Petzl  GRIGRI 2 Belay Device

I love using my grgri 2 when belaying. I use it with a 9.8mm rope and it is great. I feel safer using a grigri than I do using an ATC simply because it is like having a backup in case you get knocked out or something else unexpected happens. I take safety very seriously and I feel safer belaying with a grigri. I ask my belay partner to use mine when belaying me on difficult climbs or if I am likely to fall close to the ground. My only negative feedback is that it is a little loose in terms of the left and right side where they connect permanently. It feels a little flimsy, but I have never had a problem and it has saved me a number of times.

So I have wanted a GRIGRI for years and I finally purchased one. It used to be that I figured I could do more solo top roping with it, that changed as I started getting older. What did get me to buy and use one was my daughter wanting to return to climbing, she was shaky and unsure of herself belaying, I got the gri gri for the added security in my mind, I also sent her into the gym for a belay course,/ This device is easy to use, and the transition from the normal ATC to the GRIGRI is a breeze . The ONLY thing my daughter doesn't like about is it takes me and extra moment to lower her in comparison to the atc I'm used to . BUT I LOVE THIS DEVICE

For years I have hesitated going back to a GRIGRI. I have even started to become an elitist about using my old school ATC. As soon as my 13 year old 100LB son started wanting to come on multipitch routes I knew I needed to find something to keep head off the deck. Don't get me wrong, his a very responsible young man but he is still only 13. I went with the GRIGRI for ease of use and fail-safe reliability. Sunny Sunday afternoon: Handed him the GRIGRI and asked him to get me on belay. He could follow the easy instructions on the device without any confusion. Walked him through how to release the device and what happens when the lever is released. For this first run through we picked an easy sport route on overhanging limestone. Knowing the route well (having had my butt handed to me on it before) I knew i would take a fall in a safe spot. I lined up my usual climbing partner as a back up and took off. About 40 feet up I arrived at the crux and pushed through. Taking a glance down I saw he was ready then I let go. The GRIGRI did its job perfectly and I got a nice soft catch. It was a huge confidence builder for my son who knew he could handle a fall from me safely. Since that day we have been up several other multipitch climbs with similar results. Perfect product for a product that needs to be 100% perfect. The only caveat is to make sure your belayer has good technique or you will end up with a lazy belayer. It would be nice if it could accommodate smaller ropes as rope sizes are getting smaller and smaller.

This is one of the best top topping devices you can use. It is much smaller and half the weight of the original which makes it easier to use outdoors. I found it is particularly good at ascending because it allows you to stop and hang. It is difficult to feed line out of it in a lead climb as it tends to lock as you pull. Good for beginners, the auto lock gives them more confidence. All in all solid belay. Repelling can be choppy though and it doesn't provide much friction so my hand always got to hot even at slow speeds. It also cannot do any double rope functions so on longer trips it might be better to use a device with more utility.

I use the Grigri for almost everything - even rappelling if I need to. Having the auto-locking feature is probably the biggest strength and makes it worth the extra $60 or so. Such a convenience if you need to make a small adjustment, grab a sip of water, or itch a mosquito bite (I know, I know, your attention should be fastidiously on the climber, however). When lowering someone (or yourself when rappelling), it takes a bit of practice to operate it smoothly. It's a millimeter difference between a relaxing smooth belay and an adrenaline-pumping speed drop sort of thing. Be careful! Also, the maneuver to remove the Grigri from the rope can sometimes be a little consuming. Just be careful not to drop it on a multi-pitch!

I bought this as a secondary belay device for my brother to use while belaying me for the first time, because I wanted the added locking security with a new climber on a multipitch climb. It does everything it's supposed to do, but it is cumbersome to rappel low-angle rock given that it uses up both hands and I'm use to using my non-brake hand to guide me on the rock on low-angle. I ended up just giving him my Black Diamond ATC Guide to rappel on and telling him to tie it onto the rop and I'd pull it back up for me to use because I needed the ability to 2-line rap so I could then pull down the rope (we were bailing because of rain).

I have been using the Gri Gri 1 for about a year now and just received my 2. I absolutely love it. I climb mostly on a Petzl 9.8. It feeds far smoother over a larger diameter of rope. It seems to me that while lowering I have a larger sweet spot than the older one. It is a ton lighter which is great. The Gri Gri 1 had a large bulge where the hinge was which was easier to snag when feeding for a clip but I think it will just take some time getting used to using it without. It's pretty neccesary to get some coaching before using this though, it can be dangerous.

So far it's done the job of auto-locking. I only break it out if I'm feeling tired after a day of climbing or my climber is on a long climb. I prefer to use the ATC whenever possible. I find it harder to pay out rope when using this on lead climbs and for that reason usually use the ATC instead. Lowering can be a little jumpy until you get used to the lower mechanism. All in all it's a well made product that does it's job and provides some piece of mind.

I got 2 of these to replace the older model that we have at the camp I work at. After using the older model and a different brand, this gri gri felt amazing to use. They are smaller and lighter which is always a plus. I think they flipped the handle around on the knew one so its easier to get to. Over all its a great product.

Like any great ape, I find satisfaction in the use of tools. So, when I'm not fishing ants out of a hole with a finely-tuned twig, I climb! This particular tool makes the belaying process easier by giving the brake hand a little less weight to deal with and also adds peace of mind when being belayed by someone you aren't used to. It's the only way to belay someone on top rope for me and works well for lead belaying. It is worth noting that lead belaying with this device works a lot better with my 9.8mm rope than with a larger rope (>10mm). Seems to feed the smaller rope much easier while the climber is clipping. Other than that, I have not a complaint in the world and all of my friends enjoy using this belay device when they are out with me. Guaranteed for 3 years so it equates to the price of an ATC (or two) per year over that period and is well worth the price. So what are you waiting for? Say goodbye to Ben Franklin and start belaying with comfort! PSA: Don't forget kids, top roping off of the anchor is for gym rats who don't belong outdoors. Have fun putting those opposable thumbs to use on some delicious rock this summer!