alpine smart or megajul

I currently own the alpine smart for smaller ropes and absolutely love it. i want another device for larger ropes, though, and i'm wondering whether to just get the other alpine smart or get the megajul. i'm used to the smart so it may be wise to just stick with what i know but i've never tried the megajul and i'm a curious soul. additionally, the megajul has a larger stated range on the smaller end of the rope spectrum.

I have used both, I like the mega jul for the reasons that it is light and more compact, and can be used with skinny double ropes and also performs well on ropes up to 9.5mm.

how about ropes above 9.5? to clarify, i'm talking about device for thicker ropes like around 10.5-9.8

eli poss wrote:how about ropes above 9.5? to clarify, i'm talking about device for thicker ropes like around 10.5-9.8

I have used it on ropes as thick as 10mm and it worked fine. I think it works better in guide mode on ropes 9.8 or thinner.

I use a supple 10m with a megajul all the time and have no problems lead belaying but it's guide mode isn't as smooth as an atc guide. It used to twist the rope while lowering but using the left hand slot if I'm going lower fixed the problem for me. I have no experience with the other device but am very happy with the jul.

Edit to add: it raps a lot better if you thread it backwards

Jake T wrote:Edit to add: it raps a lot better if you thread it backwards

+1

can anyone testify as to how to alpine smart works with thicker ropes (10.5-9.8)

^

Like a dream. Use a large, HMS, round stock carabiner, and you will like it.

The alpine smart will work with soft and supple 10mm ropes just fine if you use the proper biner (petzl williams)

However as the rope gets fuzzier and stiffer with age it will not work as well ...

Beals, tendons and sterlings work the best IME

Mammuts and especially maxims 10mm+ work poorly once they get stiffer and fuzzier with age

Heres what was once a 10mm tendon rope thats now thick and fuzzy that i use for cleaning off durty beahs up here the last few days, its seen 1500+pitches

Durty bears

With all these assisted braking devices you want a slick supple rope

One thing the alpine smart does more smoothly than most other devices is the autoblock ... Smooth as buttah even on thick and fuzzay ropes ... I use it ad an ad hoc ascender

;)

sorry to revive a dead thread but, for those of you who have used BOTH smart and megajul, which one lead belays smoother in assisted braking mode, especially on 10mm fuzzies? the reason is, i have the smaller smart (7.5-9.5) but anything thicker than my supple 9.8 rope is a huge hassle to feed. and yes, i know i'm not using the device with the right rope, and that is why i'm wanting to buy either the thicker rope smart or the megajul. and yes i'm using a compatible biner (BD rocklock)

I haven't used either but I just bought an 'alpine up' which I have been using on rock and ice. I works well with my fuzzy 10.5mm single crag rope and my 8.4mm double dry half ropes. It is alittle heavy about the same weight as grigri 2.

i never really liked the feel of the click-up devices. plus the alpine up looks way too complicated.

Yeah it is way more complicated than any other belay devices that I have ever tried...but truthfully I think it will become the standard in the future...it can do everything that the grigri 2 can do plus you can rappel on it.

It does not help that Climbing Technology does not have an English instructional video on it either. But it is a great product in my humble opinion.

Cheers

All I want is to do single rope 10.1 mm lead belay with auto/assisted block, guide mode belay, and rappel with one device. What's the device for me?

Nathanael wrote:All I want is to do single rope 10.1 mm lead belay with auto/assisted block, guide mode belay, and rappel with one device. What's the device for me?

WHICH particular rope ... and how important is autoblock mode for followers

everything depends on the rope ... these devices are VERY rope (and biner) sensitive

;)

The ClickUp/AlpineUp isn't as complicated as it looks. You load it and belay it just like a standard tube device. It is definitely a bit on the heavy and bulky side though.

bearbreeder wrote: WHICH particular rope ... and how important is autoblock mode for followers everything depends on the rope ... these devices are VERY rope (and biner) sensitive ;)

Hmm. I guess your response might indicate that I should stay away from such devices for right now, since I've been rotating between a number of different rope setups. I use some combination of my soft Petzl 10.1, my partners hella stiff Mammut 10.1, and at some point I'm looking to get something in the 9.5-9.8 range. Autoblock and easy feeding in autoblock is pretty helpful since I climb with a party of 3 fairly often (with our 2 fat ropes since we don't have halfs at this point). For now it's just an ATC guide which does the job but is a drag on autoblock.

Nathanael wrote: Hmm. I guess your response might indicate that I should stay away from such devices for right now, since I've been rotating between a number of different rope setups. I use some combination of my soft Petzl 10.1, my partners hella stiff Mammut 10.1, and at some point I'm looking to get something in the 9.5-9.8 range. Autoblock and easy feeding in autoblock is pretty helpful since I climb with a party of 3 fairly often (with our 2 fat ropes since we don't have halfs at this point). For now it's just an ATC guide which does the job but is a drag on autoblock.

for 2 fat ropes in autoblock use the alpine smart ... i use it not infrequently with 2 10mm+ ropes, even stiff ones ... much smoother than the guide

on a folded in half 10.2m old fuzzy tendon rope in autoblock on the smart

emil 5.6

however for lead belaying stick with soft and supple ropes ... or thinner ones

if you plan on using yr ropes even when they get stiffer, thicker and fuzzy like a bear ... stay away from 9.8mm+ mammut and maxims ...

~10mm beals, tendons, sterling, edelrid (included petzl) generally works well

use a petzl williams biner

one other note with the alpine smart is that although its heavier than the megajul, the handle is more substantial ... when lowering or rapping with the thumbloop on the megajul, if you arent wearing belay gloves, you really feel the rope rubbing against yr hands ... which is why many folks use the additional biner method ...

with the alpine smart you could rap all day with the lever and feel fine ... which i do in fact to scrub those durty beahs as per my pic above

the other alternative is to keep using yr ATC guide and get a gigi for autoblock ... which will likely be around the same weight overall as an alpine smart ... and will pull through like BUTTAH

;)