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General Climbing Discussion

Topic Date User

Should GriGris be alllowed in climbing gyms 10-Feb-2011 At 5:24:57 AM Maidy

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I'd like my partners to use what they are most comfortable and least likely to drop me with. Whether or not a person should be able to choose in a gym setting- kinda depends on the philosophy of the owner, and possibly the insurance carrier.

I go to two gyms. One only allows ATC's the other only allows gri-gris. Here in the US, I think it boils down to what insurance carrier is insuring the gym and they sort of dictate the device that will be used depending on whatever resource they got their accident stats from. I learned on an ATC. I lead-belay better with an ATC, so I don't like being forced to use a gri-gri but that particular gym feels it is "safer".

Personally... When I instruct beginners I teach them ATC so that they have real belay skills beaten into their psyche before they get to use the toys and widgets. Gri-gri's give a false sense of security- particularly with inexperienced belayers and I see a lot of terrible belay technique with people who learned to climb at the gri-gri only gym when I compare to the ATC only gym climbers. In a professional setting or if you are doing a ton of top-roping on stuff people are going to hang on- gri-gris are great.