jape wrote:
spikeddem wrote:
potreroed wrote:
I'm glad you're OK. I'm going to get a lot of shit for saying this but I believe that if your belayer had been using a gri-gri this would not have happened. Gri-gris really do give you that extra edge of safety.
I believe that in this case, you're likely correct. Although, I'd rather say that there is only a "good chance" that it may have been prevented. A gri-gri may not automatically grab a rope without any braking hand action (and should absolutely not be belayed with in such a way), but it at least does have a chance.
That being said, I stick by my usual statement that if I don't trust someone to belay me with a tube-style device, then I wouldn't trust them to belay me with a gri-gri.
Potreroed is right...
Good chance is more closer to 100% than you prolly think. a gri-gri 2 will most definitely catch on a 9.9.
I have used gris basically for as many years as they have been around on everything from A4 solos (have caught numerous 30-50' aid falls) to 5.13s (probably 100s-1000's of falls here) and really get siked out when someone wants to belay on a fig8 or atc....plaquettes/cinch/etc are a bit better brake but still not even close to the GG2. Sometimes it helps me send even on the safest routes because I am so gripped, but usually it is just a tweak in the back of my mind that makes me take b4 even fighting thru the hard moves.
It doesn't help that I watched a near deck with a cinch @ the lode 2 years ago and also have seen several decks with other atc style devices, including a horrific one from the top of a climbing gym.
What the heck are you doing working sport routes in the lode being belayed by a tube? Sounds like you got super lucky! A shoddy belay on a gri-gri is damned safe(r) compared to any friction device....
