The device must be free to move toward the direction of pull. I witnessed someone fall 30 feet to the ground from this scenario. Your anchor and autoblock dangles down, your second falls, the autoblock is yanked to the side but something interferes with it preventing it from locking. Now you build your anchor off to the side of your last lead piece. Here are two ways outblocks can fail (there are others).ġ) You climb off to one side or the other after placing your last lead piece. Important to keep in mind that the device needs to line up with the direction of pull which is toward your nearest piece down the rope (unless it gets ripped when loaded). Ultimate strength is another way, but the system is either static or the climber has already been killed from the force anyway. That's why it's not hands free.Īnother way to fail it is passing diameters with a high load but climbers probably won't see that unless the diameter is already too small to begin with the older Reverso model had the problem with 2 seconding climbers and using smaller than 8.5 - the newer BD Guide, it's not an issue. if the autoblock is effective, what is the distinction that makes them not hands free?If you hit the device from the side, get to be impeded in some unexpected manner, and get the brake-side, or off-strand, and load-side/strand going in opposite directions from each other, you can open up the autoblock by twisting on itself. quick question- when you say it isn't hands free, what does that mean? I've used both ATC guides and reversos in autoblock mode to belay from above without any rope-slip for years, but have always heard that they're not hands-free devices. Also it is important that you want to belay off a point separate from your main anchor and back that up to something in a way that the force is balanced when shock loaded (say like a boulder falls on your second creating a huge impact to your belay anchor, you don't want to fall with that because you're main anchor gets too much shock and blows up) this also makes rope management a lot easier keeping your belay off to the side giving you room to stack your rope nice and neat so your partner can just climb right by you and you belay of that nice neat stack once you change your belay device from auto lock back to your harness.ĭave Alie wrote:please be patient with this one, but. If you have no slack there is relatively low impact on your belay if they fall, but if you think about the fact that your device is designed to hold a much greater force (something like a semi-truck) I feel pretty safe with a low impact. In reality when i'm belaying a second on a guide and they are moving up I will often snap a quick photo and grab slack in chunks that my climber is comfortable with. No manufacturer in there right mind will ever tell you it is ok to let go of your brake hand. Weird things can and will always happen, but when they are not happening gear does work. The important thing to notice is that safe practice ALWAYS means you back yourself up somehow to protect from death. EvanThis is really all that matters here. The point is that all belay devices are very predictable until they are not. I had a knot in the brake end and it was fine. The point is that all belay devices are very predictable until they are not.Įvan1984 wrote: I had a puckering incident while on self belay at work on a gri where a strand pushed the cam on the device open and I slid. I had a puckering incident while on self belay at work on a gri where a strand pushed the cam on the device open and I slid. They can become fouled in the system in such a way that they don't orient to lock off correctly, you could be using too small a rope, etc, etc. But, like all things, they are not 100% reliable. Yes, you can go years using any of these devices hands free without incident. Alternatively, if you are going to be resting for a bit, you can tie an overhand in the brake strand and clip it into the anchor. All of these devices require that a hand be on the brake strand and ready to lock off should the need arise. None of the locking devices-guide, reverso, cinch, gri- are deemed "hands free" by the manufacturer. You must always remember to redirect the break strand high and lowering efficiently takes some practice. In terms of lowering, it is a little bit finicky. In terms of locking off, the guide is very reliable when used properly.
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