Decking at the Lode...

[michaelarmand]

So I am getting more and more curious about this mythical click-up device. Yes I watched the videos, but I have never seen one used. They have been out for a while, so if they are so great why are they not everywhere? If you have one come to Rockquest and let me give it a try....take some big practice falls on me

Seriously, we need to understand what goes wrong in these accidents. But these threads will continue forever until a less error prone brake-assisted device is developed and adopted by the climbers.

[dustonian]

So I am getting more and more curious about this mythical click-up device. Yes I watched the videos, but I have never seen one used. They have been out for a while, so if they are so great why are they not everywhere?

Because it is human nature to repeatedly do statistically idiotic things sheerly out of habit. For my part, I have been using the original grigri without incident, the same way, for almost 20 years in both professional and recreational settings... I have caught hundreds of falls, rigged complex stunt sequences, and aid-soloed El Cap with it (albeit with back-up knots)... so despite a few engineering flaws, I have no plans to switch now. What matters is that you are comfortable with your chosen device and use it safely, all the time. That said, if a Clickup were to fall in my lap I would certainly use it. I even used Arty's once for ascending a fixed line and it worked great!

I have no doubt that the accident rate would drop by an order of magnitude around here if the Clickup were the "industry standard"... if I see another green-ass MF "belaying" hands-free on a 9.2mm rope with an old-style grigri (ie. designed for >10mm only), I think I am going to lose it. That goes for any assisted-braking belay device, for that matter.

[Spikeddem]

these threads will continue forever until a less error prone brake-assisted device is developed and adopted by the climbers.

What we need is climbers taking their belaying job more seriously. its like saying we need shoes that do a better job of looking both ways before crossing the street.

The only way technology might solve this is if someone invents a successful voodoo doll-type arm patch that translates all climber injuries to the belayer.

[THB]

General inquiry question...

Is the click-up a "locking-assist" device? Where can you buy one? Does J&H or Phillip Gall's sell them?

[JeffCastro]

J&H sells them.

[krampus]

Everyone repeat after me: In full realization that I have a nervous system based on characteristically slow diffusion processes --albeit across nanometric scales--I have no choice but to ditch the myth that I hold so dear regarding my Batman-like reaction time.

Speak for yourself, I'm a ninja

[toad857]

I heard that thousands of years ago there was a war--long forgotten about by now--on the very land that we climb upon. It raged on for decades. No winners were had, but there were certainly plenty of losers. The souls had a difficult time escaping from the valleys due to the enormous cliffs, for no one had sent class five yet. These souls then, had but one option. To dig thei way out of the valley. Unfortunately, a metaphysical collapse enmeshed all of the souls deep beneath the ground, continuing their war for all of eternity. That is, that was what they had begun to expect. One day the faint whirring of a drill caught their attention. Like the spray projected from the hoses eating their pizza in Miguel's backyard, so too did the oil spray out of the ground--and with it, the furious souls. The story behind the reforging of a friendship between these souls is not well documented, but whisperings remain of the usual story: A common enemy. Despite the "do not spray" sign clearly posted on the land, climbers could not help themselves. In doing so, the climbers likely reunited these ghostly beings. Mortality, it turns out, is a major disadvantage when being targetted by a united front of spirits. There are many ways in which these old souls love to interfere. Of course, the favorite old souls' favorite way of interfering is to screw with people's brake hands. This is why we don't hear about so many accidents elsewhere.

True story.

Oh.

[caribe]

J&H sells them.

J&H had a bunch. When I was there last they had one left. I have been at the cliff with 3 or 4 other clickups. I had a totally green person belaying me a few weeks ago and a dude from New Zealand stepped up to help. He was familiar with the device. I have been at the crag with other clickups. They are getting around. If you can use an ATC you can use a clickup.

[Wolf]

General inquiry question...

Is the click-up a "locking-assist" device? Where can you buy one? Does J&H or Phillip Gall's sell them?

The Click-Up is a locking-assist device. You belay as you would with an atc, but it locks in a fall. Here's my review: http://voices.yahoo.com/the-click-belay ... 37160.html

[dustonian]

nice review Dan