No Hands GriGri

So there was this chick lead belaying her partner today in the canyon. She was using a GriGri and halfway through the climb took both hands off the GriGri to roll a joint!! Now I've never been fond of GriGri's so never used one and although I do know they are autolocking this still does not seem like very safe technique to me. Is this common practice with the GriGri?

HAHA. Don't feed this troll.

She really should learn to roll a joint with one hand...

Fail.... No skills!

Andrew Shoemaker wrote: I do know they are autolocking

No... there Assisted braking

petzl.com/en/outdoor/belay-…

Could you leave it hands-free and have it hold a fall? Probably.

However, the worst system for safety is the one that works some of the time...

I've only used a GriGri "hands-free" the switch hands around real quickly, with it already locked off after a fall.

Isn't this a law in Cali or something? ;)

I could only see it happening with a very skinny rope or in a situation like a slab or where there is so much rope drag that the fall would not pull the rope hard enough.

Though I do not condone getting high and climbing, the belayer could have tied an overhand knot on the brake end of the rope to prevent any slippage of the rope through the device. This would be the same technique one would use to escape a belay using a Grigri.

Meh. Late last season I was at Lover's Leap next to a guy lead belaying with an ATC, he took both hands off the rope to dig through his pack for a bag of chips then alternated between belaying and snacking, taking both hands off the rope each time he went for more food.

MattB wrote:She really should learn to roll a joint with one hand...

+1

Or she should just put her foot on the rope first.

I know that Petzl terms it as assisted brake, but I assure you, it locks. If your leader takes a fall and there's not enough of a sport loop you will smash their ankles. That being said; it's never a good idea to take your brake-hand off. If you must, first ask the leader if they are in a good spot to rest. Let them know you are about to fire up some doobage(sp?), tie them off, or do the leg-wrap thing.

MattB wrote:She really should learn to roll a joint with one hand...

+2

safe belaying

My friend belaying. What you don't see in the picture is he's holding more than a beer in that hand. Look closely! He's wearing his helmet though so it must be safe hehe

Also, You guys never been to France?? Just go to a crag and watch belayers hehe Grigri are def. considered autolocking on that side of the pond

Would I do it? No. But I can't say I haven't seen worse.

Dom wrote: he's holding more than a beer in that hand. Look closely!

Look at those tiny beers. I don't blame him for sparkin' one.

Before I was shown a better way I caught over a hundred falls sans brake hand. I use a Grigri because it works, now I always apply a brake hand because I'm an attentive partner. Also, I don't care what you do, take your hand off, I know it works.

I belay my grigri like my atc. The grigri methods still seem like bad habits.

Backup knots are your friend.

Walking through Wameia at Rumney i saw many people resting with their belayer letting go of the brake hand whenever they pleased. I've seen the grigri catch lead falls with no brake hand, though watching it makes me cringe. The only time a grigri failed me was self belaying because my knot held down the lever and even then it stopped me 7 feet later.

caughtinside (cool handle btw). I don't have any more.