UKC

So....I was on the 4th week of my project 4+ on my local wall, trying to hook my whole right arm around the enormous jug in front of me, throwing handfuls of chalk around like a demented baker, placing all my trust in the autobelay-of-death, giving me no help at all when I was bombarded with advice from the ground, at least 3 metres below me.

The advice didn't help at all. I hadn't got another right hand and my feet were already on holds that apparently people could have a party on. As my strength slowly ebbed away and I resigned my fate to the autobelay machine, I parted company with the plastic and slumped to the floor, defeated again. I then realised that the advice wasn't for me at all...

I've read the articles on focus and all that stuff but however mindful I tried to be, I just couldn't concentrate .

Now, I'm all for gentle positive encouragement such as "You're off !!!",  "Byeeeeee !" and even "Please don't fall now or we'll both die" but shouting advice so that everyone can hear can be a bit annoying.

Has anyone else had the same experience?

In the UK, shouting encouragement at climbers is only ever effective when delivered in another language. 

I'm reminded of manoeuvring a fairly large hire car I was relatively unfamiliar with out of a narrow parking space in a multistorey in Venice a couple of months ago.  The car had parking sensors all round so this wasn't that difficult, just a bit slow.  A bloke showed up and tried to "help" (which due to the parking sensors I didn't need, and didn't want the stress of a spectator) and took umbrage in the stereotypical manner for that country (shouting and waving of arms) when I waved him away...

You lost me at "handfuls of chalk" besides the bad grammar, chalk!!!!

Not exactly the same experience but I had an instructor not far from me shouting advice at all his climbers. Everyone at the crag could hear it. I did wonder why he felt the need and also why he didn't just let them try to work it out themselves. 

They left before us and as they walked past us we noticed the climbers were blind. 

Yep!!! At Font d'Axia last March, English instructor didn't shut up ALL day!! FFS his 2 clients looked well hacked off

Am I missing something? I'd probably want my money back if an instructor left me to work it out myself.

But I do agree with the general sentiment of this thread

Because one of the great joys of climbing is problem-solving and unlocking the sequence yourself? Obviously everyone is different, but a lot of people hate being bombarded with unrequested beta before they've even had a chance to look at the crux.

Years ago, when I was doing a bit of kayaking instructing, I ended up legging it across the centre to rescue one of my charges from the chief instructor, who was giving him a thorough dressing down for ignoring his shouts to stand still during flag break (Scout site).

Poor lad was deaf and had taken his hearing aids out, so as not to lose them in the water, and therefore hadn't heard the bell for the parade, or the instructions to stand still.

Absolutely- also to respond to other comments about instructing/instructors - is it really instructing if all it consists of is shouting ‘left hand here’ ‘right leg there’ ‘crimp and match’! 

good technique should be explained on the ground with demonstrations beforehand. 

otherwise any old ‘idiot’ can shout stuff - doesn’t mean anything is being learnt. 

You'll have to help me with the grammar, sorry, and the chalk

My kids (9 & 11) always climb much better on the autobelays when they think I’m not watching. 

They also climb with much better technique when they do something hard or if playing the “match” or “smear” game.

I do find myself shouting at them occasionally though. 
 

I love Spanish people and enjoy speaking it a little when I can but bloody hell I swear they’ve got built in tannoys when they’re belaying their mates. 

Aside from.

And nothing can enhance the joy more than solving someone else's problems too!

ha ha apparently I'm shit at grammar too!

The chalk, you'll have to work out for yourself, try climbing with nothing on (your hands, I got chucked out of the wall for following this advise too literaly) you'll be surprised.

Beasides from, surely. If you're going to be pedantic

I would argue though that besides is correct in this instance, when used as an adverb, Besides means “in addition to that.”

Aside from is close in meaning to besides that, which both connote “other than” or “apart from”

Love and peace. XX

Not in this case.

Besides = as well as.
Aside from = apart from.

Therefore the op's chalk is apart from.

Anyhoo. I only call out pedants when they are criticising grammar rather than the subject. For the record my grammar isn't great.

Hmm.  I think that's a distinction too far in modern usage.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/besides

I think you'll find I mentioned both the OP, or at least part of the subject of the OP, and the grammar.

I was only joking!

And I'd still contend that my grammar was correct, Besides ≠  "as well as", no matter how much you want it to.

On the pedantic side it wasn't really shouty belaying was it since you were on  an autobelay? More just shouting really.

Maybe there's a market for a talking autobelay though; offering encouragement/abuse from above? 

If someone is belaying and is talking loudly  to  the climber they are belaying, surely that counts as shouty belaying? They weren't talking to me but all I could hear was them, not the quiet whispers of contempt from the autobelay machine, gently mocking me from above . Hence the post.

Shouting is hard wired into UK climbing. We're all taught to shout "that's me" etc. A result of small crags. 

I think you have hit the nail on the head. Small Crag Syndrome.