By Fat Dad
From Los Angeles, CA
Apr 10, 2012
| Sorry if this sounds like a silly question, but any difference between the old Grigri and the new ones as a solo device? I need to buy one (because the gym where I take my kids requires one) but I eventually plan on the taking the 'Mark Hudon come out of retirement to solo the Captain' path, so I'm hoping it will serve a couple of needs. | 
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By Mark Hudon
Apr 10, 2012
| Aside from the newer one being for thinner ropes, I don't believe there is any difference. I have a buddy planning to solo Mescalito who is going to use the smaller one.
Good Luck on "the Path"! Keep me posted! |
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By Fat Dad
From Los Angeles, CA
Apr 10, 2012
| Thanks for the info Mark. Given that my youngest is only a year and a half, it's likely to be a long path if you will. Lots of time to convince the wife of the sanity of my endeavor. |
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By Mark Hudon
Apr 10, 2012
| Yup, impress her with all you've learned and how safe you'll be, you'll have a phone, you can call her at night, if you have an iPhone you can do Facetime with your baby. |
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By slim
Apr 11, 2012
| Mark Hudon wrote: Aside from the newer one being for thinner ropes, I don't believe there is any difference. I have a buddy planning to solo Mescalito who is going to use the smaller one. Good Luck on "the Path"! Keep me posted!
couple things with the new one that would deter me from using it to solo with (free climbing, on lead). first is that it definitely is harder to feed on the typical size of rope that you would want to use.
second one is a big one in my opinion. after the recall, several people pointed out a design defect that occasionally causes the rope to slip down into the cutaway below the handle fulcrum. the top lip of the cutaway has a pretty sharp corner. petzl kind of glossed over this problem my saying that there wasn't potential for rope damage. i'm not sure this could be guaranteed in a soloing fall where the rope runs at an angle into the device. there are basically 2 sharp components - the point, and the blade like connecting plate between the handle and cam.
in my experience using the new grigri you have to keep it lined up while belaying to keep it from popping into this cutaway when the leader falls. trying to do this while soloing wouldn't be possible. |
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By Mark Hudon
Apr 11, 2012
| The older Gri-gri suffers from the same cut away problem actually. It should be a concern when soloing with any Gri-gri. I've seen that Petzl down plays any rope damage from that edge but they are not talking about the device holding a solo leader fall either, they do not recommend the device for soloing.
I've soloed two El Cap routes using a Gri-gri but recently I bought a Silent Partner and will be using that from now on. |
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By kevin deweese
From walnut creek, ca
Apr 11, 2012
| Mark Hudon wrote: Yup, impress her with all you've learned and how safe you'll be, you'll have a phone, you can call her at night, if you have an iPhone you can do Facetime with your baby.
Whoa! what provider are you using? My iPhone would spit in my face if I tried to facetime/skype/etc in the valley.
(why would they add a "spit" feature to the iPhone? Apple is weird.) |
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By Mark Hudon
Apr 11, 2012
| Max had an AT&T based iPhone on SS/PO last year. He didn't use the Facetime feature so I really don't know if it would have worked or not. He did post photos to his Facebook page. I have a Verizion based iPhone that I hope works well up there. |
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By John McNamee
Administrator
From Littleton, CO
Apr 11, 2012
| The new iphone technology really helps to "share" the experience. My wife and I have been together for 30 years, married for 23 as of Sunday and she is used to me going off soloing, but having a Iphone, texting, facetime, etc, really helps and she feels part of it more now than in the past. |
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By Mark Hudon
Apr 11, 2012
| I called my Mom from Tribal Rite and John, her husband answered, laughed and said, "Mark, you tell me you're on El Cap, but you're calling on the phone, you told me you just cracked a beer, and I hear music in the background"! |
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