Mammut Smart safety advice?

Hi everyone. I recently started lead climbing with my 14 year old son.  He is a lefty, so we bought the Mammut Smart 2.0 and Smart HMS biner to improve on safety over our ATC XP (which we still continue to practice with).  We figured it would be easier for him to learn than the gri gri.

Our lead instructor has limited experience with the Smart.  Do you have any tips on staying safe with this device specifically?  

There are a few tricks with the smart to make it easier to belay with. One is that when feeding out slack, slide the brake hand all the way up to the thumb rest and keep it there to keep the device from locking. This is really helpful if you’re belaying someone who’s a fast climber. Also, when lowering, there’s more control over lowering speed if, instead of using the thumb under the thumb rest method suggested, you just grab the whole device around the front and back with your non-brake hand and lift it up that way. It makes for a smoother lowering than trying to control with one thumb, and it feels safer imo.

I don't really think you need any specific tips. The benefit of the smart is that it works the same as an atc, but has assisted braking due to the lever bit stick out in front. If your son can use an atc, it should be no change to switch to the smart, except for lowering. That just takes a bit of practice to get smooth. 

Dave K wroteMy advice would be to get a grigri. They are a bit expensive, the Smart may end up in the gear bin or on sale here,  but you can still use the biner for rappelling and maybe for the grigri if it fits.

Thanks all.  We do own a gri gri, and he uses it for top rope. But he refused to use it for lead - he said as a lefty it was super awkward.  Is it really that much safer that I should get him to use it anyway? 

I'm a lefty and while I use a Gri-Gri for some situations, I prefer to use a traditional device (DMM Pivot) for lead belaying.  I've considered getting a Wild Country Revo for sport belaying as it's more ambidextrous than the other options.  Might be worth a look for you and your son.

Feed with your thumb under the catch the entire time, it's not an ATC and don't use it like one.

I’m a lefty but forced myself to learn to belay right handed so I can belay with a grigri. For me it wasn’t hard to make the switch and now belaying right handed feels super natural. I even prefer belaying with the grigri over other belay devices now.

Alex Holmann wrote: I’m a lefty but forced myself to learn to belay right handed so I can belay with a grigri. For me it wasn’t hard to make the switch and now belaying right handed feels super natural. I even prefer belaying with the grigri over other belay devices now.

You're left handed?!!

 -Cole-

Men Boon wrote:

You're left handed?!!

 -Cole-

Indeed

chris p wrote: I don't really think you need any specific tips. The benefit of the smart is that it works the same as an atc, but has assisted braking due to the lever bit stick out in front. 

I thought the assisted braking came from the slot where the biner rides up and pinches the rope. Looks like the lever bit out front is to over-ride the assisted braking to allow lowering. 

I prefer to not use a screw lock biner for lead belays with a Smart.  More than once Ive caught a fall where the device snagged on the screwlock and kept me from being able to lower without unweighting the rope.  That said, I love my Alpine Smart for multipitch.

matt swaim wrote: I prefer to not use a screw lock biner for lead belays with a Smart.  More than once Ive caught a fall where the device snagged on the screwlock and kept me from being able to lower without unweighting the rope.  That said, I love my Alpine Smart for multipitch.

Mammut advises using an anti-crossload biner.

When lead belaying with the Smart it can spin the carabiner causing a cross load issue.  I recommend getting a carabiner that has a mechanism preventing it from spinning like the BD Grid Lock carabiner (note, this carabiner doesn't fit the Smart that well).

I belay lefty and have used the Mammut Smart 2.0 and the Black Diamond ATC Pilot.  Both work in the same way with geometric assisted braking.  I have had no problems with either device, and I find them more intuitive than a GriGri and safer than a standard tube-style ATC.  Like any device, how smoothly they function will depend on numerous factors including carabiner type, rope diameter, etc.  

When feeding rope during a lead belay with the Smart or Pilot, I keep my left thumb under the curved part that extends out, and my other four fingers of my left hand around the brake-end of the rope.  I feed rope with my right hand.  They key is that by using your left thumb to slightly lift the curved part, you are slightly lifting the orientation of the device and preventing the carabiner from camming the rope against the device.  Taking rope is the same as with a standard ATC.  Lowering is slightly different in that you need to use your right hand to tilt the device up slightly while letting the rope run through your brake hand.  It's not that different from a standard ATC, but it might take a little practice.  

