Black Diamond ATC Guide

Use this all the time with my 10.5mm rope and friends 9.3mm rope. No problems at all.

This is far and away the best ATC style belay device ever devised. easy to use and functional beyond belief. I could recommend it higher, especially if you're belaying from above.

just as easy to use as the atc-xp, i got the guide for the ability to use the self-locking set up in the future.

Very good design and works well on skinnier ropes. Only thing that I would change is the rough finish. They should anodize it like the regular ATC.

The ATC Guide is a great belay device for bringing up the second on your multi pitch routes and is awesome when rappelling. However, I did find it difficult to use with a rope bigger than 10mm, especially when using it as a regular belay.

I recently used this device on a week long climbing trip in North Carolina. I brought along my regular ATC just in case I wasn't happy with how the Guide performed, but I never even used the regular ATC because I liked the Guide just as much. I haven't used it in "guide mode," but in normal mode I did not notice any difference between the regular ATC and the Guide when using a 10.3mm diameter single rope and a pair of 9mm double ropes. I do not agree with the reviews/concerns from other users that the Guide was difficult to use with thicker ropes as I did not see any difference. To me the Guide is an obvious belay device choice since it works just as good as a regular ATC and can be used in the "guide mode," which I am eager to try out on my next climbing trip.

Excellent belay device. Consider this: even if not used for belaying two, one can use the dedicated loop to directly attach the device to a fixed anchor, so in case of a fall, you will not be dragged.... The ATC XP can't do this; however the Petzl Reverso is also capable of such functionality

I love this ATC, it works great in all 3 positions: reg. friction for repelling, high friction for belay, and hanging auto block belay. I love the auto block!! It makes rope management SO much easier!! This is a Killer ATC!!

This is a nice device, although I have to agree with caleb that it's really ideal for ropes below 10.5 mm (great for twins or doubles). With beefier or stiffer ropes, it's really hard to dole out lot of rope quickly to a leader as he/she tries to clip gear for instance. For skinny ropes, it's great. For belaying directly off gear in guide mode it works very nicely as well. I tied a short loop of cord through the small hole and that way I can easily clip a 'biner and sling to it to give me the extra leverage to unlock the device to lower the second.

There are lots of these types of devices out there and Black Diamond has come out with arguably the best one. It's super smooth, versatile and just works great. I really like it.

Great for belaying heavy climbers. Worked great, no hassles. Rappels smoothly.

The XTC Guide is a great device. I used it 10 times already. I didn't get to use it in guide mode. But, it was great to rappel with and super quick when I caught my climbing partner falling from about 75ft. The high friction mode truly is! I can't wait to get a skinnier rope to try it with, as my 10.5 is getting ready for retirement.

I’ve had a chance to use this device now on a few outings and with a few different diameter ropes. Here's what I've found. The XP-Guide is narrower than the ATC-XP, and therefore will not work as well with a 10.5mm rope or higher. A 10.5mm rope is a bit thick for the device. Belaying is okay with a 10.5, but laborious and can sometimes grab when you don't want it to, especially when trying to pay out a lot of slack quickly to the leader. In auto-locking mode to bring up the second a 10.5 takes a lot of effort to get through the device, and if your second is really climbing fast it's difficult to keep up. However, because the Guide is a little narrower than the XP, it grabs skinnier ropes better. I think the sweet spot for the Guide exists in between 9.7mm and 10.3mm. With these diameters it works like a dream. Also, the enigmatic little hole for lowering the second does make lowering from the anchor a little easier, but for those who've used a Reverso, you can use the second locker the rope travels around to lower just as well. The additional hole does provide a little more leverage, so it is possible with the redirect to just lower your second by pulling on the sling with your hand if the climber is light, or can take a little weight off the rope by walking down the route or down climbing. (See the BD technical notice for lowering procedure) With a heavier climber, when you are using your body weight to lower, it takes a little getting used to. A little jerky at first and less sensitive than lowering with your hands "belay" style, but no worse than the Reverso. All in all, a good device.

I have been using the Petzl Reverso for a few years, and I can honestly say that I like the ATC Guide better. The Black Diamond device locks more securely and releases easier thanks to it's specific release point. I wish you could get a carabiner through this hole, but I suppose it's smaller to keep people from accidentally setting it up wrong. The ATC Guide is a little heavier then the Reverso, but it's worth the trade off. You'll never see me on a multi-pitch route without this thing.