Great in the right situation

By Matt Oakley Ranked #21 - Big Wall Climbing May 27, 2009

These are really nice for top roping. They are also kind of handy for acending a rope or self belaying. I think these devices can make people a little lazy though. I really think that a new climber should learn how to use an ATC before using one of these so that they learn how to properly handle the rope. As with any piece of climbing gear knowing how to use it is the most important thing.

Although people do use these for leading I would not suggest it. When these autolock they do not provide a dynamic belay, they stop the rope. A regular ATC or similar device will allow the rope to slip a little when catching a fall. In top roping this isn't an issue because the rope will be rather snug. When taking a lead fall you want a dynamic belay to reduce the force that the climber feels and to reduce the force taken by the gear.

View Details: Petzl Grigri Belay Device

Helpful Votes: 0 Yes | 0 No