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1 arm belay

Chas Waterman · · Prescott, AZ · Joined Sep 2011 · Points: 40

maybe you could make a stirrup for your foot and attach it to the gri gri lowering lever ...a lowering pedal...

Jake D. · · Northeast · Joined Nov 2006 · Points: 365

The nice thing about Pete and Mo is they actually KNOW how things work with one arm instead of guessing ;) I've been belayed by both of them and they have had their whole life to come up with ways to accomplish tasks one handed.

i don't think attaching a sling to a gri gri is good idea at all.. accident waiting to happen if you can't get the pressure off. (lots different than letting go with your hand and people eff that up plenty)

Aric Datesman · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Sep 2008 · Points: 145
Jake D. wrote:The nice thing about Pete and Mo is they actually KNOW how things work with one arm instead of guessing ;) I've been belayed by both of them and they have had their whole life to come up with ways to accomplish tasks one handed.
Well worth keeping in mind, Jake. Sorry about my part in the armchair quarterbacking... (That said, I'd be interested in Mo's and Pete's opinion of the Hewbolt...)
La MoMoface · · Arvada, CO · Joined Apr 2008 · Points: 60

Sorry gang, I'm in Vail competing in the first para-climbing event woot! Gimp monkey is here too, so we'll chime in after this weekend.

Tom Mulholland · · #1 Cheese Producing State! · Joined Apr 2010 · Points: 50
frankstoneline wrote:what about just stepping on the rope to lock off? Use a gri gri or other, pull in slack, step on rope, slide hand up, pull in more slack repeat.
This was my first thought too, and I suppose it would work for belaying kids. The problem comes when belaying heavy people. If they take even a modest fall, you get pulled off balance, gri-gri holds, but the back-up (foot) is gone.
KevinCO · · Loveland, CO · Joined Mar 2006 · Points: 60
TimmyMo wrote:Hi all, I'm new to the site and was curious if there were any arm amputees or people who climb regularly with arm amputees that can give me some pointers on belaying safely with one arm. Is there any gear out there that would help? I was in an accident last fall and now my right arm is completely paralyzed. It was a work accident leaving my brachial plexus completely wrecked. But I have 3 kids whom love climbing and I'd love to be able to belay them again. I also want to get back into gym climbing this winter if the doctors give me the ok but I'm hesitant because with that half of my chest and back being mostly paralyzed I don't want to over strengthen the one side and distort my body. What do you guys think?
That is awesome that Gimpmonkey and Momoface conributed!

Also, if you want, I can pass on your contact info to Aron Ralston, the guy who cut off his arm in a slot canyon to save his life. Email me if you do.
Aric Datesman · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Sep 2008 · Points: 145
Momoface wrote:Sorry gang, I'm in Vail competing in the first para-climbing event woot! Gimp monkey is here too, so we'll chime in after this weekend.
AWESOME.
Brian Treanor · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2005 · Points: 16

I have absolutely nothing to useful to contribute here, except to note that TimmyMo and the other folks here working, successfully, to overcome these sorts of challenges are a fecking inspiration. Awesome!

La MoMoface · · Arvada, CO · Joined Apr 2008 · Points: 60
TimmyMo wrote:Hi all, I'm new to the site and was curious if there were any arm amputees or people who climb regularly with arm amputees that can give me some pointers on belaying safely with one arm. Is there any gear out there that would help? I was in an accident last fall and now my right arm is completely paralyzed. It was a work accident leaving my brachial plexus completely wrecked. But I have 3 kids whom love climbing and I'd love to be able to belay them again. I also want to get back into gym climbing this winter if the doctors give me the ok but I'm hesitant because with that half of my chest and back being mostly paralyzed I don't want to over strengthen the one side and distort my body. What do you guys think?
So ditto what Pete said, and I'll add that 98% of people here are way over thinking it. Don't feel overwhelmed. I'll probably be in Calgary later this year, lets meet up!
La MoMoface · · Arvada, CO · Joined Apr 2008 · Points: 60
Aric Datesman wrote:Timmymo- First off, good luck. Second, once Momoface/Carabiner96 chimes in ask to see a pic of her prosthetic ice axe arm. It's badassed. Thinking on this some more, you might be well served for toproping by tracking down a Hewbolt Single. Absolutely the best thing for toproping IMO, as they're passive lock-assist and give the best control when lowering (much better than the almost binary on/off nature of other devices when used one handed). Will be hard to track down since it's been years since they stopped making them, but definitely worth looking.


