grigri in frog system?

[David Grimes]

just out of curiosity does anyone use a grigri in place of a chest ascender in a frog system? I saw someone using one today for this purpose but it did not look like it worked very well any input on this?

[paul]

Using a GriGri in place of a chest ascender in a Frog system would have to be the last resort.

A jammer, especially one designed specifically for use in this position such as the Petzl Croll, is infinitely better.

[Ralph E. Powers]

just out of curiosity does anyone use a grigri in place of a chest ascender in a frog system? I saw someone using one today for this purpose but it did not look like it worked very well any input on this?

Input? Well would a few well meaning giggles help? Either they were experimenting or just inexperienced to know/understand how this device actually works and what it's purpose is for.
My first question to him would've been... "why?" without expecting an answer or even wanting one.

I see (non-cavers) try to figure out ways to do ascending ropes a lot and sometimes have to shake my head at their thinking. Sometimes they got the concept down but not the specifics and other times they're totally clueless.

[Carl Amundson]

Well lets see, big, heavy and does not work well on muddy rope.

I think I would much rather use a prusik in that position if my chest ascender blew out.

[Tim White]

Climbers use a technique that employs a Gri-Gri. See: Ascending A Rope With A Jumar and GriGri

And some sport tree-climbers have adopted this technique.


When I owned a climbing gym, we used this technique (without the pulley to ascend the gym ropes and set routes. Makes for a very fast change-over from up to down and down to up.

Useful technique? Yes, if used in the correct setting.

Good for caving? No.

[NZcaver]

Good info, Tim.

I've seen some of the industrial rope access folks do similar things with the Petzl I'D as well. This technique seems to be a tradeoff - less efficient to climb with than ascenders, but like you say it cuts down on time and complexity when you're doing frequent up/down changeovers.

[Edit - I meant on clean ropes, not for caving...]

[Carl Amundson]

My asumption is that the Gri-Gri will not work well on muddy or stiff ropes.
Any idea is this technique has been tried on anything other than clean/new ropes?

[Tim White]

My asumption is that the Gri-Gri will not work well on muddy or stiff ropes.

Any idea is this technique has been tried on anything other than clean/new ropes?

Don't know. I won't subject any of my Gri-Gri's to that abuse.

[wyandottecaver]

What they said :) I have actually used gri gri's as belays at an outdoor climbing tower on muddy ropes while we were experimenting on how to make an easy evolution hard..... They work...not nearly as well as a rack. Tell the guy if he wants, I'll trade him a nice new set of prussics for his gri gri and we'll both be happier :P

[FiddleCaver]

Climbers use a technique that employs a Gri-Gri. See: Ascending A Rope With A Jumar and GriGri

And some sport tree-climbers have adopted this technique.

OK, that looks way too complicated, especially if all you're climbing is a tree. I'm sure the tree guy would say the same about my vertical rig...

[David Grimes]

the guy was using it on a clean dry rope at a climbing gym may be the reason but I had always used as petzl croll thanks for the feedback.