9.5mm rope, weak+light+novice belayer, belay device suggestions?

I was thinking a grigri2 or a clickup. But a tube style belay device that grips hard (like my ol 10.5mm in a ATC-G hard) would be great too. A Metolius BRD or DMM Bugette perhaps?

I was thinking *aside* from the belaying is a really important and here's how to do it lessons, I'd find a device that stacked the odds in my favour. I really like the grigri2 but I worry it's a little bit too complex, and perhaps conducive to complacency.

What do you guys think?

Edelrid MegaJul

Learn to belay properly in the first place.

While certain devices match certain rope diameters better, and assisted locking devices can help, there is no fail safe for bad technique.

I think its called the bugette

dmmclimbing.com/products/bu…

I love the ClickUp. It's got a rock solid lock-off for a device which has the identical hand motions and position as an ATC. Lowering is smooth and intuitive and it modulates well.

It's the least versatile device out there though. Rapelling is a hassle, just like a GriGri and a Cinch and you can't use it to belay a second in guide's mode.

That said, it's my preferred device for single pitch climbing.

I love my Mega Jul but it has a long learning curve and I wouldn't recommend it for a beginner.

Climb Safe,
Mal

MegaJul. The learning curve is actually not that steep.
My girlfriend learned to Belay me on a megajul and she learned very quickly. The extra safety of the auto lock was
Also reassuring for me, as was the auto lock feature with her rapelling.

MegaJul. The learning curve is actually not that steep.
My girlfriend learned to Belay me on a megajul and she learned very quickly. The extra safety of the auto lock was
Also reassuring for me, as was the auto lock feature with her rapelling.

djh860 wrote:I think its called the bugette dmmclimbing.com/products/bu…

I got one of those when I thought I'd buy some twins - never did. Am curious, though, how well it works on a rope at the top end of its' advertised ideal range (i.e., 9.5mm) ... I'd guess it would grip as hard as the OP desires ... maybe too hard?

... looks / feels about as substantial as a bottle cap - like use it once and then throw it away. :-)

I'm a big fan of the AlpineUp. It's the double rope version of the clickup, so it's got the same awesome belaying characteristics with the added benefit of being able to rappel with it and belay seconds from above. It's a bit bulky and heavy, but man I sure do love the way that thing belays. It feels way more foolproof than either a grigri or the megajul.

What hasn't been addressed is tying in to an anchor.
This will keep you from being pulled off the belay while
belaying a heavier leader.

And u can use a gri gri to belay from the top no problem. Plus it is more easily releasable than a at. In guide mode.

First of all, a novice belayer is a novice belayer. I get the impression that some people are putting an assisted braking device in a novice's hands and then very quickly progressing to lead belaying in the expectation that the device will lock up and substitute for the novice's lack of skill. Thinking that assisted braking technology can substitute for practice and experience is a gamble with potentially nasty consequences.

I think the best way to start off is with an ATC-XP, which according to Jim Titt's test is the most effective belay device out there, and this includes most of the locking gadgets. The learner shouldn't have to cope with thin ropes during the process. Starting them off with a 9.5 is not the best idea.

No, the XP doesn't "autolock," which is to say eliminate the need, under relatively benign circumstances, to grip hard . With a tube-style device, the belayer has to learn their craft, learn it correctly, and learn from the beginning to be properly attentive and do the right thing with their hands. They then have a universal skill which can serve as a basis for the additional kinds of specialized handling drawbacks and gotchas that are a feature of the assisted belaying tools. I think the end result will be a safer and more competent belayer, no matter what device they ultimately choose.

It may be that exceptions to this are appropriate for kids, whose presumably much lower grip strength makes holding an adult problematic. I'm going to leave aside what I think is a reasonable debate about having kids belay adults, and just say that in this case I think the Click-Up or Alpine Up is the best choice. Their handling is the closest to a tube, they are the least likely to jam when pumping slack to the leader (and what you have to do to prevent jamming is identical to tube-handling strategy) and they are the least susceptible to release-mistakes that would lead to dropping a leader.

djh860 wrote:I think it's called the bugette dmmclimbing.com/products/bu…

The DMM Bugette is great for skinny ropes (<8.5mm) but not so good for 9.5mm. It'll work but there are better choices for that diameter.

Don't forget that you can add a second locking biner to dramatically improve the "grip" of most any slot-type device.

Also, I second rgold - the newness of the belayer is the vast majority of what's important here. Which device is by far a secondary consideration.

In a perfect world your belayer learns to belay properly and you always have the same belayer that you implicitly trust. A tube belay device is fine for them.

In the real world you sometimes climb in a group with people you don't know that well and may not have lots of experience. An assisted locking device is a little insurance so that you don't have to use your health insurance.

I had a 45kg girlfriend for a while, I weigh around 75kg (Not going to convert that for the muricans, sorry).

She learnt to lead belay me just fine on an ATC guide, but I got a MegaJul for peace of mind when sport climbing. This made both of us happier.

Just find a handy tree or rock or fill a pack with rocks and tie the belayer to it, with a fair amount of slack in the sling or whatever you use.

As a side note, I find the MegaJul works best with the suggested biner made by Edelrid. I noticed some slippage with thin doubles when using a larger Wild Country locker.

another vote for the mega jul. anybody whose used an atc can learn it in a minute and it has extra security

Mega Jul

Anyone else have issues lowering with the MegaJul? I've found it to majorly suck to the point that I won't use mine if I know I'm going to be lowering my climber.

Mega jul is also good

Trevor. wrote:Anyone else have issues lowering with the MegaJul? I've found it to majorly suck to the point that I won't use mine if I know I'm going to be lowering my climber.

I have no such issues. Do you have a really old fat rope? I find it far easier to lower than with a Mammut Smart. Are you putting your left thumb in the thumb loop?