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General Climbing Discussion

Topic Date User

Should GriGris be alllowed in climbing gyms 10-Feb-2011 At 11:13:38 AM Sonic

Message

On 10/02/2011 cruze wrote:
Perhaps the most important sections of the climbing gym users to ask are the instructors
>and new users? If one device is harder to instruct/maintain vigilence over
>then perhaps that would answer the question?

Firstly let me point out I am an instructor at SICG.

All the devices are hard to be totally vigilant on. In all honesty, you tend to pick up punters belaying wrong on top rope more than leaders and even then you get some real shockers on ATCs. It comes down to the training process. In our case, the climber needs to pass an assessment before leading, demonstrating correct usage on their preferred belay device. They are then signed off ONLY for this device.

The main concern here though is the 'I learnt outdoor/elsewhere and don't need your help' character. As we did not teach them, we have no way of telling ability prior to the assessment. These guys tend to treat us like we don't know what were on about and therefore bring bad habits to the gym and refuse to change and don't like being told they are wrong - even though most of us are more experienced on rock than they are. It then looks bad when they slag us off as gym nazis for telling them they can't lead.

My main point is its the training methods used, not the device and in the gym that is impossible to control with people who come in that have learnt to climb elsewhere. I was made to use an ATC or munter hitch for the first 6 months when I learnt to climb and I am extremely grateful. Unfortunately, many others dont get this experience which we then have to deal with. At the end of the day, a 'grigri-only' user made to use an atc is just as dangerous as an atc user wrongly using a grigri or a sum.