
Along the same line, thank you for giving me beta when I need it, and keeping quiet when I don't. It's difficult not to shout advice when the sequence is so obvious from the ground. The Great Belayers are those who take the time to understand their partner, which means knowing when to shout out advice and when to let us work it out ourselves. Some of us want beta while we're climbing, some want to know what we could do to better when we're back on the ground, and some don't want any help at all. Us climbers can be difficult; we're all different, and we all have our way of doing things. Thank you for knowing what I need.
I might roll my eyes when you check that I've properly tied my figure-8 knot, even though I've done it a million times. I might get a little defensive when you make me re-tie it if it doesn't look 100% clean and neat. But thank you for making sure I don't make a silly mistake that could get me seriously injured. Because of you, I'm able to rope up, start climbing, and know that part of the system is functioning as it should. I can forget about it and climb. Thank you for keeping the communication lines open while I'm climbing; we all know how important that is. As tedious as it might be to go through the sequence of commands, there's a reason they exists in the first place.
Thank you for being patient when it takes me 45 minutes to get through a route. Belaying for someone working on a project can be so frustrating, especially when I'm up there hanging on the rope trying to figure out what to do next. I try not to cross the line between working a sequence and hang-dogging. I know I flirt with that line. Thank you for refraining from giving me a hard time, unless I really deserve it.
Without you, none of it would be possible. Thank you for being you, and perhaps someday, if I haven't already, I'll get to return the favor.
Lots of love,
Katie