How to belay the leader with a GRIGRI - Belaying techniques
March 17 2014
Indoor and Outdoor Climbing
The GRIGRI is a belay device with assisted braking. The belay technique is very close to the generic technique, but has a few specifics.
For a climber who is already familiar with using classic devices, it takes a little time to adjust. The technique described here is the only one that Petzl recommends.
This technique offers real advantages in terms of safety:
- the rule to never let go of the brake side of the rope is respected
- it allows to transition between "giving slack" and "giving slack quickly" without letting go of the rope
- in case of a fall, the belayer doesn't clench the cam
A tip for easier belaying with the GRIGRI: keep the free rope stacked near you.