There are quite a few ways to modify a Gri-Gri but the one I am talking about can be used for a solo belay, such as in a rope soloing instance or a solo-aid instance. I know that this is done by folks with a grinder and a hack saw and involves taking off the smooth part for lowering and part of the feeding portion, but I can't find a picture of it.

Anyone have one, or have a picture?

-Ladd

Modifying a piece of mechanical hardware away for manufacturer's specs is foolish, and I don't recommend it. The most intelligent thing to do, IMO, would be to contact Petzl and get their advice on the matter.

KC

Ladd,

I agree with your evaluation of Petzl's response.

http://ulrichprinz.de/alpin/equipment/selfmade/grigri-solois>>>>>

Quote from Gri-Gri to Soloist Modification article:

"If you don't understand something here, then you should probably not consider this modification. Modifying gear voids the warranty and, according to the UCC, releases the manufacturer from liability. You could wind up dying a miserable, gruesome death due to your own fallibility."

I don't doubt that modifications can be made under specific conditions, and the author's final sentence corroborates my concern, which was the point that I was trying to make. Now at least less experienced climbers, reading this thread, will be aware of that important caveat.

KC

It's pretty common sense that modifying the gear in this way will void a manufacturer's liability (which is very little in the first place).

I wasn't talking about voiding the manufacturer's warranty. That would be the least of someone's problems if the gear failed.

And I didn't say that you wrote all that. I said that is was quoted from Nathanial Beckwith's article.

Niether was I... I was talking about liability.

Glad we cleared that up, and Ladd got his information. Isn't life great?

A lot of people soloing with Grigri's now don't modify them.

I use a silent partner. It works very well.

I did mine like the picture shows in Jared Ogden's Big Wall book. It is no big deal, doesn't affect the integrity, and simply keeps the gri gri oriented upwards. It is great, and a dream to use and fall on.

Ladd, there are picutres on the website I included earlier...

I have used it, and have taken serious air on it. Works great, yeah the manufacturer does not recommend it but they are covering there ass in this wonderful country where we can blame everyone else for our actions.

I don't claim to know more than petzl does, and I hope the more holier than thou than me guy in this thread doesn't start dropping F-bombs and attacking me again for trying to help out with a productive opinion and contribution to your question.

I still tie catastrophe knots every so often about twenty feet or so out and just untie the knot as it comes up to the device. before I untie the knot I pull up another 20 feet or so and tie the next one. Takes some time, but it gives me a warm fuzzy to know there is some back up because the bottom line and is a mis conception amongst climbers, is that the Gri Gri is not a hands free device and there are ways the cam lever can jam itself open when not attended to.


If you do it just assume the risk and liability of your own actions. The gri gri does not provide a dynamic belay, it is quite static. If you have some cash, the silent partner really can't be beat.

For free climbing you cannot beat the Silent Partner. A modified Gri-Gri is excellent for aid, but is still a pain to feed while free climbing on lead (plus I hate chest harnesses.)
For back up knots I pre-stack several on individual biners clipped into my belay loop. This allows faster leading, but can be a cluster on less than vertical terrain.

I wanted to rig my Gri GRi so that I could aid solo with it but also still use it for being a top rope hero. It seems that the way I have done it works fine with both. The danger of course is the handle getting caught on something allowing it to open. I usually put a piece of tape over the lever. I use a small enough cord that I dont have to have a big intrusive hole and so that if needed the cord could break to orient my body in case of a massive fall. I have heard of people using light bungee and of Velcro. The side that I have my stopper not is different then other ways on purpose because the way that I have it allows the gri gri to align up and down better.
pics:
http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k284/jrzacher/IMG_0009-1.j>>>>>
http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k284/jrzacher/IMG_0011-1.j>>>>>
http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k284/jrzacher/IMG_0010-1.j>>>>>

I dont advocate this as fail safe, but it has worked for me.
-jesse

I found a Soloist used for $50. Less trouble than modifying the Gri Gri.

Ladd,

I have done a lot of rope soloing over the years, both free and aid. The modified gri-gri is probably the best method I have used. I think the silent partner totally blows, and the soloist is a hundred times worse. I used the same modification from Nate Beckwith's website (not sure if it is around any more). I use a chest harness to keep it upright, and I also use a big steel biner with a wad of rubberbands to keep the grigri from sliding down the spine of the biner and cross loading. One of the best things about the grigri is its versatility. you can use it to solo, belay, haul, jug, etc.

I have one piece of advice that I REALLY hope you will take. Tie back up knots. I know numerous people that have taken lead falls, both tiny and gargantuan, and had the gri-gri work fine. However, I also have a close friend who was injured pretty bad in a big ground fall when the grigri didn't lock up. This person had already taken several falls and it had worked fine, but on the last fall it didn't.

Good luck and take it slowly.

Ladd,
You should really check out the silent partner. Slim must have fat old ropes that don't feed to well (fat old ropes suck even worse in a gri-gri)through his silent partner. I have done a fair amount of soloing and the gri-gri sucks balls. I guess if your inching along on some multi-hour aid fest it will work fine, but, go to break out some free moves and unless you feed your self x-amount of rope (bigger fall possible)that thing locks up like its supposed to. Ever been in the middle of a mantle only to have your device lock up? It blows.Another plus about the silent partner is once you hit the top of the pitch, throw a bite and start rappelling, it really saves time in the long run. I mean I haven't heard any horror stories about the silent partner "not locking up", why take the risk? Is your skin/life/mobility worth the $200 it would take to buy a proper device? Anyway my 2 cents, if you have change I'll gladly take it.....

Can an ascender be used as as TR solo device if the end of the rope is anchored to something at the base to keep the rope taut?

Used the SilentPartner and the mod Grigri.... sold the silent partner. Done tons of leads with the grigri, mostly free climbing, and have had no problems.

Yeah Matt, I thought of the same thing; but as I climbed, I basically scared the crap out of myself & solo'd -- so I backed away from using the ascender other than for jugging & hauling.

Yeah, it sounds like an ascender would just scrape the hell out of the rope with all of the little teeth on the camming unit.

Climbing Magazine's website has an illustration from a previous edition on TR'ing solo:
http://www.climbing.com/print/techtips/ttsport253/index1.htm>>>>>

My question is will a non-modified Gri-Gri work in this situation (illustration) or something like it. I would think the end of the rope on the ground would need to be slack though to allow the Gri-Gri to travel over the rope without locking up.

My main goal is to be able to TR solo some dead vertical sport routes that I have in mind plus use the same system to be able to check out possible future sport lines when I don't have a partner to climb with.