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| Grigri   | 
| Page Type: Gear Review Manufacturer: Petzl
| Page By: Diego Sahagún Created/Edited: Jul 25, 2002 / Jan 19, 2007 Object ID: 419 Hits: 1623 Loading... |
This popular belay device is designed for top-roping, gym-climbing and sport-climbing. The Grigri can improve safety in climbing the way a seat-belt does in a car because it jams when tension comes on the rope.To belay a climber, you slide the rope smoothly through the device. If the climber falls, the sudden pull makes the cam pivot, which presses on the rope and stops it running. For lowering a team-mate off a climb using a Grigri, you operate the handle so as to unjam the rope and you control the running of the rope, and thus the climber's descent, by varying your grip on the free end of the rope. One hand controls the rope to regulate speed and braking, while other hand holds brake-lever open. Although it gives greater safety, the Grigri is not a substitute for vigilance on the part of the belayer, who must remain attentive to the climber at all times. - Can be used as a belaying device for the leader or second on ropes 10 to 11 mm in diameter. Can be used for multi-pitch routes.
- Can be used as a self-braking descender or rappel device, but cannot be used with double-rope rappels. The Grigri doesn’t tire out the hands as the person rappelling need only pull a handle, which controls the rope's friction through the camming device.
- Popular self-belay device for solo aid climbing with unsupported modifications (use at your own risk).
- The Grigri is not ideal for ice climbing as the rope can freeze and become less pliable, creating undue friction and defeating the smooth action inherent in the Grigri’s use.
- Stamped diagram on side of Grigri illustrates proper setup for less chance of confusion
- Each unit individually tested for quality and safety
Manufacturer Announcements: Images |
Reviews
| Diego Sahagún | Untitled Review | | 
Voted 3/5 | I don't like this kind of mechanism, it holds the climber well but you tend to press the left plate; this manoeuvring is dangerous. Also it's slow when you have to loosen rope fast. Grigri get hot when rapel is longer than 50 m. | | Posted Jul 25, 2002 4:47 pm |
| mountaindog | Untitled Review | | 
Voted 4/5 | NIce toy but don't use this one for trad climbing or alpinism. Practice with it plenty before you use it. When belaying the leader, learn to squeeze down on the device and feed rope to prevent yourself from shortroping them. Very awkward to belay from above so use this one indoors or at the sport crag only. If you and your partner like to work routes and/or hangdog - the Grigri is for you. | | Posted Aug 4, 2002 12:18 pm |
| Alan Ellis | Untitled Review | | 
Voted 3/5 | Perfect for doing harder top-rope routes where climber is going to hang or rest a lot. Not as good for trad or sport because you can't feed to the leader fast enough. It's too heavy for the mountains. | | Posted Oct 23, 2002 5:13 am |
| mountaineer17 | Untitled Review | | 
Voted 5/5 | Great Product. Only possible problem is relying too heavily on this device. I have noticed that climbers seem to depend on this device to do the belayer's work for them. A great tool as long as you use it like any other belay device and let the braking system catch you when you mess up. Also, make sure that the belayer knows how to lower you with this device before you are up on the wall. | | Posted Dec 1, 2002 12:02 am |
| bigwally | Untitled Review | | 
Voted 4/5 | A wonderful device for top rope belay or bringing your follower(s) up after leading. It makes a poor belay for trad or sport leads as it is hard to play out slack quickly. It also makes a poor rappel device. Perhaps we all wish that it would accept lines smaller than 10mm.......Despite all of that, it will save a Faithful Belay Slave alot of effort in top-rope situation.!!!! | | Posted Jan 26, 2003 5:40 pm |
| vertx | Untitled Review | | 
Voted 4/5 | The only time I use the grigri is on top rope belays. To hard to belay a leader. What I like: easy to use. Autolock on a fall. Wide variety of uses. What I don't like: This device makes you lazy and can lead to bad belaying technique. Not easy to lower smoothly. In all its a good device, but for the weight, I would rather carry an extra ATC. | | Posted Sep 30, 2003 12:38 pm |
| sshankle | Untitled Review | | 
Voted 2/5 | I would not use this for anything but toproping. Would be good for belaying a second, but it is too heavy and not near as versitile as a reverso. | | Posted Jan 4, 2004 6:42 pm |
| HeMa | Untitled Review | | 
Voted 5/5 | Great for top-roping. But in skilled hands also an ace with leading (sport). One has to just learn to either feed the rope so that the cam doesn't activate (hard). Or squeeze on the sides of GriGri (where the cam is) in order to semi lock it in place and allowing you to give slack quickly (easier), and still locking the thing when your leader falls.
A bit heavy though, but not a real problem with sport climbing, as a rope and some quickdraws don't weight a lot compared to a trad rack. | | Posted Jan 8, 2004 3:38 am |
| petersbike | Untitled Review | | 
Voted 3/5 | I was in the gym when someone threaded the GriGri wrong. Their climber took a ground fall in the leaders cave ~ 20feet. Not hurt. I guess that person couldn't read pictures. Anyhow prefer not to use it , because the lowering mechanism does'nt feel natural. | | Posted Feb 12, 2004 1:58 am |
| Erik Beeler | Untitled Review | | 
Voted 4/5 | The Cadillac of belay tools, but that also means its heavy.
