Using a grigri for solo aid

I plan to get a silent partner eventually, however as with most people, money is an issue right now. I already have a grigri and through all of my research it seems that people use the grigri just as much or maybe even more (possibly because of familiarity)than other devices (solo-aid, silent partner, clove hitch etc). I am wanting to start running some easy C1 pitches of solo aid and just wanted to get some feedback on using the grigri.

First off... I know Im gonna die, so lets get that out of the way!!

YER GONNA DIE!! (there, I said it)

The only real down side to using the grigri that I have found is that one, if something were to catch the plastic lever in a fall it could render the device useless in catching me and turn into a 170gram paper weight hanging off my belay loop as I quickly approach the ground. The second is that cross loading is a possibility with a normal locker. It seems like using a Maillon is pretty typical to prevent this.

What other situations could cause failure with the grigri?

Is there another method out there that is better or I am missing? if so please feel free to convince me.

I know there are other posts out there on RC.com, supertopo and here, I have read many of them but I just had a few specific questions that I wanted to ask.

Thanks,

Photocodo

Backup knots every so often would stop you from falling if the grigri fails to engage.

I use a steel quick link so that I have less fear of breaking an accidentally cross loaded biner. I tie backup knots. If you are doing long pitches over about 80', bring burly rubber bands to girth hitch onto the rope and into occasional gear to keep the rope from self feeding a big loop of slack.

My only mod is a drilled hole for a keeper cord, and that is for butter fingers, not anything specifically to soloing.

I hate my solo-aid for leading, any free stuff is amcomplete no-go, but. I do like it for slabby TR soloing. I rap using an ATC or grigri though.

I love my grigri for solo aid go with everything Moof said.

I think a silent partner is too heavy and cost too much.

Stick to the grigri.

Zac

Gri Gri for solo aid works fine for me. The only downside is having(wanting) to tie back up knots. For me, near the top of a pitch it becomes a clusterfuck. I have had the experience of taking a 15' whipper on solo lead and to my knowledge the gri gri didn't slip. There is probably a better system out there but this is easy to rig with gear I already own.

I found this interesting...even though its' not aid, it may get your wheels turning.

youtube.com/watch?v=Z-bDx5a…

We certainly have been here and have done this topic before, haven't we?

I've soloed two El Cap routes with a Gri-gri and probably 95% of all El Cap routes are soled with one. The base is not littered with soloists bodies so something must work well enough.

That said, Gri-gris have been know to drop climbers to the end of their rope or to their back up knot. A Silent Partner had NEVER done that.

I've soloed one El Cap route with a Silent Partner and found it much easier to use than a Gri-gri.

The beauty of climbing and soloing is that the many vast and varied approaches work for the many vast and varied climbers. Ultimately, if you don't get hurt, get to the top and have had fun, then the technique you used was the best one.

I've soloed with both the grigri and the silent partner and the silent partner is by far superior for any climb where there will be any freeclimbing at all. I exclusively use my silent partner after trying to use a grigri for the free climbing section of Wet Denim being such a horrible experience (any traversing freeclimbing with a grigri eventually just becomes a tension-traverse, not ideal) for me.

Unless you're one of those that likes to throw out a ton of slack and make your free moves while looking at a longish fall, the silent partner is a go to.

The main argument I've heard against a SP is the extra work it takes for a pendulum or tension traverse. In those cases (which tend to be far and few in between) it's worth it to have to carry a grigri anyways because of its many other invaluable uses on the wall rather than throw out the baby with the bath water to save less than a pound and a few minutes of times here and there.

In addition to all the above good info, there are a few anti cross load belay biners on the market. I have lost the plastic piece in one of these when I fell aid soloing so I say don't use that type. Black diamond makes a cool one but the Grigri can still crossload on it! So I only use those with my other devices. The best belay biner for use with a Grigri is that Green Metolius one with a screw gate. A wire gate seperates the bottom, where my belay loop goes, from the top. There is a sharp right angle turn at the top of the biner. The Grigri can't get past it. This keeps the belay device on the opposite side from your belay loop. Works great. Just be careful when you rack that rig on one of your gear loops. (Easy to drop the device)

Check it out.

Wes

Has anyone tried the DMM Rhino with a grigri for aid rope soloing ?

Fringepaste wrote:Has anyone tried the DMM Rhino with a grigri for aid rope soloing ?

I actually like the black diamond gridlock for any use of a grigri. If you look at the instructions with the gridlock, it says to place the grigri in the small captured portion on the carabiner. I've never had a grigri crossload when used this way.

i took a ~30ft fall at the top of moonlight right before the topout saturday when the .3 x4 i tried to place in the rope groove left by people hauling over the lip pulled. my fault for screwing around with a marginal placement and not appropriately bounce testing it instead of going with the myriad good placements to the left. seemed like a good idea at the time ...

fall was safe and clean. i had a clove backup and i used the gridlock with the grigri on the small end and everything performed flawlessly. grigri held like a champ no slips. as an aside, great climb so much fun!