While I don't think a warning is any more necessary than any other device that can be misused - even one almost fool-proof like a Gri-Gri. I've been dropped twice by people using Gri-Gri's in the gym. I've never been dropped outside. And, I've never been dropped by anyone using old-school devices (sticht plates, hip belays, tubers, biner-brakes, and munter hitches).

I can only guess what happened, because they didn't seem to know how or why they dropped me. I guess only because they *thought* the Gri-Gri was foolproof and weren't paying attention while lowering.

Dude, you obviously don't know what you're talking about.

Gri-gris are completely foolproof. Several studies have shown that it's impossible to be injured when your partner owns - or even thinks about buying - a Gri-Gri. I trust anybody with a Gri-Gri to belay, even one-armed infants. I attached one to my steering wheel just the other day - and now I don't even have to drive. The Gri-Gri reads my mind and takes me where I want to go! It even picks the routes with the fewest traffic lights. Three cheers for the Gri-Gri! Hip-hip-hooray! Hip-hip-hooray! Hip-hip-hooray!

I would even trust a Gri-Gri in bed with my wife. Speaking of which, someone once told me that the Gri-Gri is effective birth control. Not sure if this is true. Seems dodgy.

i have noticed in a several threads(most notably in a current one - Will you let anyone belay you...) a "big" faith in a gri-gri devise ....
I just like to point out a fact that a number of studies have been done
which showed that the biggest number of belay-ing accidents involved
the use of gri-gri ...

The analysis of what happened was this...when I pulled up for slack to clip he opened the camming device to give more rope. When I fell he locked off, or so he thought but the sudden jeck of the wieght of my body just yanked the rope from his grip, because the dirt lined the cam and the rope the rope would not lock off like an ATC would and so I fell. When I got up the device was still stuck in the open position and my partner lock off hand was behind his back. He tried to stop me but there was too many things going against him.

haha of course cause people think that they are idiot proof.... yea right ... far from !

I have to seriously doubt the conclusions of this last post about cratering in the Red.

Chances are your partners non-brake rope hand squeezed the Gri-gri while feeding you out slack.

And then you fell while his hand was still squeezing it, not allowing the cam to engage. Meanwhile his brake hand was grabbing at the rope and getting burnt as it slipped through.

Use a hip belay. No devise to malfunction except for your brain. You all are noobs and should stick to sports climbing. Especially Curt

TRADitionally yours,

Cali Dirtbag

I laugh just thinking about how a guy a know who's done Astroman, Salathe, The Nose, and put up half of the first ascents in Clifton Maine, still has trouble setting up a Gri-Gri correctly.

Socialclimber:

Robert, sorry but I do not agree with you on your latest post....

I have been climing since I was fourteen, I am now 32. I grew up in Las Vegas and climbed there on a very regular basis. Like you I have also been involed in SAR, mostly in the Red Rocks and Charleston areas and I have seen alot of things in my life. I have seen carabiners break, webbing rip apart, an ATC slpit in half from hitting the rock after the belayer was pulled off the ground and multiple accidents from faulty camming devices. In addition I have seen climber errors such as Gri-Gri errors, but this is not always the case.

The individual who was belaying for me that day is also on a SAR team and a first responder and has had thousands of arrests counted to him...

Being an mechanical engineer I am here to tell you that I looked very closely in to my event and found, after careful examination, the equipment to be at fault...

Jay,

Good point and understood...

This is how I came to the conclusion in my mind that it was the device...

2.) Debris and dirt in the device - The dust covered this device when it was removed from the rope, in addition minute particals of a branch...granted not a whole lot, probably introduced from the rope picking it up. Again not very much at all but it was there.

3.) Post fall test - As stated I did yank on my side of the rope with enough force to engage the device but on the first yank all I recieved was rope. A subsequent pull engaged the device properly.

4.) Increased friction during the fall - I believe that the only reason I did not break my ankles that day was an amount of friction and tension I felt in the rope as I was falling... not quite sure if it was from his hand holding on to the rope or from the device attempting to engage but it was signifigant enough to slow my descent. I was not in a freefall or full open drop but I was not fully arrested either. This could go with your theory of a "slow fall" even though it was not slow in my opinion...the ground came quickly. I could see the argument that there might not have been enough force to engage the device in the first place...quite possible.