Belay Device Recommendations for Twin Ropes?

Hello,

I just bought some 7.9mm BD ropes to use on The Diamond (it seems a bit better than a single-rope + tag-line setup for 60m raps), and I was hoping to get some insight as to what device people like best for lead-belaying with twins.

With a single rope, I've come to really like the auto-locking feature of a grigri. I find it to be very convenient, especially while managing rope at a hanging belay. For twins, I have a reverso that would work, but I was thinking it might be nice to get an assisted-braking device. While perhaps not as reliable as a grigri, I would welcome the added safety of an assisted-braking device (especially when I'm on the one leading!). 

The Giga Jul seems like it might be nice option. I've read some reviews that report it auto-locking nicely when catching falls with a single rope, but I was wondering how well the assisted-braking works for thinner twin ropes. I could imagine that it starts to act more like a regular tube-device with thinner ropes; does anyone have experience with this? Maybe a Micro Jul, or something similar, would be the best option? Although if the Giga Jul works well with twin ropes, I'd prefer it, as I could then also use with a single rope. 

 Thanks!

Charles

The reverso accepts thinner ropes, and I’m my experience works phenomenally. 

Look into the alpine up by climbing technology. I would say the autolocking is on par with (though maybe not quite as good as, by just a smidge) the gri-gri, but it can handle two ropes beautifully. 

Smart Alpine. 

Thanks, all, for sharing your thoughts! I'll read up on those options. 

Two GriGris!

Jason4Too wrote:

Two GriGris!

Just make sure you get that Metolius harness with two belay loops. Remember, do not clip more than one gri gri to a belay loop or you will tri-load it!!!1

the megajul is great with ropes down to 7.8. the gigajul is a lot lower friction in comparison, but i would happily use it. consider definitely wearing gloves tho. the smaller smart alpine for skinny ropes is pretty good too.

Two GriGris - amazing!

Thanks, Chris. Sounds like most all of these assisted-braking devices will work - it's just a matter of finding the one with the most convenient amount of friction for my ropes. I'll see if I can borrow a few and catch some comparison falls. 

Thanks again, all!

Gloves and the standard reverso 4 are a great combo. I normally use an ATC Guide with single ropes because it is more durable but always switch to a reverso for doubles or twins for the added friction. If you’re climbing on the diamond or any alpine rock a set of gloves should be standard anyways for the cold, raps, etc. 

If you haven’t rapped on a set of skinny twins/half’s it’s worth testing out. Adding a pack, wet ropes, etc can really be surprising how little friction there is; you may prefer double locking biners, an extended rappel and autoblock etc or some combo thereof. 

chris b wrote:

the megajul is great with ropes down to 7.8. the gigajul is a lot lower friction in comparison, but i would happily use it. consider definitely wearing gloves tho. the smaller smart alpine for skinny ropes is pretty good too.

The MegaJul is absolutely pathetic with thin ropes. There are endless threads on this.

Alpine up is a great choice.  More commonly available good choices would be giga jul (not megajul) if you want autolocking or atc alpine guide (over the regular atc guide).

Just use an alpine up. 

Hmmm.  Let’s just say it’s not typical for Diamond climbers to be asking for advice of this nature.  

You do plan to work out your new double rope and belay systems on something easier first before hitting the Diamond, right?  Just a thought. 

Giga Jul works just fine. You can vary the catch friction by changing the belay miner between something rounded vs something with I beam type construction. But like the guy said above, don't be figuring this out on the diamond. A single and tag also works just at well and is much more simple for rope management. 

Thanks, everyone, for the additional responses - I appreciate hearing your thoughts!

Mark, yes I do plan to work out a new system a bit before using it in the alpine - a very good suggestion! I don't plan to use these as double-ropes, just as twin-ropes, so I expect belay logistics to be similar to those for a single-rope. In terms of a "typical Diamond climber", I'm probably not that - they seem to all be crushers. But I'm not a total gumby, and I've done a handful of long-ish routes including Diamond routes, as well as some longer ones like the NW face of Half Dome in a day. But I do appreciate the concern - the Diamond would be an easy place to get in over your head. 

jselwyn, this is an interesting point about the belay biner - I'll play around with that! In the past, I've used a tag line on the Diamond, but after an experience where the wind twisted it horribly around my single-rope (fortunately, a party above us helped us out), I feel hesitant to rely on a tagline in a windy environment with many raps. An experienced climber told me that twin ropes are a bit more reliable in this regard, but I would love to hear more perspectives. 

Jim Titt wrote:

The MegaJul is absolutely pathetic with thin ropes. There are endless threads on this.

thanks for the correction. i assume this is due to it's poor braking performance with high factor falls?

chris b wrote:

thanks for the correction. i assume this is due to it's poor braking performance with high factor falls?

Poor performance everywhere.

Microjul designed for the thinner diameter ropes. Check it out. 

Just curious: do the Alpine Up enthusiasts here use the device in locking mode when belaying trad? Seems that CT is recommending non-locking mode for this application--in which case, you're belaying with a $75 ATC. Rationale seems to be that a softer catch is less likely to rip out pro.

Sticht plate, sans spring.