This is a very secure way to belay giving any belayer / climber that extra level of confindence that a good catch is ready and waiting.
It is possible to drop a climber though! Not fool proof, any belayer still needs to use proper belay technique. The belayer should also pay attention to controlling the lowering speed by using the lowering lever not the lock off hand. I have heard of a belayer who burned her hand because she pulled to lever all the way back and lost control with her lock off hand and forgot to let go of the lever.
You can also belay a leader with this device but it takes practice and close attention. | | Posted Dec 1, 2004 10:46 am |
| miztflip | Untitled Review | | 
Voted 5/5 | I really enjoy using the grigri when toproping and aid climbing. It keeps my hands from getting cramped while belaying for long periods.
The action is very smooth with lower with weight on the rope and stops at a moments notice.
I also find it easy to use when wearing gloves in cold weather.
An ATC still works best for an everyday belay device. | | Posted Dec 1, 2004 8:10 pm |
| The Defiant One | Untitled Review | | 
Voted 3/5 | This is a fancy belay/rappel device that has no place in my pack, but i carry it in my gym bag. The action is smooth, but i don't like feeling removed from the friction. This is more like a toy than a tool and even at the gym, i often use my ATC.
Bottom line, this thing is cool, great for gym and probably sport/top-rope climbs, but when i'm in the mountains, this is holding down papers on my desk. | | Posted Mar 28, 2005 8:29 pm |
| CharlesD | Untitled Review | | 
Voted 2/5 | Like communism, the grigri is a wonderful idea on paper which is too often taken to be the best solution to the wrong problem. In the hands of a competent belayer, a grigri functions nicely. It catches falls smoothly and compensates for a less-than-totally vigallant belayer. In the hands of a novice, it is an invitation to the nearest emergency room.
At least one climbing gym I've been to requires all climbers to use grigris (supplied by the gym and permanently attached to each rope set-up). I have been dropped while lowering at this gym twice, both times by inexperienced but well-trained and very attentive partners. The problem is this: to lower someone, you apply variable pressure on the black, fold-out lever. To stop them, you simply let go of the lever. However, this is not human nature! Both times I was dropped, I started descending a little faster than my belayer was comfortable with, so they panicked and pulled harder on the lever. This is human instinct and exactly incorrect for the grigri! I dropped like a stone 10-20 feet both times (fortunately, not seriously injured in either case).
The grigri is a specialty peice of climbing gear for sport routes and experienced climbers. As such it gets four or five stars. Unfortunately, clever marketing has convinced people that this is the best option under all circumstances. Belay should be simple and intuitive. The grigri is neither.
| | Posted May 2, 2005 3:43 pm |
| tommi | Untitled Review | | 
Voted 4/5 | The Gri Gri needs practice, otherwise accidental misuse is not impossible. Important to know that Petzt sell the GriGri for belay, not for rappel, you can use it for rapel, but not longer as 60 meters, it becomes very hot and you might damage your rope.
| | Posted Jan 28, 2007 6:54 am |
| steste | Not so complicate... | | 
Voted 4/5 | Not so complicate to use. Only a bit of practice is necessary.
Once you know that in any emergency the only thing to do is to take the hands off the device. Then the GriGri automatically blocks the rope. Not one of the most complicate things we have to learn to become a climber.
Maybe more difficult is to properly feed the leader. It requires some experience and good timing.
| | Posted Mar 20, 2008 4:07 pm |
| stepho | Fast and Easy | | 
Voted 5/5 | The Grigri is much faster and easier to use than other belay devices. Perfect for gym climbing | | Posted May 2, 2008 7:52 pm |
| twoshuzz | Mixed Feelings | | 
Voted 4/5 | I finally bought one to use while soloing. I have not drilled it yet. After getting a feel while doing some short rappels, I gave it a test. Without a backup knot, I bailed off an overhanging ledge about 20 feet above a pool in a local river. First time, feet first. It caught my fall within 3'. I repeated this 5x with equal results. Now the biggy. Inversion peversion. Head first I went and agian it caught my fall within about 3 feet.I repeated this 5x again. Same results. During the crash test dummy session I twisted, flipped,rolled and changed rope orientation as much as I could. The unit caught me every time. All jumps were with duct tape over the lever so it would not catch the rope and release the cam.
For belaying seconds, I think I'll stay with the ATC or Reverso III. Same for rapping. Why fix what ain't broke. But for soloing, I like it better than cloving or other rope tricks. I've used a Rescucender for a few years now but I'm learning to like the Gri Gri. And I still have yet to modify. The only thing I've done to change the setup is to pair it with a DMM Belaymaster and a little duct tape on the other side of the Gri Gri to keep it from traveling up the biner.And of course, back it up. Seems to work just fine without drilling. | | Posted Nov 20, 2008 6:31 pm |
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