Guide's Elbow / Reverso Elbow Prevention

I recently was blessed by a couple of long days on good granite. I led every pitch and consequently pulled up a lot of rope. Now my left inner forearm is aflame.

I've had golfer's elbow and tennis elbow -- it's not either. The trouble spot is dead center between them, about an inch towards my wrist from the crook of my elbow.

I was top-belaying with a GriGri and a 9.4 rope, not exactly the usual setup resulting in guide's elbow (two followers tightly belayed on virile 10.5 cords, etc).

Any recommendations for preventing this, or techniques for top-belaying more efficiently?

I already use an Armaid (review ) and do antagonist muscle training, both of which help my tendonitis problems greatly.

Thanks for your advice and prognoses of imminent mortality.

Well if you're still getting it even with a grigri and 9.4, which at least for my 9.4 is super silky smooth, then maybe you need to make the anchor master point higher and give yourself space to do bigger, more exaggerated drawing motions. As in pull up a full 2' of rope at a time instead of several 6" pulls. That would probably aggravate it less.

i've never heard of guides elbow but i find myself on a few trips a year where i lead and bring up multiple followers. i then tend to get a "trigger elbow" reaction where once i close my elbow past 90 degrees towards zero i can not open it back up

Have you tried the Kong Gigi (I prefer the Gigi over the Camp Ovo)? Pair it with something like the Camp HMS Compact Lock.

Backcountry Experience in Durango should have em both. Make sure you read the instructions for single rope belaying. Let me know if you'd want to try it out. You can borrow mine.

Gary N wrote:Have you tried the Kong Gigi (I prefer the Gigi over the Camp Ovo)? Pair it with something like the Camp HMS Compact Lock. Backcountry Experience in Durango should have em both. Make sure you read the instructions for single rope belaying. Let me know if you'd want to try it out. You can borrow mine.

Nathanael, great idea about making longer arm motions.

Greg, biceps were definitely activated. Maybe next time I'll try to vary my rope-pulling technique: change grip, switch pulling hands, or something.

Gary, I've tried top-belaying with an Ovo with a rounded biner and still found the Gri much smoother. I carry the Ovo as my rappel device and as a backup, and like it quite well as such.

The first question is are you sure the injury is caused by the belay?

If so, consider what I call the "direct harness belay." The belayer rigs their tie-in tight and clips the belay device to the rope tie-in loop (not the harness belay loop). The hand motions are the motions of a harness belay but any load to the device is transmitted directly to the anchor.

I'm not sure exactly why, but this is much easier on the elbows and forearms, and also makes it possible to take in the rope more quickly without getting tired. Since you are using a Grigri, you have the same hands-free options you had with the device mounted on the anchor.

No one ever got epicondylitis from harness or hip belays.

If I understand you correctly, rgold, you mean clip the device to the bight of rope formed by your tie-in knot?

I'm fairly certain that the injury was caused by pulling up rope after every pitch. The bicep-curl motion of contracting my elbow aggravates it now, but the sore spot is in a location heretofore untapped by golfer's and tennis elbows.

Fritz N. wrote:If I understand you correctly, rgold, you mean clip the device to the bight of rope formed by your tie-in knot?

Fritz N. wrote:I'm fairly certain that the injury was caused by pulling up rope after every pitch. The bicep-curl motion of contracting my elbow aggravates it now, but the sore spot is in a location heretofore untapped by golfer's and tennis elbows.

Thanks to all for the insight. I've got a few new things to try next time. Or maybe I'll just simul everything and keep walking when I reach the top of the cliff...

At a top belay, I sometimes belay with a bd guide, (works with gi gi too). I often put some wieght (ie. Shoes, waterbottle) onto the biner that the rope runs through. This pulls the biner away from the device, essentially removing all friction from the rope pulling through the device. Obviously u still have to pull the rope up.
Another way to save the arms is anchor above you. Put in redirect biner high up in the anchor. Then if u want, use a gri gri and sit on the rope to using your body weight to pull up the rope. If you tie in long and are on a ledge you can walk forward taking in rope, then use body weight walking backward to pull up rope. Kinda like hauling.
I usually anchor in with a clove on a locker, then a large loop of slack followed by fa figure eight on a bight clipped to the best piece. This allows easy adjusting of clove hitch while belaying.
A good side effect of this tie-in is that when on multi pitch leader goes off belay, pulls in the rope, says something (that may sound like on belay), undo the figure eight on a bight, then if you are on belay the rope will be pulled up 1 foot at a time, giving you further reassurance you are on belay.

Sometimes when top belaying in "guide mode" I clip a microtrax onto the brake strand and my belay loop and use my body to pull the rope through the anchor. Definitely saves the arms, especially if you're climbing with someone who keeps yelling TAAAAKE!