The fundamental duty of a belayer in climbing: you are in charge of your partner’s life, and you must ensure their safety.
Noisy spectators or other distractions greatly increase the complexity of belaying and place higher demands on the belayer’s skills, especially during lead climbing. (Image below: a chaotic and noisy crag equals unfavorable belaying conditions.) Now let’s see what we, as bystanders, can do to help the belayer better fulfill their responsibilities.
Give the belayer enough space. The belayer needs room to move — they must ensure timely and smooth rope feeding and taking in; they also need to shift positions occasionally to keep the climber in view or provide a buffer in case of a fall. Reserve an open area with a radius of at least 2.5 meters around the belayer to allow them to move freely in any direction. Do not encroach on this space with yourself, your backpack, your rope bag, etc. In particular, avoid standing close to the belayer but outside their line of sight.
Talk as little as possible. Even during less strict warm-up climbs, the belayer must stay fully focused on the task. Small talk is best saved for breaks between climbs; ask as few questions as possible; understand that if the belayer asks you to stop talking, it’s purely for the climber’s safety. Similarly, think twice before trying to offer route information. You might ruin the climber’s onsight opportunity, and your words could also distract the belayer.
Leave audio equipment at home. Unless you’re certain no one else is around, don’t play loud music at a busy crag. Your favorite song might fuel your own send, but it could also prevent another belayer from hearing critical calls from their climber.
Keep your pet under control. At outdoor crags, I actually love dogs — when a redpoint attempt fails, there’s nothing more comforting than a dog’s sympathy. But if a dog runs up while I’m belaying, drops a stick near my feet, steps all over the rope, or steals my lunch, that’s a different story. If needed, keep your dog on a leash. It’s best not to bring dogs with bad tempers.
Teach your children. If your child is old enough to run around, they should also understand the basic rules of moving around climbers and climbing gear. A few key principles to instill include: never walk under a climber or boulderer; don’t touch the rope; don’t talk to the belayer. If your child screams in excitement or cries in distress, move them away from the affected area.
Climbers should communicate loudly. In a crowded crag, your belayer might mistake another climber’s call for yours. Moreover, long and simultaneous instructions from multiple routes can blend into incomprehensible noise. So, your requests must be clear, simple, and always start with your belayer’s name. (Image below: communication should be clear, and the belay zone should be free of obstructions.) If you’re about to fall, or are working through a crux, use a quick “Watch!” to alert your belayer. This is especially important when you’re out of their line of sight. Otherwise, the belayer might misinterpret a sudden strong tug on the rope as a request for more slack, potentially resulting in a much longer fall than you expect.
Original source: http://www.v7plus.com