Preferred belay device?

[pigsteak]

trust me, dmw knows about claws, and when SHE insists on retracting them, then things must be heavy....

that said, gri gris are the belay deice for REAL climbers..everyone else is in the ice age.

[Meadows]

Whatever you use, go on direct if you have to hang (clip directly into a draw on a bolt so you're hanging on the draw rather than the rope and your belayer). It takes stress off your rope and your belayer, especially if he's on an ATC and you weigh 200+.

While you're there hanging, pull out your brush ...

[p0bray01]

Well as a fellow 200 lb climber....I have belayed and been belyaed on both atc style and Gri Gri devices. IF YOU TRUST the person on belay....and they are RESPONSIBLE then any device will hold you. My belayers have told me it is easier catchin me flying through the air with ATC XP or Gri Gri due to the friction modes (and the cam on the gri gri) help them out tremendously...Its kinda funny...you have probably heard horror stories about Gri Gri misuse...well I have an oposite...The guy that was belaying on an ATC XP got confused (in the middle of my climbing) and decided to SWITCH SIDES...yep he had threaded the rope for a left handed belayer and told me he was gonna just switch something...hang on....yep he went off belay....I was crimping...and got distracted...I decked from about 15 feet...SO the moral of the story is....DOUBLE CHECK EVERYTHING....make SURE your BELAYER is competant! The above scenario was as much my fault as was his as he was a begginner and I did not double check my belay...but anyway Gri Gri can give you that added safety so long as it is used right...can also make you feel better...head wise. Most important thing to remember...it only takes one fuck up to end you.

[pawilkes]

i use a ATC-Guide or a GriGri depending on the climb and the climber. I like both but i would say learn to use an ATC well before you start to use a GriGri. If a GriGri is used properly it is great but if you learn on one straight away i think people don't learn the details of belaying all that well. If you ever do multipitch the ATC-Guide is awesome.

[rhunt]

These days I usually use a gri gri, these days I usually sport climb with experience climbers/belayers. That said, I would say a gri gri is the least safest device given all the stats resently. I am trying to think of a story of someone decking while being belayed with as ATC. When I multi-pitch trad climb(or multi-pitch sport climb), I use a stitch-plate (ATC) type device bacause they work well for rapelling.

Gri Gri's are not safer, all belay devices are safe, they all arrest and hold all kinds of falls if used propery. Gri Gri's are just trendy and nice to use because you don't need to use your brake hand to hold a climber while they rest while working moves on thier proj.

Oh and I like that Meadows brought up going in direct. I am always having to teach people to do that. I give them a draw and a brush and tell them to go in direct when resting and brush holds. Do that!

[Sloopy]

i use a ATC-Guide or a GriGri depending on the climb and the climber. I like both but i would say learn to use an ATC well before you start to use a GriGri. If a GriGri is used properly it is great but if you learn on one straight away i think people don't learn the details of belaying all that well. If you ever do multipitch the ATC-Guide is awesome.

pretty much my preference and opinions.

[Like This]

I like the Guide. and I like the Gri-Gri. Which one I use depends on the situation. I think it's good to be adroit with both, especially an ACT.

[pigsteak]

rhunt...pobray just gave us his story of decking with an ATC....

[ScrmnPeeler]

I like my old worn "in" Kong 8. Is that stupid or Old Skool?

[pawilkes]

you can deck with anything. i decked in the gym on a GriGri. It never locked, evident from the rope burns on the belayer's hands. it may have been loaded backwards, not sure. luckily the skin of her hands slowed me down enough that i didn't hit the ground too hard.