Edelrid Giga Jul Belay Device
A standard and assisted-braking tubular belay device in one, the versatile Edelrid Giga Jul belay device offers assisted braking that can be activated or disabled with a sliding mechanism.
- Intelligent hybrid design features an aluminum body, with abrasion-prone areas made of steel
- High braking performance assists the belayer with leader falls
- Guide mode for bringing up seconds
Imported.
View all Edelrid Belay and Rappel Devices| Best Use | Climbing |
|---|---|
| Assisted Braking | Yes |
| Suitable for Belaying | Yes |
| Suitable for Rappelling | Yes |
| Fits Rope Sizes | 7.1-10 millimeters |
| Weight | 100 grams |
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Most Helpful Critical Review
buttery smooth rappels
Wow. This is the device I have been looking for. Paired with my 9.5mm rope, the giga jul has the smoothest double stranded rappels ever when used in assisted mode with a carabiner used as a lever in the small hole. It’s as good as a gri-gri, and no need for a third hand. My buddies saw me rappel on this and are now buying one too. It’s also great that it can be used with smaller diameter ropes. Catches well. Lead belaying is not as smooth as a grigri, but I stick to my grigri for lead belaying and belaying the follower, and I have decided to use this as my backup l device, and for dual stranded raps or double ropes.
Great but check rope diameters
I really like the simplicity and versatility of this belay device. After a little practice I'm very comfortable using it. The only issue I have is using it indoors. The local climbing gyms that I go to use 10.0 and 10.1 mm ropes. The maximum diameter for this device is 10.0. Ropes larger than that or slightly smaller ones that have been used enough to make the sheath rough or fuzzy will not feed through the device properly.
Master of all, Jack of none
Best device ever. I leave my Grigri in my bag now. It really does do everything. Rappelling/lowering on this is so much better than the mega. With a bit of practice it feels like the lever on a Grigri. I even (single pitch) rappel in assisted mode without a third hand (though of I was going a long ways it might get tiring, I'd probably do it the normal way for MP, this just saves me from having to extend it). Guide mode works great too.
Capable all around product
Beware, use one of the strike locking Carabiners, NOT the bulletproof ones. The bulletproof ones are too wide and inhibit the device from locking as solidly as it should, as well as making it harder to floss smaller amounts of rope through. Sales rep told me about this at a recent event. I've been using for lead and top roping. Big trip coming up to use on big multi pitch climbs. The thumb loop may getting loose on mine. I'll have to compare to one in store to see if I just didn't notice before but it doesn't look like it will or has affected the functionality.
Great tool to replace a stardard ATC
I took the gigajul on a climbing expedition to Kyrgyzstan and enjoyed having it. It works just like a regular ATC in normal mode, I put a few thousand feet of rappels on it and it performed well. I liked having the assisted rappel or belay device functions in case I dropped my third hand autoblock cord or my grigri. To feed slack to a leader, the grigri is still my favorite tool; though with a bit more practice I'm sure it would get close to it and save quite some weight. Great device overall!
Great do-it-all Device
In a ever-going quest to find the perfect belay device, I have settled on this device for the time being. Starting with the ever-popular ATC Guide, into the Grigri, to the Black Diamond Pilot, and finally the Edelrid Giga Jul. The main premise that I was looking for was an assisted-braking device that had smooth lead-belaying as well as rappeling capabilities to reduce the amount of hardware I would need to carry with me on a climb. This was one that ticked all the boxes while still being in a fairly slim form factor so I read a couple of reviews, watched a couple of videos, and made the leap. I've taken it out a couple of times now and ran it through all my usual functions and my thoughts are as follows(keeping in mind I used it in a single rope setup, not dual/half ropes): Pros: - Steel construction on the parts that matter means this device should last a very long time while attempting to shave down overall weight - has the ability to use assisted belay as well as manual belay, depending on setup - has the ability to use assisted rappel as well as manual rappel, depending on the setup - has the ability to belay one or two followers from above on an anchor if you were the lead climber - has the ability to use dual/half ropes, if you so choose - Easy to pay out slack for a lead belayer, especially compared to my efforts with a grigri - Easy to disengage the braking after a catch, making for a smooth lowering of the climber Cons: - the main con I would say is that this device seems highly dependent upon the combination of carabiner+rope to determine braking power. Ironically, it doesn't seem to pair particularly well with Edelrid's own Bulletproof HMS carabiner, which is rather disappointing. After reading some other reviews, I have also concluded from my personal experiences that it pairs best with round-stock carabiners; I'm currently running it with the BD Rocklock Carabiner and it works great! I also believe, but haven't had a chance to verify, that it runs into the problem of most belay devices in that it doesn't necessarily play nice with ropes at either end of it's operational spectrum. The ropes I tested were a 9.6 and a 9.8 rope, and I suspect that the thickness of the ropes affected the ability of the carabiner catching mechanism to fully engage as easily. - This is an assisted breaking device but it doesn't FULL-catch like a Grigri does. In controlled testing at home, I've noticed that there will be very slow slippage of the rope when weighing down on it. Granted I am 210 lbs so your experiences might be different, but it is something to note that you cannot completely hands free with this device. The super slow slippage does immediately stop with the smallest amount of pressure from a break hand however, so I still do fully trust this device and it functions as intended in my opinion. Other: - I personally find the weight to be more than acceptable, especially when compared to something like a grigri+atc combination. That being said, still technically heavier than say the BD Pilot or ATC Guide. - You must double check the mode that you have the slider set as before either belaying or rappeling, which adds another step of complexity to the overall operation when compared to say an ATC Guide. This in addition to fact that it's not a commonplace item at most crags that I've seen means that you have a more solo responsibility to ensure everything is setup correctly as it's harder for someone unfamiliar with the device to buddy-check you. As a disclaimer, even if the slide and orientation is wrong this device will still work so +1 to Edelrid's safety design, it just becomes much more difficult to operate smoothly. Conclusion: I feel like no device is perfect at the moment, and they all have their place depending on what your ultimate goal is. Because I was looking to combine the functions of an assisted-braking device with a rappel device that could do it all, the Giga Jul is currently my best option out there.
