Ron Anderson
Trad climber
USA Moundhouse Nev.
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Jun 14, 2012 - 08:35am PT
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why did i know it had something to do with a gri gri....
they should rename that piece of "equipemnt" the dumbshyt decimator.
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phylp
Trad climber
Millbrae, CA
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Jun 14, 2012 - 09:15am PT
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Ron, Gri-gris can be useful pieces of equipment, but not the way they are used by many (most) people. They are a belay ASSIST device. If I had a dollar for every time I saw one being used incorrectly, I'd be a rich woman.
Phyl
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Ron Anderson
Trad climber
USA Moundhouse Nev.
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Jun 14, 2012 - 09:26am PT
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well just judging by the amount of incidents regarding these devices they havent been a HELP to the newer climbers,, just the opposite. From gyms to the stones these have created HAVOC.
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bergbryce
Mountain climber
South Lake Tahoe, CA
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Jun 14, 2012 - 09:30am PT
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So have cars on highways.
The larger error here seems to be someone with enough experience to find a crag and to set up a top rope trusting someone to belay him when the other person did not have a high enough level of understanding of what was going on.
Hope this person heals up and the others can learn yet again, from another avoidable belaying accident.
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The user formerly known as stzzo
climber
Sneaking up behind you
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Jun 14, 2012 - 09:41am PT
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I wonder what's the ratio of success stories : accidents for gri-gri deployments, and how that ratio compares to the analog with non-autolocking devices.
I've seen a lot of tube devices being used incorrectly as well.
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Ron Anderson
Trad climber
USA Moundhouse Nev.
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Jun 14, 2012 - 10:31am PT
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hip belays atcs or belaty plates all good- Why? Well- it takes CONCENTRATION on what the belayer is doing. They get clipped to a gri gri and figure all is well. ESPECIALLY the newer crowd. proof is in the puddin...
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Linda Johnson
climber
Carlsbad ca
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Jun 19, 2012 - 10:38pm PT
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Someone sent me this. After four surgeries to his feet and spine and 6 days in ICU, Erik should be released this Friday from Renown hospital in Reno. He will be non weight bearing for 3 - 6 month but should be fine after this. A cautionary story to make sure you make sure that your climbing partners have some experience and know what they are doing.
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Ron Anderson
Trad climber
USA Moundhouse Nev.
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Jun 19, 2012 - 10:40pm PT
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Wow, hope healing is quick!
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Jebus H Bomz
climber
Reno, Nuh VAAAA duh
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Jun 19, 2012 - 10:44pm PT
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Renown ICU, baby!
That's all.
Glad for the guy's prognosis too :).
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The user formerly known as stzzo
climber
Sneaking up behind you
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Jun 19, 2012 - 11:44pm PT
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They get clipped to a gri gri and figure all is well. ESPECIALLY the newer crowd. proof is in the puddin...
I'm not convinced that the proof is in fact in the puddin.
Per total number of gri-gri uses, how many accidents have there been?
Per total number of "other" belay device uses, how many accidents have there been?
Let's get some complete and accurate stats to compare.
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Friedo
Trad climber
South Lake Tahoe
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 20, 2012 - 09:57am PT
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How about this:
LET'S JUST NOT DROP ANYBODY ANYMORE!
I think that would solve the problem...
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Silver
Big Wall climber
Nor Nev
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Jun 20, 2012 - 10:47am PT
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Personally this is the first time I have aver heard of anyone being hurt at the Chief. That crags been around 20 years plus now.
If your willing to leave the ground with a noob belayer who apparently is learning on the fly with your life in his or her hands you are for all intensive purposes a moron.
I just call em like I read em. Im sure this guys probably a good person but that does not mean he has an ounce of common sense and that is a key element in living to climb a long time.
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Dr.Sprock
Boulder climber
I'm James Brown, Bi-atch!
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Jun 20, 2012 - 12:35pm PT
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just down climb.
if you can get up it, you should be able to get down it,
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michaeld
Sport climber
Sacramento
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Jun 20, 2012 - 04:01pm PT
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Sarcasm Spock?
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Ron Anderson
Trad climber
USA Moundhouse Nev.
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Jun 20, 2012 - 04:19pm PT
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Stizzo, im just going by recent in the last few years,,, and gri gri belayers are present far more than not. This isnt new- it was happening when they first came out. Removing the "thought" out of the belay system, which these seem to do is a bit of a curse imho. That coupled with too many that havent learned nor paid any dues expecting to have it all now, just like in the mags. Same thing with cams. How many videos are oout there of guys cratering as ALL thier pieces just rip on out.? How many newer leaders even bother checking to make sure they are in a working range when set? or just clip a shortie sling to em and theyre walkin all over the place? Ive watched and shake my head each and every time it seems these days. No body even owns stoppers and hexes and the like anymore- due to the biased advertising that cams are the end all. End of yur wallet maybe,, but hardly the case. My favorite way to place a cam is LIKE a stopper lol, then im fairly confident its going to stay put. Ive had cams pop sometimes a suprise, other times after repeated whips, but the small surface bearing part of it generates some good force against the crystals contained in granites and other stone. Ive seen them break the crystals and the crystals break them. If one worlds with alternative pro to cams, youll get proficient and have an ADDED factor to your arsenal- and an important one. KISS principle has been a time tested winner for good reason and belaying falls under KISS . Long as yur not soloing Elcap..
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michaeld
Sport climber
Sacramento
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Jun 20, 2012 - 04:23pm PT
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More people have been introduced in the last few years Ron. The Gri is a safe device, if used safe, just like any other device. Common sense and situational awareness still play a roll.
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philo
Trad climber
Somewhere halfway over the rainbow
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Jun 20, 2012 - 04:26pm PT
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Common sense and situational awareness still play a roll.
Ah the missing link.
Gri-Gris don't kill climbers lazy assed stupid belayers do.
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Friedo
Trad climber
South Lake Tahoe
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 20, 2012 - 04:47pm PT
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Even I, the great and powerful Friedo (or whatever you want to call me) have set up the GriGri wrong. You can still hold a fall with the rope running the wrong way, you just have to treat it like an atc. I stayed focused on my climber and my brake hand and when the leader had a good stance I asked her to clip into the bolt as I took her off belay, re-set the grigri and put her back on belay the correct way. No big deal...
Now, I'm glad I noticed it while she was still on easy terrain. An of course I blamed it on the chit-chatting with neighboring climbers. But we both should have checked and double checked.There's no excuse and I never forgot the lesson I learned that day.
I rarely use the grigri anymore, unless I'm belaying someone on a route they will probably hang on.
So, who wants to climb with the great and powerful Friedo now? Did I scare you all off???
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Ron Anderson
Trad climber
USA Moundhouse Nev.
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Jun 20, 2012 - 05:06pm PT
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i believe the use of more mechanical devices in climbing reduce the thought going INTO the use of those gadgets. It the last three years of accidents listed on here dont prove this, then Aunt Jemima aint Yummy! Ive never even HELD a gareeeree.. Aint soloing El cap. Figure eights, belay plates atcs, can all be quickly, efficiently and easily locked off, rapped with belayed with and hold falls very well. 1/16th the cost, so simple a CAVE MAN could use em. add a 1.00 6 mil prussik loop to the bill and you have all ya need,
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kennyt
climber
Woodfords,California
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Jun 20, 2012 - 05:20pm PT
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guns kill more people than grigris
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