Black Diamond Belay Patent

Got to see this thing in person at Maple last summer. The version I saw did not look clunky although it was a bit bigger than the grigri 2. I was able to hold it and play with it but not belay with it. The BD employs used it in the same way you use the grigri but claimed it to feed much better and have better control while lowering. The most interesting part of the conversation was that the person I talked to said it would "maybe" be released fall of 2017 even though it was essentially done.

Noah Yetter wrote: The various "assisted braking" devices all have a small additional technique required to hold the device open when you need to, but otherwise are used just like a tube.

Not true of the Climbing Technology Click Up and Alpine Up, which handle exactly like a tube for taking in and paying out slack. No special techniques are needed to "hold the device open."

Once the device has locked, it can be released, using a handle, slowly and far more controllably than a Grigri. If the device is locked but isn't loaded (usually the result of the same faulty belay mechanics that will lock up an ordinary tube device when pumping slack), shoving it away from the belayer's body snaps it back into taking-in paying-out mode.

I don't think either device works well with ropes much above 10mm. The sweet spot is probably 8--10mm.

Yes! The Click Up is a fantastic device that IMO surpasses every other device on the market for belaying a leader in a cragging environment. No moving parts, just a device that re-orients to create a brake assist. Otherwise you belay just like with a traditional tube style device, and as long as you are paying attention it's easy to keep the device from locking up while paying slack quickly.

It does lack in versatility (ie multipitch climbing, rappeling), and thicker ropes DO suck with it. I'm pretty curious to see what BD can come up with...honestly I'd love to see the Gri-Gri become a thing of the past.

Mitch Musci wrote:Yes! The Click Up is a fantastic device that IMO surpasses every other device on the market for belaying a leader in a cragging environment....It does lack in versatility (ie multipitch climbing, rappeling)...

The Alpine Up repairs those deficits, except that it isn't great in guide mode, at least when the ropes are thick and/or fuzzy. Locking is fine, but pull-through resistance is as bad and maybe in some cases worse than the competing devices, none of which, with the exception of the Mammut Smart Alpine, is especially good. With 8.5mm half-ropes, I don't find the pull-through resistance to be a problem with the Alpine Up but others may have different takes.

Not to high-jack the thread but it will be interesting to see how the new BD device will compare to the Wild Country Revo. The Revo is scheduled to hit the market before (Spring 2017) the BD device and according to info and videos of it, in use it's intuitive and pretty much exactly the same as a tube device but with the locking feature. If it pays out smoothly (seems like it would since it's based on a wheel with a centrifugal lock mechanism) and has smooth control during lowering, in my opinion it would be a significant step up from the current crop of pivoting cam devices that use a handle for lowering. It would be reinforcing good belay technique.

As far as how it actually works, it seems more akin to the Silent Partner minus the need for a clove hitch. Of course it's adoption will depend upon price to a large degree. I've heard rumors of around $100 which seems competitive. Looks very clunky but...

What interests me most is the potential ability for becoming the holy grail of TR-solo belay devices. Appears to do everything intuitively with the ability to also down-climb which the current crop of belay devices, fall arrestors, and ascenders lack. The Camp Goblin allows one to down-climb but lacks the lowering/rapping capability.