Excellent All Around Device
This is by far the best device in the Edelrid Jul family and a great option for an all around device. You get to choose whether you want the assisted braking mode on (as in the Mega Jul) or turn it off and have a regular tube device. The Giga Jul can replace both your guide ATC and auto-locking device (like your grigri) all while still being able to do every action you need while climbing. Also worth noting, will steel construction where the rope wears this device will last you far longer than aluminum counterparts (especially if you are in sandy climbing terrain). The steep learning curve though is important to know about. It takes some practice but once mastered it is a highly versatile piece of equipment.
Makes All Other Belay Devices Obsolete
I've used other popular Assisted Braking Devices and this blows all of them out of the water in regards to functionality. Edelrid stepped it up and made the Giga Jul very simple but 100% versatile. Assisted Mode - you have to pull away from your belay loop to keep the system "open" so if you're sensitive to keeping your brake hand on the rope this may be difficult with a fast climber but with familiarlization can be done. Be prepared to short-rope your climber in the meantime. Manual Mode- works just as well as any other device. Rapping- I've used this device in Assisted Mode to rap down and trust 100% to go hands off to work on whatever it is I am; setting up a TR, maintaing bolts or anchors. Rapping in manual mode whether single or double rope is just as easy. I'd recommend this device to anyone on any skill level.
A fantastic device and mediocre device combined
I bought this wanting 2 things: 1) Ability to use on multi pitch sport routes belaying top down. and 2) Autoblocking features without the price tag of a GriGri. I was still way more familiar with my standard ATC and set the gigajul in manual mode for sport climbing until I got more comfy with it. In manual mode, it works fine, I guess. Like a typical BD tube style ATC. It's not so great with rope twist, though. I manual mode it really struggled to keep the rope aligned well. I was not at all impressed. For the price, it wasn't any better than my old ATC. Not worth it, if that were the whole device. But, then I got fed up with that, and just said **** it and set it up in auto mode. Belayed my buddy on TR and it is SO MUCH BETTER. After that I almost exclusively use autoblocking mode, except for rappelling. For this, I still use manual mode and a prussik. Auto mode is really solid. I loved having that security it provides. It also feels exactly the way it should: A really high quality ATC. The rope is always perfectly aligned and I have had 0 issues with rope twisting, zero issues with feeding or taking slack. It excels with lowering in auto mode. Very smooth and predictable. The autoblocking function worked perfectly when we've tested it. It's bomber and looks like its wearing well over time. A bit heavy, for sure, but well made. At half the price of a GriGri, it's honestly just as good, and more intuitive to use, and I really enjoy the flexibility it provides. Absolutely recommend for users of all skill levels.
durable, easy to use. autoblock is 4.5/5
Now that I've used this device for a year I figured I'd leave a review. It's a solid belay device, of that there is no doubt! Learning how to use it properly takes a few climbs but it's well-worth the effort. It works great as a traditional tube-style device with guide mode for top roping, lead belaying, and belaying from above. The autoblocking feature is also pretty awesome (especially given that it can be turned off when necessary). Just like all autoblocking belay devices you should always have a hand on the brake strand of the rope. That is especially important for this device since some friction from your hand is usually necessary to start the blocking physics. Once the blocking has started though, it displays robust stopping power. In fact, I prefer this device to a GriGri for several reasons. First, the autoblocking catch feels softer with this device (take that as you will). Second, having slots for 2 ropes means you don't need to bring a second belay device on your harness if you plan on doing any rappelling (a personal peeve).