redpoint73
May 3, 2006, 3:49 PM
Post #101 of 101
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Registered: Aug 20, 2002
Posts: 1717
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In reply to: Although I haven't read all of the posts on this thread the majority want to crucify the belayer for taking his brake hand off. They weren't following the petzl directions. Well, aren't we all high and mighty. Despite the recommendations from petzl. To effectively use a gri-gri on hard sport-climbs, the belayer must take their brake hand off and slightly squeeze the device. Personally, I wouldn't want someone to belay me who kept their brake hand on at all times. I would get hosed at the clip.
Wrong. You are not belaying with the Grigri correctly.
You can easily hold the cam open while throwing out slack using your ringfinger and pinky, while keeping your remaining fingers and thumb securely on the brake side of the rope. Its a bit like belaying with an ATC, except for your 2 fingers holding the cam to feed slack. It takes a bit of practive, but your hand never has to leave the rope. Plus, your 2 fingers are not strong enough to hold the cam open if the leader falls. As an extra precaution, I also open those fingers a bit when I am not throwing out slack, so they are not on the cam. With this method, even if the device is loaded backwards or the cam fails to cinch the rope, your hand is still on the rope, and it will still function like an ATC and catch the fall.
I am surprised that so many people still belay with the Grigri by taking their brake hand completely off the rope, and using that whole hand to hold the cam open. Not only is your brake hand off the rope, but you can also be caught holding the cam open if the climber falls while you are grabbing the Grigri. Thats how people get dropped with Grigris. Or else they load the device backwards, and don't keep their hand on the rope when the leader falls.
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