The assisted braking functionality on both the Smart 2.0 and ATC Pilot are excellent.  I use the Black Diamond GridLock locking carabiner, which has a little tang on the gate to keep the carabiner properly oriented on the belay loop and not cross-loaded.  If your Smart HMS carabiner has the safety gate, then I think you should be good.  

One thing I like to do as part of my pre-climb buddy check with these devices is to make sure everything is properly arranged by yanking the climber's side of the rope upward.  The assisted braking functionality should engage immediately as the carabiner cams the rope between itself and the device.  In other words, simulate a fall by pulling the climber's side of the rope straight up (without using the brake hand) to make sure the device functions.  This might be an obvious tip, but it gives me a little more comfort before I or my partner start climbing.  (It should go without saying that you should never let go of the brake hand when actually belaying.)

Great advice, everyone.  I appreciate all the comments.

Gumby King wrote: When led belaying with the Smart it can spin the carabiner causing a cross load issue.  I recommend getting a carabiner that has a mechanism that prevents it from spinning like the BD Grid Lock carabiner (note, this carabiner doesn't fit the Smart that well).

Buy this one: 

Gate needs to be covered.

Scott R wrote:

Thanks all.  We do own a gri gri, and he uses it for top rope. But he refused to use it for lead - he said as a lefty it was super awkward.  Is it really that much safer that I should get him to use it anyway? 

1.  I'm a lefty and regularly use a grigri.  It wasn't any harder to learn than a righty.

2.  As far as what is "safer" neither are safer.  Both can be used properly and improperly.  To be honest, the grigri is easier AFTER the slower initial learning curve.  Once you know it, it's the fater of the two for feeding slack.  I'd say have him use whatever device he's happiest with that also doesn't shortrope you all the time!

The belay biner is critical for the Mammut Smart.  One time my partner used a BD mini pearbiner and the rope jammed up because it pulled from one slot in the Smart towards the empty slot and couldn't be fixed without unweighting the rope.  Luckily I was basically on the ground, but with rope tension.  I think it was because he had the rope in the opposite slot from the spine of the carabiner so the flat angle on the basket of that carabiner pulled the rope to one side.  An anti-crossload belay carabiner with a rounded basket like the one Tradiban is recommending is the way to go.

Scott R wrote: Hi everyone. I recently started lead climbing with my 14 year old son.  He is a lefty, so we bought the Mammut Smart 2.0 and Smart HMS biner to improve on safety over our ATC XP (which we still continue to practice with).  We figured it would be easier for him to learn than the gri gri.

Our lead instructor has limited experience with the Smart.  Do you have any tips on staying safe with this device specifically?  

The Smart 2.0 and HMS biner is a great combo. Watch some videos on it / review of it, to be able to see someone else use the device.
They're simple to learn and the more you use it, the more you'll find the best way to feed, lower, etc. 

When feeding slack or lowering you can push "up" or "out/away" from your body to release to rope. Figure out which feels more intuitive to him and practice. Always keep the brake hand below and around the rope when releasing the "lever" and you'll be able to catch, or stop as needed. We like how the device handles like an ATC vs a GriGri and use the Smart 2.0 and Alpine mainly. 

JJ Colima wrote: The belay biner is critical for the Mammut Smart.  One time my partner used a BD mini pearbiner and the rope jammed up because it pulled from one slot in the Smart towards the empty slot and couldn't be fixed without unweighting the rope.  Luckily I was basically on the ground, but with rope tension.  I think it was because he had the rope in the opposite slot from the spine of the carabiner so the flat angle on the basket of that carabiner pulled the rope to one side.  An anti-crossload belay carabiner with a rounded basket like the one Tradiban is recommending is the way to go.

Yes, load the rope on the spine side of the belay biner.

I'm a lefty. I use a Mammut Smart Alpine for all my multipitch. I really like it, generally. The trick is keeping your brake hand thumb engaged on the lever when pulling rope with your non-brake hand. Also, like several other lefties above, I use a GriGri for single pitch sport leading and LOVE the thing. There's no such thing as left or right handed belaying. Make that young lad learn to use all different types of belay device. He's too young to be set in his ways. The GriGri has a learning curve for lead belaying but once you figure it out it's fantastic.