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General Climbing Discussion

Topic Date User

Should GriGris be alllowed in climbing gyms 12-Feb-2011 At 9:40:38 AM yosemite05

Message

How many grigri accidents have there been where the person has been paying 100% attention and using the grigri the way Petzl want you to use it. Go to any sport crag and count the number of different ways the grigri gets used. I also see some climbers will just about let anyone belay them just so they get a climb. How many people have had close calls or accidents by new belayers they have just met versus your usual belay partner that knows how you climb, your idiosyncrasies and will give you his undivided attention.

An example is the post above, they were distracted and obviously took their hand off the gri gri to sort the coils out.

What Mike should do apart from this poll is do a stealth type watching survey at villawood or sicg on the lead belayers/climbers and see what results they give.

Does the climber have their undivided attention or are they chatting, checking out the talent in the gym, watching someone on another climb thats about to fall off. etc

Are they using the grigri petzl approved belay.

Would I let them belay me after observing their technique.

Are they belaying in the right spot.

And so on.

Staff should be more vigilant on the floor, spend more time on the floor and not on mobile phones/computer checking facebook. Be more pro active and shouldnt be talking to the belayer about the redpoint they did outdoors. Maybe this should be monitored also by management.

If a staff member isnt proficient with all belay devices at a lead climbing gym then they shouldnt be on the floor.

Gri gris are awesome but choose wisely who you have belay you, goes with any device.