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SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/climb-take-sounds-like-slack

Why do some climbers say "Tension" or "Up rope" instead of "Take"?

"Take" can sound like "Slack", which means the opposite.

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  1. "Take" can be misheard as "Slack" ✔
  2. "Take" is only used indoors
  3. "Take" means lower me now

Why: "Take" asks the belayer to pull the rope tight. It is one syllable, like "Slack," so in wind or a noisy gym the two get confused. Two-syllable calls are harder to mix up.

Huh, didn't know that: The AAC suggests agreeing on your exact commands with a new partner before the first climb of the day.

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I told my belayer to take. They took a selfie.
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References

Answer: "Take" can be misheard as "Slack". "Take" asks the belayer to pull the rope tight. It is one syllable, like "Slack," so in wind or a noisy gym the two get confused. Two-syllable calls are harder to mix up.

  1. AAC Know the Ropes: Climber Communication americanalpineclub.org/news/2017/1/19/4xm1fcsag6b7xqf1p1w1qp7vdpp1ha
    Today, "TAKE" is a common command, but the single syllable can easily be confused with "SLACK,"
    Checked 2026-10-12.
  2. AAC Know the Ropes: Lowering (Accidents in North American Climbing 2013) americanalpineclub.org/news/2023/6/21/lowering
    One common misunderstanding seems to be the result of the similar sounds of “slack” and “take.”
    Checked 2026-10-12.

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Sports & FitnessA climber calls "Slack!" About how much rope does the belayer give at first?Sports & FitnessBefore leaving the ground, what does a roped climber ask the belayer first?Sports & FitnessWhen the belayer is ready and has checked everything, what do they answer?

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