That's my purple beast, there are some other designs in the pipe line.
La MoMoface · · Arvada, CO · Joined Apr 2008 · Points: 60
Aric Datesman wrote: Well worth keeping in mind, Jake. Sorry about my part in the armchair quarterbacking... (That said, I'd be interested in Mo's and Pete's opinion of the Hewbolt...)
I'm not familiar with the hewbolt, gimpmonkey and I were talking about it this weekend and it sounded like he knew someone that used one, though I'm not sure if it was under these circumstances.
Allen Corneau · · Houston, TX · Joined May 2008 · Points: 80
Momoface wrote: I'm not familiar with the hewbolt, gimpmonkey and I were talking about it this weekend and it sounded like he knew someone that used one, though I'm not sure if it was under these circumstances.
From the greatest belay device collection of all time...

storrick.cnc.net/VerticalDe…

(Don't worry, I had no idea either!)
La MoMoface · · Arvada, CO · Joined Apr 2008 · Points: 60
Allen Corneau wrote: From the greatest belay device collection of all time... storrick.cnc.net/VerticalDe… (Don't worry, I had no idea either!)
I'm the kind of person that needs to see it in action, otherwise it looks like a hunk of metal to me :) a very pretty hunk, none the less!
Jake D. · · Northeast · Joined Nov 2006 · Points: 365
Momoface wrote: I'm the kind of person that needs to see it in action, otherwise it looks like a hunk of metal to me :) a very pretty hunk, none the less!
Aric had one at the gunks.. I think it works on the same principle as the Mammut Smart. which i think would be a decent 1 hand compromise between ATC and Gri Gri
La MoMoface · · Arvada, CO · Joined Apr 2008 · Points: 60
Jake D. wrote: Aric had one at the gunks.. I think it works on the same principle as the Mammut Smart. which i think would be a decent 1 hand compromise between ATC and Gri Gri
Haven't tried one yet, Mal has one and seems to like it, maybe I'll check his out.
Aric Datesman · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Sep 2008 · Points: 145

Momo- Mal's out of town for a couple months, so track down Langston... He is in Denver somewhere, IIRC, and had two until I traded him a #4 pre-C4 Camalot for one of them. Oddly, we both thought the other got swindled. :)

As for working like the Smart, not really. Or at all, for that matter. If anything it's a plain old tube device with the tube rotated outward 90 degrees from normal. The rope goes around a pin at the end and the biner clips over the the brake side of the rope right where it enters the device. The rope going down and around the pin provides a good amount of friction when the device is in its usual position (rope makes a 90 degree turn and a 180 degree turn) and if weighted the top of the device is pulled up, thereby pinching the brake side of the rope under the biner. Rotating the device downwards levers the biner off the brake side and it then behaves like a regular tube device. Albeit one where there's a large range of friction available depending on how far down/how much the biner is levered off.

Absolutely sucks for lead belay, but great for toproping.

For comparison, I find the Grigri1 to be rather binary in the amount of friction available... Either it's locked off or full open, unless you take special care to stay within a small range of movement on the lever. Which instantly gets blown to hell if a twist in the rope comes up. The Hewbolt is *much* more forgiving in this regard, as on->off covers ~90 degrees of movement compared to the (from memory) Grigri1, which is ~20 degrees or so.

Btw, the Edelrid Eddy is a bit better than the Grigri1 in terms of range of friction available (I use one for lead solo, so quite familiar with it), but I'd absolutely *NOT* recommend it for 1 arm belay. There's a ball-detent to lock the mechanism open when the handle is pulled out fully, allowing it to act as a tube device. Absolutely *NOT* what you want if you only have one hand.

The TRE Sirius might work well, and might even be ok for lead. Good luck finding one though.... There's a bit of a cult following and they're hard to find in still-issuable condition. The Edelrid Zap-o-mat is based on it and is more recent, but I've never personally seen one so am only speculating. The key with the Sirius is that the moment the rope is weighted the device lifts and locks off, and when lowering you can slide the rope behind a tab next to the handle for more friction (which puts the brake strand under the hand that's working the device).

Ok, I've got to get back to work...,

La MoMoface · · Arvada, CO · Joined Apr 2008 · Points: 60

What's a smart, like $30? I may as well just pick one up, if it works , great. If not, I'll just toss it in the closet, behind my road bike, drum set and dignity.

Aric Datesman · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Sep 2008 · Points: 145
Momoface wrote:What's a smart, like $30? I may as well just pick one up, if it works , great. If not, I'll just toss it in the closet, behind my road bike, drum set and dignity.
Ha!!!
Aric Datesman · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Sep 2008 · Points: 145

Momo- check your FB in a couple minutes...

TimmyMo · · Calgary · Joined Jun 2013 · Points: 40
Momoface wrote:What's a smart, like $30? I may as well just pick one up, if it works , great. If not, I'll just toss it in the closet, behind my road bike, drum set and dignity.
hahaha that's hilarious.
definitely let me know when your coming up to Calgary and we can meet up and you can show me a thing or two. :D
I love that Pic with your axe. that thing is killer. you should bring it with you if you come up this way.
Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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