As misinterpreting the command could be slightly dangerous, by either pulling your partner off or feeding out slack at a very inopportune time, i proposed the idea of dropped the command "slack" and replacing it with "give." Because it doesn't sound like anything else. We're using 3 commands for rope movement, give(slack) take(take in slack and lock off, cause it's easy to scream loud) and tension(remove slack, you slack ass belayer, I'm seconding like a rabid dog remember?[aka I'm scared, please hold my hand]).

What do you guys think of this idea, or do you have any better solution? My problem with the command "up-rope" is that is sounds too much like "rope" when throwing for a rap.

The rope pull signal that makes the most sense to me is one pull for each syllable. "Off belay" and "belay on" would both be three tugs; "climbing" and "climb on" are each two tugs. Easy to remember, but with enough drag your partner may have some trouble differentiating.

I disagree with the several posters who have written that any of the signals "on-belay," "belay-on," "off-belay," or "belay-off" are superfluous. In a multi-pitch setting all four are important.
-Jay

Just curious, why? Not arguing, but asking because I always like another point of view.

If I am leading and I am secure, I then signal off belay. Why do I need my second to respond that they have taken me off belay? Granted, it'll slow things down if I go to pull rope only to find that I am still on belay. However, I'll still only loose a moment while my inattentive belayer takes me off belay.

That's part of the answer. But, how about this scenario: You and your partner have an "off-belay" signal, but no "belay-off" reply; your partner (the belayer) thinks he hears you yell "off-belay" and takes you off while you're still climbing -- maybe you yelled something else; maybe he heard another climber's command; whatever, it has happened. You'd never know (unless you fell). At least with a mandatory "belay-off" reply you'd have a chance to secure yourself or get your belayer to put you back on.

-Jay

"youre the climber i'm the hand"[belayer]...

She arrives, we exchange gear and a smoke, then she's off on the next lead. She disappears. Soon enough the pile of rope at my feet disappears. When there is about 20 feet left I start breaking down the belay. That is sure to garner a look from a certain crowd. By the time the last 5 feet of slack remain, I have one piece left in the belay, one knot left to tie in, my pack is on, my chalk bag is open, I've had my last drink and I'm ready to go. So as soon as she sets the belay (or decides to just keep going with a running belay) and the rope comes tight, I am SO climbing.

And we like it that way.

DMT

climber: falling!

belayer: hold on, let me get the cap back on the water bottle.

Climber: "Got me?"
Belayer: "Gotcha."
Climber: " 'right -- here I go".
Belayer: "go" or "go for it".

Climber: Hideeho and away I go
Belayer: Okee dokee

If you can't hear eachother then at the end of pitch set the belay, put your partner on and start pulling the rope and don't stop till he or she gets to the top.

Just let them know you will be doing that before you climb the pitch.