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40-456: A Grigri (styled as GriGri or GRIGRI ) is an assisted braking belay device manufactured by Petzl designed to help secure rock-climbing, rappelling , and rope-acrobatic activities. Its main characteristic is a clutch that assists in braking under a shock load . The success of this device has led to grigri becoming a common name for devices of this type. In 2011 a new version, the Grigri 2,

80-658: A belt attachment and swivel joint, much like a modern luggage strap or handbag strap. The load bearing latch was added in the 1790s, for the British cavalry design. They were used for many other purposes during the 19th century, such as for luggage straps, mining and connecting ropes. Some common designs first appeared during that time, including S-carabiners. Oval links, which had also appeared in 1485, also reappeared as carabiners. Screw gates and internal springs were developed. Prussian fire brigades began to use carabiners for connecting themselves to ladders in 1847, and this became

120-602: A carabiner) were depicted by Nuremberg patrician Martin Löffelholz von Kolberg in about 1505 in the Codex Löffelholz, in the Holy Roman Empire. These then became the clip used to hold a cavalry carbine or arquebus , with the earliest known mention of them being in 1616 by Johann Jacob von Wallhausen, in the Holy Roman Empire. They were widely used in many European countries during the 17th century, and typically had

160-400: A controlled descent on a rope, that is abseiling or rappeling. Many belay devices can be used to control either one rope, or two ropes in parallel. There are many reasons why the two-rope option might be chosen by a climber, including the consideration of reducing rope drag . There are also auto-belay devices on the market which allow a climber to climb solo in their climbing gym. This

200-403: A lighter weight than those used in commercial applications and rope rescue. Often referred to as carabiner-style or as mini-carabiners, carabiner keyrings and other light-use clips of similar style and design have also become popular. Most are stamped with a "not for climbing" or similar warning due to a common lack of load-testing and safety standards in manufacturing. While any metal link with

240-460: A magnetic auto-belay, the speed of their descent is proportional to the climbers weight. Carabiner A carabiner or karabiner ( / ˌ k ær ə ˈ b iː n ər / ), often shortened to biner or to crab , colloquially known as a ( climbing ) clip , is a specialized type of shackle , a metal loop with a spring-loaded gate used to quickly and reversibly connect components, most notably in safety-critical systems. The word comes from

280-457: A proprietary design by Petzl . The original Grigris rated for 10 to 11 mm single ropes, while the newer, smaller Grigri 2 is rated for 8.9 to 11 mm single ropes and optimized for 9.4 to 10.3 mm ropes. Trango sells a similar assisted braking belay device called the Cinch that is rated to work on ropes from 9.4 to 11 mm. Using a Grigri to bring up a second on a traditional anchor

320-473: A round disc shape, although other shapes such as rounded rectangles were also made. Although any belaying plate with one or two slots is often called a Sticht plate, Fritz Sticht originally patented the design with Hermann Huber for Salewa GmbH in 1970, who sold it as the Salewa Sticht Bremse (Sticht Brake). Sticht plates have become less popular since more modern designs provide smoother control over

360-418: A second person. While used by solo climbers outdoors, such devices are most commonly found hanging on or fixed to an artificially made climbing wall . An auto-belay device may operate using friction, centrifugal force, hydraulics, or magnetic braking technology. Auto-belay devices using magnetism as the main breaking mechanism are currently the most used, as they are self regulating. When a climber descends on

400-450: A spring-loaded gate is technically a carabiner, the strict usage among the climbing community specifically refers only to devices manufactured and tested for load-bearing in safety-critical systems like rock and mountain climbing, typically rated to 20  kN or more. Carabiners on hot-air balloons are used to connect the envelope to the basket and are rated at 2.5, 3, or 4 tonnes. Load-bearing screw-gate carabiners are used to connect

440-419: A sprung swinging gate that accepts a rope, webbing sling, or other hardware. Rock climbers frequently connect two non-locking carabiners with a short length of webbing to create a quickdraw (an extender). Two gate types are common: Both solid and wire gate carabiners can be either "straight gate" or "bent gate". Bent-gate carabiners are easier to clip a rope into using only one hand, and so are often used for

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480-400: Is a device that you feed a bight (loop) of rope through a hole or aperture and then hook it into a locking carabiner on the harness. The Sticht plate was the first mechanical rope brake, named after its designer, Fritz Sticht . It consists of a small metal plate with a slot that allows a bight of rope to pass through to a locking carabiner and back out. This locking carabiner is clipped to

520-480: Is a metal plate with an elongated slot for the bight to go through and then a carabiner is attached so that when pull from the climber occurs the carabiner will be pulled to lock off the device. Examples include the GiGi by Kong. A similar device to the traditional tubular belay device which has two extra loops; normally situated on the front and back of the device. When the device is attached directly to an anchor point with

560-402: Is a voluntary consensus standard. This standard requires that all connectors/ carabiners support a minimum breaking strength (MBS) of 5,000 lbf (22 kN) and feature an auto-locking gate mechanism which supports a minimum breaking strength (MBS) of 3,600 lbf (16 kN). The first known hooks that had a sprung, hinged gate where the spring kept it closed (characteristics expected of

