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Paying out slack with Gri Gri

WM

12-Oct-2010
8:23:56 PM

from the squashed dog thread some people seem to think "everyone takes their brake hand off to give slack with a Gri Gri" ...

How do you pay out slack when using a Gri Gri?

in case the options need clarification:
new method = brake (right) hand always encircles rope, thumb of brake hand is above gri gri and depresses lever to prevent device locking while other (left) hand pulls slack through
original method = brake hand drops rope, reaches under grigri and up the other side to depress lever with one or more fingertips to prevent device locking while other hand pulls slack through

post edits:
@voodoo: option 4 added
@simey: the question asks what you do "when using" a gri gri - doesn't matter how rare/often that might be.
@dimpet: option 5 added

simey

12-Oct-2010
8:33:37 PM

I rarely use a gri-gri for belaying a leader. I've tried the various techniques for feeding out slack, but for a fast and attentive belay I reckon regular belay devices are much better than gri-gris. Gri-gris are also heavier and a pain in the arse if you are rapping on a doubled rope. I love using gri gris for top-roping though.

voodoo

12-Oct-2010
9:44:05 PM

Surely there should be an option for the other (wrong) method of "i hold the lever down with my left thumb and pay out line with my right hand"?

Its the technique i see most often (worryingly).

dimpet

12-Oct-2010
10:58:27 PM

I find that most of the time i can give slack without even touching the lever. I guess it really depends on the leader though. If its someone who pulls the rope quickly to clip then obviously it wouldn't work. But if they pull the rope nice and slowly the rope runs through just like a normal belay device.

martym

12-Oct-2010
11:29:12 PM

I remember a mate handing me different autoblock device (I think it was the new Eddy) to belay another mate in a gym - I expected he was going to watch & instruct me on it's use, but once the leader was up past the first clip the owner disappeared.
It was nothing like belaying with a Gri-Gri and seemed totally counter intuitive. I was terrified and the climber was pissed off about the constant tug of the rope. I still don't know how to use it properly. My 2 cents is the Gri Gri is more straight forward than other devices I've seen.

pmonks

13-Oct-2010
5:56:13 AM

Where's the "I keep the lever depressed throughout, and make sure I have a large dog situated in the leader's fall zone at all times" option?

mikllaw

13-Oct-2010
6:44:56 AM

on new thin (< 10 mm) ropes you can almost feed it like a real belay device so long as you move slowly and in little bits. With fuzzy or thicker ropes the best bet is to lay it on it's side so that it sits in your hand with the lever depressed by little finger only. It there is a sudden fall the theory is that a fall will rip it away from your little finger (because of the extra friction developed in the new 90 degree rope bend where it exits the grigri). Still prone to "GriGri Lock" where the (psychological) shock of a leader falling makes people grip the device hard.

Great for working routes, not so good for serious redpoint shots.

maxdacat

13-Oct-2010
10:17:01 AM

i use neither the old or new....just keep a loop of rope ready in my brake hand cupping the bottom of the gri-gri....feeds through easy as.

Godless

13-Oct-2010
10:54:12 AM

I refuse to climb with any thing named after an African good luck charm.

costa

13-Oct-2010
5:38:53 PM

I wonder if the gri gri 2 will have teething problems with overgripping seeing its quite smaller

Ben_E

13-Oct-2010
8:39:24 PM

On 12/10/2010 dimpet wrote:
>I find that most of the time i can give slack without even touching the
>lever.

^^^
Ditto. But then I only use a gri gri when belaying people on aid pitches (mostly in case I fall asleep due to the slow pace!). Most of the time I prefer using the reverso.

Phil S

23-Oct-2010
4:10:55 PM

According to the instructional video, I use the original technique but I swear I never entirley abandon the tail of the rope. It is always looped between my thumb and forefinger - all-be-it loosely. This is only possible with reletively large hands.

This "Grigris' are dangerous/Grigris' are safe" debate is almost as fun as our "rings V's carrots" festivals.

There are 12 messages in this topic.