rockfall story

I got hit on the head once when my partner pulled off a fist size rock and fell. I saw stars, ears ringing and the whole bit. I was using an ATC and wearing a helmet. I'm convinced that the only reason I didn't drop him was because of wearing the helmet.

You can have my helmet, my ATC, and my brake strand when you can pry them from my cold dead fingers!

Tom-osaurus Rex wrote:You can have my helmet, my ATC, and my brake strand when you can pry them from my cold dead fingers!

That would make an interesting rescue story! I can you imagine lowering someone after you pryed the rope from their partner's dead body?

Furthermore.. Would the helmet and the belay device be considered booty since Tom said we could have the stuff after we pry the rope from his hand to rescue his partner?

I like to play it safe. I wear full riot gear, I use a atc backed up by gri-gri, then the person I am belaying is using a silent partner and a gri-gri.

But really the first pea sized rock I took on my head from about 90 feet up while belaying I bought a helmet before the next time out.

gri gris would be much cooler if they made a left handed belaying version. Its so awkward for us left handed people out there to belay with.

superkick wrote:gri gris would be much cooler if they made a left handed belaying version. Its so awkward for us left handed people out there to belay with.

smart

;)

Shouldn't matter which hand you 'have to' use. Left-handed people manage stringed instruments all the time. Ambidexterity would seem to be a basic requirement in climbing, albeit an ability one might have to cultivate.

My cinch saved a buddy from a 60' groundfall once. Was out at Canalzone with a fresh batch of newbies getting some TR laps in. They had all been to the gym before, but I wasnt 100% ready to let people belay/climb unsupervised. My buddy was being belayed by his girl, I let her use my cinch because I knew I would be busy belaying on the adjacent line and wanted to be sure they were safe. She was 20' away, but I knew I would be unable to get to her rope if I needed to intervene. He gets about 3/4 the way up his line, gets tired and yells down that he needs to rest/is about to fall, and heavily weights the rope, no big deal. at that exact moment, his belayer PASSES THE FUCK OUT like a goddamn champion. her face woulda been in the dirt if my buddy didnt have that spare tire around his waist. Turns out she had low blood sugar or something, she seemed perfectly fine before it, dunno. Everything turned out fine after we got a snickers bar into her, but damn I was so close to just letting her belay with an atc...

Yeah, before devices like Gri-Gris came along people were dropping their partners all the time. Not!

It is not about Gri-Gri vs ATC, but how effective you are as a belayer with the belay device you are using.

Think anti-lock brakes and cars. Yeah, they are nice, but people weren't crashing all the time before they came along.

David Sahalie wrote: There simply is no logical argument that proves ATCs are as safe as an autolocking device on any level.

And now here I am in complete agreement with ya... 2nd time now. I tell my belayers they have to use a gri gri, sorry.

Jake Jones wrote: Yes, it does matter. Southpaws are able to use stringed instruments because they are restrung in reverse order for left-handed use. You cannot take the lever off a GriGri and put it on the right side for a left-handed user.

This exactly. You can belay decently (awkwardly) left handed with a gri-gri. Lowering left handed is near to impossible / super awkward since the level is on the wrong side. Its weird they dont make a southpaw version. Oh well... this is why I use a smart.

superkick wrote:gri gris would be much cooler if they made a left handed belaying version. Its so awkward for us left handed people out there to belay with.

the whole act of climbing is centered around ambidexterity , thats like saying you can only place gear with your left. its a tiny thing to learn in the grand scheme of things really.

of course old school (CT) topropers mostly hate auto locking devices, they like to break out their 30 year old stich plates so they can seem more hardcore

CaptainMo wrote: And now here I am in complete agreement with ya... 2nd time now. I tell my belayers they have to use a gri gri, sorry.

I do the same usually, especially on the choss we climb on around here. Its not about being dropped as much as the belayer getting pounded by a rock.

CaptainMo wrote: I tell my belayers they have to use a gri gri, sorry.

To the back of the bus with you, you scallywag users of ATC's!

Seriously?
I know how to use a gri gri but prefer not to use one.
You'd rather risk blowing that onsight flash and force your will upon another climber than have them belay with a method they're more comfortable with.

What's next?
Scarlet letters affixed to one's clothing?

Does anyone here use a gri gri on an icy rope?
How well do they work when frozen?

TR purist wrote: the whole act of climbing is centered around ambidexterity , thats like saying you can only place gear with your left. its a tiny thing to learn in the grand scheme of things really. of course old school (CT) topropers mostly hate auto locking devices, they like to break out their 30 year old stich plates so they can seem more hardcore

sweet... just become ambidextrous. awesome solution !!!

gri gris would be much cooler if they made a left handed belaying version. Its so awkward for us left handed people out there to belay with.

Lefties are the only people in their right mind but what if you are left handed and a climber?

Re: The left-handed belayer with a gri gri issue.

I am one. I don't need it to be set up for the opposite hand; both of my hands are doing something when I'm lowering. I operate the lever with my left hand, and it's not a problem.

I also play a stringed instrument, and surprise! I don't have it restringed in reverse order! Right-handed people do things with both hands, as do left-handed people. When playing a stringed instrument like a cello or violin, the left hand fingers and the right hand bows. When playing a guitar, the left hand fingers and the right hand strums--unless you are an oddball and prefer to reverse the hands.

This seems like a prime example of making a mountain out of a molehill... although climbers might be perfectly happy to make more mountains!

Okay, I'm left handed and I have no issue with gri-gris...

Bottom line, with an ATC you should be able to break on either side if you're going to be doing any kind of multipitch climbing.

I'm surprised a lefty brought it up since they are forced to do many things right handed. A right handed person on the other hand seems to have a left hand but it just hangs there useless. Watch a left handed person eating dinner. They will cut something with their knife then use the fork in their right hand to shove the food in their mouth then watch a right handed person put the knife down, switch hands with their fork, then put the food in their mouth. No wonder gri gris are made for right handed people.

@Jake Jones: Dude, I'm not exceptional and I'm one of no doubt legions of left-handed cello players who have not reversed strings. IT IS NOT NECESSARY. LOTS OF PEOPLE DON'T REVERSE THAT SHIT.

Jimi did it because he was self-taught and he felt like it, and it felt "right" to him. He didn't do it because he was incapable of playing a guitar the "normal" way.

I'm not trying to be a jerk about this, but it is a simple fact: Left handed people can operate a gri gri just fine. Left handed people can also play any variety of stringed instrument without switching the strings around. Some people switch 'em because they chose to, not because they have to.