RRC Archives

For me, it comes down to proper education. My former climbing partner bought me a gri-gri for christmas and didn't really give me good demo on how to use it, so I used it like an ATC and only worried about feeding the rope correctly. Until a friend (Curtis) showed me how to use it. It also helps to know exactly how it works and the mechanics of a gri-gri, that way there is no second-guessing whether you are using it right.

As far your mind being relaxed when switching to an ATC, I've never experienced that before. Actually, my mind automatically tells me to pay more attention when I have an ATC in my hands bec of the numerous times I have been pinched/got my hair caught in it. Usually my climbing partners outweigh me so this happens quite often during a fall caught by an ATC. That is the main reason why I prefer gri-gris over ATCs.

One other advantage of an auto lock belay device is in situations when rock falls and hits/knocks out belayer.

That's why you lock off your ATC before looking away. I think I'd feel the same way as you about gri-gri's except that it gives me chills to look around and see people with their hands backwards or have the device locked on a take and their hands nowhere near the rope. As long as the device holds, great, but if it goes, so does the climber.

People can do stupid things with ATCs, don't get me wrong. I was taking one day in the gym and looked around to find someone from this board standing on the rope with one foot instead of holding it. I still can't believe he actually did that and made a point of making sure I saw it.

The point is that you're taught from day one to NEVER take your hands off the rope and I see lots of people doing just that as they light a cigarette or just let their hands hang.

I have a whole pile of different belay devices, but i still like my gri gri the best.Use the one that you feel safe with. I have never had any trouble switching from one to the other.

I love the Gri-Gri and solo lead with it on occasion and solo top-rope with it all the time. I have taken hundreds of solo top-rope falls without a brake hand and not a single problem. I do use a fat 10.5mm rope though. I stopped using a 10mm with it because one time I was down climbing to lock off the Gri-Gri to rest and it kept slipping freely through the device. Granted, it wasn't a fall. There was not enough force to engage the cam. You can't do that with a 10.5 rope.

The fatter the rope the safer you are. I've played around with it a lot after hearing all of these stories. I think the Gri-Gri is safer than most devices. What if your partner passes out, hit by a rock, etc.

I love gri gris. I would much prefer that my belayer were attached to one. An ATC is a softer catch but I just like the automatic locking aspect.

I've been belayed by someone who was trying to feed the gri-gri the way you do an ATC and was short-roped all the way up the climb. She just kept locking the gri-gri up. I also think that it's easy to lock up an ATC if you aren't used to it, while feeding rope. It can get caught. An experienced belayer won't do it. Unfortunately, you only become an experienced belayer by starting as a gumby.

I only allow certain people to belay me. I'm too scared to mess with people who aren't time-tested. I wouldn't have any problem with them using an ATC...if no one had a gri-gri around.

I think Gri-Gri can teach bad habits to new belayers which is why I never recommend a new climber(climbing less than a year) use one.

You should never TAKE YOUR HAND OFF of the brake hand no matter what type of belay device you are using. If you are jugging or rapping with the gri-gri and plan on hanging or letting go of the brake hand, you should have a back-up. If you do not do this then death is chacing you:

GWG wrote:Unfortunately, there are gyms that won't allow anything but a gri gri to be used whether it is for top rope or lead climbing.

for some of those gyms, you can put the blame on the insurance companies. the gri-gri is seen as a device that can prevent accidents involving the brake hand (the lack thereof) or space cadet belayers.

they're savvy enough these days that the question along the lines of "do you use gri-gri's?" (yes, referencing the Gri-gri by name) appears on applications. if it made a large difference in the cost of your policy or, even moreso, the difference in being able to get coverage or not at all, what would you do?


IMO, it doesn't matter as long as you correctly and consistently do the same thing regardless of belay device (i.e. keep brake hand on, lock off, etc).

Spragwa wrote:I only allow certain people to belay me. I'm too scared to mess with people who aren't time-tested. I wouldn't have any problem with them using an ATC...if no one had a gri-gri around.

Where's the big cheesy grin smiley.