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climbhigher
Apr 4, 2003, 6:58 PM
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I have a question. How do you properly belay with a Gri Gri?? Do you use it just like any other belay device keeping your breaking hand on the rope at all times. What if you want to pull out slack really fast? Do you squeeze it and yank out rope? When you do this, your taking your break hand off the rope. I just hate taking my break hand totally off the rope. Well anyways does anyone have any ideas on this. CHEERS, Chris.
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baldguy
Apr 4, 2003, 7:10 PM
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http://www.rockclimbing.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=28988&highlight=gri+gri
see shortfatoldguy's comment at the bottom of the 1st page.
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petsfed
Apr 4, 2003, 7:13 PM
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Never ever ever take your brake hand off. If you need to pull a bunch of slack through, slide your brake hand up to the gri-gri and align your pinky with the inside edge of the lever (where it touches the metal part). Then pull with your other hand. As the cam goes up, push it back down with the side of your pinky. Practice without somebody on the other end until you're sure you've got it down. Somebody'll die if you try to learn on the job as it were.
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climbhigher
Apr 4, 2003, 7:15 PM
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Thanks, I should have searched the forum before creating that topic. Cheers, Chris.
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trbrts
Apr 4, 2003, 7:17 PM
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While a Gri Gri is my preferred belay device because of it's simplicity and reliability it is not idiot proof. Here are some things to keep in mind:
1)run the rope through the device correctly. If you don't it isn't going to cam and stop the rope. There is a handy picture on the side of the gri gri that shows you which direction to run the rope through it. Always be positive that the rope is going through there correctly.
2)don't use ropes smaller than what the manufacturer suggests. I use a 10.5 in my gri gri and it stops great but still feeds smoothly.
3)As far as the break hand is concerned I generally keep my brake hand on the line. I have felt the gri gri slip with with smaller newer ropes, hence, why I now use a 10.5mm. But, once you're holding someone on tension, I haven't had a problem letting go of the brake line. The device holds well, but, I never leave it off for long.
4)Generally if you are feeding rope slowly through the Gri Gri, you can feed it through by guiding the rope through the device with your brake hand and pulling it through with your free hand out of the top of the device. But, in cases where you want to dish out a lot of slack at once, it is helpful to hold down the camming device with your brake hand and rip out slack with your free hand. But DO NOT LEAVE YOUR HAND ON THE CAMMING DEVICE after you have dished out the slack. If the leader falls and you have your hand over the cam, it will not catch and the leader could deck.
Hope that was helpful.
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dekenstructor1
Apr 4, 2003, 7:22 PM
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In reply to: While a Gri Gri is my preferred belay device because of it's simplicity and reliability
Here is the technical note from Petzl: http://www.petzl.com/pdf/d14.pdf
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brutusofwyde
Apr 4, 2003, 10:52 PM
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Since we're on the Aid Climbing forum with this question, anyone (besides me) here ever use the grigri to belay a leader while performing other 2-hand tasks like packing the haul bag, breaking down the ledge, hauling, etc.?
Note: READ THE DISCLAIMER, and if you don't like me doing this on a wall, don't climb walls with me.
Brutus
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epic_ed
Apr 5, 2003, 2:25 AM
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Brutus -- I'd say in my limited wall experience it seems like common practice. Not to mention the occasional belayer's nap.
Curious -- has anyone caught a fall on a wall while you were performing above metioned negligence (hope you were using a grigri)? What were the results? Dropped gear? Concussion? Jolted from your beauty sleep? Worse?
Ed
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mesomorf
Apr 5, 2003, 3:32 AM
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Yes, my grigri and I have caught a fall no-handed. No, I was not on a wall. I was standing on the ground at Killer Cave, Sinks Canyon, Wyoming. Conclusion: one safely caught fall. No worries. That time.
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apollodorus
Apr 5, 2003, 3:47 AM
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I'll repeat what I've said elsewhere: the Gri-Gri locks off really well on 11mm rope. All wall climbers should use 11mm, so their belay will automatically lock off after they fall asleep during long A4/DFU pitches.
With practice, a good belayer can incorporate the command, "Slack!" into whatever dream they're having, and feed some out without even waking up.
An overhand slip knot on the free end works pretty killer to secure the Gri-Gri while you dive into the pig for a snack.
And besides: a good leader will catch himself on his adjustable daisies clipped to his last piece. Hence, the use of the Dr. Piton shock cord thingamajig he uses.
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straightedgeteen
Apr 5, 2003, 3:49 AM
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In reply to: Thanks, I should have searched the forum before creating that topic. Cheers, Chris. |
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brutusofwyde
Apr 5, 2003, 5:40 PM
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My bud Eric Coomer caught a 30-footer on Tangerine Trip no-handed with a grigri when a piece of tat on a rivet broke. No dropped gear, but Eric did fly up off of his bosun's chair about 6 feet.
Woke us up, fer sure.
Since then, I sometimes use the haul bag as an "anchor" against upward pull.
The piece that stopped the fall was a screamer on a 1/4" x 1.25" bolt. Completely blew the screamer, but the bolt held.
Brutus
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climbhigher
Apr 5, 2003, 7:04 PM
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Yes, I like to use the Gri Gri for bigwall climbing, so you can take your break hand off the rope. It's a good thing to tie a overhand knot a few feet down the rope before going head first into the haulbag. It does not hurt to be redundant. I even use the thing for soloing with a backup knot. So, i guess i really do trust the thing to lock up by itself. (11mm rope is key for wallclimbing and soloing). CHEERS, Chris.
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philbox
Moderator
Apr 6, 2003, 9:48 PM
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Both Lee and I use a Grigri no handed. We simply throw two raps around a leg and then loop the slack up under the head so that when the climber takes all the slack out of the system it will come up tight under the head and nudge you awake. This is really handy for those long belay stretches. When one reads a book this is also a good system.
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