The Guy Who Invented the Belay Test–and the Modern American Climbing Gym

Re:The Guy Who Invented the Belay Test–and the Modern Americ... by toomuchtodo on Sunday March 23, 2025 @02:20PM (#43454705)

I indoor climb with a friend semi regularly using a grigri, and it is important to be intentional about giving the climber your full attention and never taking your hand off the rope entirely [1]. Very similar to how the person qualifying you during a check ride for your private pilot certification will attempt to distract you on a final approach to see if you take the bait. If you don't want to or can't pay attention, that's what the auto belay [2] is for.

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAxY-BBSlGc

[2] https://www.verticalendeavors.com/auto-belays-pros-and-cons/

(my climbing venue monitors and scolds you if you aren't paying attention while belaying, ymmv)

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Re:The Guy Who Invented the Belay Test–and the Modern Americ... by jajko on Sunday March 23, 2025 @03:08PM (#43455023)

The technique with Grigri is easy to learn compared to some other tools especially during its initial release, and TBH I don't recall ever saw anybody using it incorrectly since it would always prompt a strong reaction from anybody else just passing by. But it has to be learned, it doesn't come somehow magically on its own. Its not fully auto-blocking, if angle of outgoing rope is 'right' it doesn't block at all.

What that guy did on the video looks absolutely ridiculous from first second. Zero visual contact, too much slack (so that he doesn't have to look up), very little safety even without actual accident. When in practice there should be 100% visual contact, or at least 95% and fully covering all non-easy parts. It strains the neck massively but for that there are those cheap periscope glasses, I got mine for 10 bucks on aliexpress and they work fine enough for 10 years.

The basic technique means rope is 100% held by either hand at correct angle regardless what you need to do apart from holding it.

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Re:The Guy Who Invented the Belay Test–and the Modern Americ... by lazide on Sunday March 23, 2025 @05:18PM (#43455981)

There is at least one technique which is officially ‘bad’, but was first taught.

That said, I’ve been caught (and caught others) while half asleep on big walls with Grigris when no one could see each other.

The hardest part with a gri gri (imo) is early on when doing sport or gym belaying when there is a lot of switching between taking in and paying out slack.

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Re:The Guy Who Invented the Belay Test–and the Modern Americ... by jayGlow on Monday March 24, 2025 @12:07AM (#43457722)

they released a new device called a neox recently that allows slack to be given out easier. still autolocks if you pull to fast but it's great overall.

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Re:The Guy Who Invented the Belay Test–and the Modern Americ... by toomuchtodo on Sunday March 30, 2025 @11:42PM (#43530692)

Thanks for this comment, I bought the neox from REI to try it out.

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Re:The Guy Who Invented the Belay Test–and the Modern Americ... by jfengel on Sunday March 23, 2025 @07:39PM (#43456740)

My gym put grigris on every top rope, in place of us bringing our own ATCs.

To be honest I've never seen a belaying accident. They appear to want to keep it that way.

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