By thedihedral Posted on

Belaytionships

As this dreadful (or magical) day approaches, it’s important to think about our relationships and our love for certain people in our lives.

Most people think Valentine’s Day is about romantic relationships, but I’d like to inform you that as a climber, this holiday is all about your true love, your belayer.

Your belayer literally saves your life every day, spots you, and will never let you down (unless you ask). In honor of your perfect partners, I have adapted Shakespeare’s Sonnet XIII for you to give to your belayer this Valentine’s Day.

Sonnet 5.13

Shall I compare thee to a 60m Sterling Velocity?

Thou art more loopy and more flexible:

Tough crimps do shake the mild confidence of climbers,

And a rope’s lease hath all too short a date:

Sometime too heavy the gravity of earth feels,

And often is his gold send fails;

And every thread from its core sometime frays,

By weakness or setters’ changing mind unraveled;

But thy eternal support shall not fray,

Nor lose grasp of that brake thou hold;

Nor shall sundown brag thou tiring in his shade,

When in eternal pitches to drop thou tie a clove;

So long as rock can hold gear, or GRIGRIs can lock,

So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

What is your favorite memory with your belay partner?

High-Clip (Co-writer)

21 Replies to “Belaytionships”

  3. moragnoffke says: Reply

    We’ve been married 34 years.. Can’t only have one favorite memory… But I am blogging about our trip through Africa at the moment and that has to be close… Traveling through foreign territory together.

    Liked by 1 person

  4. pkadams says: Reply

    Haha, I’m not a climber but I love my original Nathan running vest. It’s been with me through thick and thin, and smells like it. It’s not the sexy thing it once was, all the zippers are busted, but it still loves me. I actually replaced it but I just can’t let my first one go.

    Liked by 1 person

  12. Denny K says: Reply

    Clever adaptation. Climbing indoors for the first time, I recall seeing my 100 lb belayer pass me going up as I was going down. It was a bit unsettling but all worked out well…for both of us.

    Liked by 1 person

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