600-454: Is generally the most common type of belay device used. The most common form of this kind of tubular belay device is the ATC, an acronym for "air traffic control". Besides arresting the fall of a climber, these devices can also be used for rappelling . Climbers can control rope descent and arrest falls by creating friction between the device and the rope. Sometimes just called an "eight", this device

640-417: Is however less favorable than other belay devices because the Grigri gives a more static catch with little to no rope slippage. This increases the amount of force exerted on the anchor which, in turn, increases the chance of anchor failure. The Revo combines the easy and dynamic handling of a tuber with the backup by a centrifugal brake. Paying out and taking in rope works fluently without resistance. Only when

680-454: Is most commonly used as a descender. A figure eight belay devices are used for belaying. There are some which are designed specifically for belaying, however they are not generally popular due to the tendency to twist the rope. There are also variations on this design including DMM's "cardiac arrester" which does the same thing but in which the larger loop is shaped like a heart. It is designed to help stop rope twisting. Figure eights, although not

720-583: Is not suitable for left-handed belay technique. There is a sharp edge on the side that will fray rope if used left-handed, but a smooth flange to protect the rope while belaying right-handed. However, there are special techniques that allow left-handed belayers to use this device, like reorienting it to face the other way. While the Grigri was designed as a belay device, some big wall climbers (such as those climbing Yosemite's Half Dome or El Capitan ) have invented novel ways to extend its use and compromise its safety. For example, some big wall rope soloists use

760-460: Is used with an ATC or similar device is used. While paying slack out into the system, if the device is held open by pressing on the cam and the climber falls, the device will lock as long as the belayer is holding the brake strand. However, the device will not lock should the belayer let go of the brake strand while holding the cam in the open position. Each generation of the GriGri has a lower limit for

800-596: The German Karabiner , short for Karabinerhaken , meaning " carbine hook," as the device was used by carabiniers to attach their carbines to their belts. Carabiners are widely used in rope-intensive activities such as climbing , fall arrest systems , arboriculture , caving , sailing , hot-air ballooning , rope rescue , construction , industrial rope work , window cleaning , whitewater rescue , and acrobatics . They are predominantly made from both steel and aluminium. Those used in sports tend to be of

840-400: The diver's umbilical to the surface supplied diver's harness. They are usually rated for a safe working load of 5 kN or more (equivalent to a weight in excess of approximately 500 kg). Carabiners come in four characteristic shapes: Carabiners fall into three broad locking categories: non-locking, manual locking, and auto locking. Non-locking carabiners (or snap-links ) have

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880-453: The 1910s has no basis in fact. He used them for some challenging climbs and some new techniques at a time when such "artificial aids" were still controversial in mountain climbing, but he did not invent them or develop any designs, and he was born long after other climbers were already using carabiners. During the 1920s many designs were used by mountain climbers, such as gourd-shaped, oval or elliptical, mostly sold for general hardware. By

920-459: The GriGri+ have in common. The GriGri+ has two additional components: Belay device Typically, when the rope is held outward, away from the body, it moves relatively freely, so the belayer can take up or pay out slack. When the rope is brought backward, to the side of the body, the rope is forced into tight bends and rubs against the device and/or against itself, allowing the belayer to arrest

960-410: The Grigri (sometimes slightly modified) as a self-feeding hands-free self-belay device. It has also seen use by the second to self-belay while jumaring the rope as one half of the ascender pair. The manufacturer holds uses outside of those validated come with considerable risks, and its official documentation goes so far as to expressly prohibit certain uses. There are seven parts that the GriGri and

1000-503: The belay carabiner into a pinch point (known as passive, or geometrically assisted braking devices) to prevent the rope from passing through the belay device. The terms "self-" or "auto-locking" are discouraged, because it is necessary to always keep the brake hand on the rope, there being conditions outside the correct function of braking. For example, icy, muddy, worn, or too-thin of a rope, and insufficient training and experience. A guide plate, also known as an auto-blocking belay device,

1040-467: The belayer who is then able to lock the rope at will. Some plates had two slots for double ropes. The slots could also be different sizes for different diameter ropes e.g. 9 mm and 11 mm. A wide wire spring may be attached on one side to help keep the plate away from the brake carabiner to ease feeding and taking in rope. A smaller hole is often present for accessory cord to carry the device. Sticht plates are typically forged from aluminium alloy in

1080-416: The braking mechanism, modified belay techniques are widely used, though Petzl, the device's manufacturer, has approved only certain techniques for instructing new belayers. GRIGRI's reportedly give a harder catch than a regular belay device because they allow little to no rope slippage when catching a fall. On the upside, this is offset by the fact that the person being belayed falls a shorter distance. They are

1120-452: The descent of a climber in the case of a fall. This rubbing slows the rope, but also generates heat. Some types of belay devices can arrest a fall without the belayer taking any action, while others require the belayer to hold or pull the rope in a particular direction. Belay devices usually attach to the harness of the belayer via a carabiner , and are usually made of aluminium or an alloy. Some belay devices can also be used as descenders for

