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You can pull slack in faster with an ATC??? No way! How did you come up with that?

Corey, if you want to belay with an ATC-type device and you would like the benefit of autoblock buy a Click-Up.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ay4lph8t ... detailpage

posted my me on Oct 19, 2010:
I met a foreign kid at the crag. I was in a party of 3 and so was he. I belayed him 1st then it was his turn to belay me.
• I was getting on a route at my upper limit that I had never touched before. The kid pulled out an ATC, I said "You do not use a Grigri." He said, no. In response I loaned him my Click-Up.
• He had never used the Click-Up before. I gave him instructions smattering in two languages. , Right off feeding slack was not an issue. He gave me a clean belay. At bolt 6 I took a few whippers on him. I am heavier, he is in high school and probably a buck 30 soaking wet; my first fall stunned the lad slamming him against the wall. I was happy that he had an auto-blocking device and I was happy that the device was not a grigri.

ynp1 wrote:You can pull slack in faster with an ATC??? No way! How did you come up with that?

I guess my point was that it's easier/faster to transition between feeding slack, and pulling it back in, so in the specific situation where a climber is pulling out some slack to make a clip, and then he falls.

Okay, but I really doubt that an ATC would have made any difference at dark side accident.

ynp1 wrote:Okay, but I really doubt that an ATC would have made any difference at dark side accident.

If the belayer didn't have brain aids perhaps.

True dat!

I think caribe own stock in the Click-Up...

The belayer should be willing to sacrifice the body for the climber. It's in the contract; check the fine print. Throw your body as a block; jump down; take slack and hit the dirt; Run blindly into the gaping jaws of T. rex; or whatever it takes. I have received some very gymnastic and expert belays from Krampus and PAWilkes. I remember their excesses beyond the call of duty more than I remember the particular situations, and I am forever grateful.

dustonian wrote:I think caribe own stock in the Click-Up...

. . . nope; however, it is slightly embarrassing to be this evangelical. When I first used the Click-Up (Aug 2010) I knew this was it. When I first tied into a rewoven bowline (mid 2008), I knew that was it.

Okay, so am I missing something? The guy fell going to the anchors of resurrection, his belayer left go of the breakhand, climber decked... and climbed later that day? That dude is luuuuuuucky if he really fell from that height, there was no friction in the system or breaking, hit the ground...and walked away? Dude should'a bought a lottery ticket that day. Maybe I am confused about what happened....