1160-405: The early 1930s, carabiners were being sold for climbing, oval designs being the most popular. During this decade, hardened steel carabiners appeared and the first aluminium carabiner prototypes were made by Pierre Allain, although they were never sold. These were the first carabiners designed specifically for climbing and the first offset D-shaped carabiners. Aluminium carabiners were first sold to

1200-573: The military in 1941, which were the first commercial carabiners designed specifically for climbing. Slightly offset D-shaped carabiners were sold in the late 1940s, which became the standard offset D-shape (which is now the most common) in the 1950s. Chouinard Equipment introduced the 22 kN aluminium carabiner in 1968, though this strength had already been far surpassed by steel carabiners. Wiregate carabiners were first patented in 1969, and were sold for maritime use. They were first sold for climbing in 1996. The popular keylock, which avoids snagging,

1240-519: The modern gourd-shaped design by 1868. German and Austrian mountaineers started using them during the late 19th century, with a mention of their use from 1879, and their continued use for climbing by climbers in Saxon Switzerland. The majority used gourd shaped carabiners which were created for mining or other utility purposes. The common myth suggesting that mountaineering carabiners were invented or made by German climber Otto "Rambo" Herzog in

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1280-466: The most common belay device, are still frequently found in use. For most uses, a tubular style belay device is easier and safer to use. However, due to their tendency to twist rope and general disagreement about their safety, figure eights are often banned in climbing gyms. Under the right conditions, assisted braking devices (ABDs) use a sudden load on the rope to engage a camming mechanism (known as active, or mechanically assisted braking devices) or pull

1320-453: The rope and are less prone to jamming, especially when doubling as a descender. Also called a "tube", this type of device generally has a tubular or rectangular shape. It is an evolution of the Sticht plate's concept by creating more surface area to dissipate heat and the ability to create sharper angles which creates a stronger degree of friction which has greater stopping power. As a result, this

1360-527: The rope diameter for which the cam will engage, and an upper limit for maximum rope diameter to allow for feeding. - The original Grigri is stamped MIN 10 MAX 11. - The manufacturer recommends the GriGri 2 to be used only with 8.9 to 11   mm diameter ropes. - Grigri+ and Grigri (2019) expand that lower range to be used with 8.5 to 11mm diameter ropes, with the 'sweet spot' being 8.9 to 10.5mm. This device has just one place for installing rope and it can't be used in climbing with half rope . This device

1400-437: The rope moves more quickly, blocking further movement by pinching the rope against the inside of the device. Petzl recommends the device for lead belaying and top-rope belaying, according to EN 15151 standard. When used correctly, the Grigri's camming mechanism can assist in holding a climber that is working a route, or hanging on the rope while trying to figure out a climb. When belaying, the same technique for "taking in" that

1440-522: The rope rushes with a faster speed than 4 metre/second through the device, it arrests within a few centimetres. Self-belay devices are designed to allow solo climbing where the climber wears the belay device, or secures it to a fixed object on the ground. These devices automatically lock without any intervention when the rope passing through reaches a sufficient velocity (during a fall), but allow rope to move relatively freely whilst climbing. Auto-belay devices belay climbers automatically, without needing

1480-439: The rope when it is moving quickly (like in a fall), making it an assisted braking belay device . This function distinguishes it from traditional belay devices such as a Sticht plate or an ATC , whose braking mechanisms depend entirely on the user controlling the rope in a specific manner to increase or decrease friction. Inside the Grigri, the rope runs along a cam; the cam allows the rope to pass if moving slowly but rotates when

1520-712: The rope-end carabiner of quickdraws and alpine draws used for lead climbing . Locking carabiners have the same general shape as non-locking carabiners, but have an additional mechanism securing the gate to prevent unintentional opening during use. These mechanisms may be either threaded sleeves ("screw-lock"), spring-loaded sleeves ("twist-lock"), magnetic levers ("Magnetron"), other spring loaded unlocking levers or opposing double spring loaded gates ("twin-gate"). American National Standards Institute / American Society of Safety Engineers standard ANSI Z359.1-2007 Safety Requirement for Personal Fall Arrest Systems, Subsystems and Components , section 3.2.1.4 (for snap hooks and carabiners)

1560-410: The use of a second carabiner through the larger of the two loops it performs a similar stopping function to that created with the guide plate. The device is also able to be used as a standard tubular device when belaying from the harness. One of the most popular devices, a Grigri, when properly used, assists in braking the rope with a camming device that clamps the rope in the event of a fall. Because of

1600-546: Was released to replace the original 1991 model. Petzl released the Grigri+ in 2017, adding safety features to the original design, however this added weight and many climbers felt the new safety features were more of a hindrance than a help. 2019 saw the release of an updated version of the device, simply called the Grigri. It is named for the African amulet gris-gris , believed to protect the wearer from evil. The Grigri works by pinching

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