For long-suffering belay slaves, the assisted-braking belay device has been one of the most welcome gear innovations of the last two decades. Unlike traditional tube-style devices, these gizmos actually help the belayer hold a falling or hanging climber. They either use moving parts (e.g. Petzl Grigri) or the geometry of the device (e.g. Edelrid Mega Jul) to apply braking force to a rope; belay devices with moving parts, such as camming mechanisms, are known as active ABDs, while those that rely on geometry are known as passive ABDs. With an assisted-braking device, it’s less tiring to hold a climber when he hangs for the 37th time on his project. These devices also give you supreme control when lowering, and, when used properly, they can provide an extra margin of belaying safety.
Check out our team’s ABD drop-test to see how effective these devices can be.
Whichever device you buy, it’s critically important to learn the proper techniques for each device—they vary widely. If you don’t get these right, you not only won’t be able to feed slack quickly to a desperate leader, you also may endanger your partner. Because of this learning curve, we recommend you choose one assisted-braking device and stick with it. And, of course, no device is completely foolproof— the most important aspects of belaying with any device are (a) paying close attention to your partner and (b) always, ALWAYS having a hand on the dead end of the rope.
Let’s take a look at some well-recommended assisted-braking devices for all climbing and budget types.
ACTIVE ABDs
Petzl Grigri
QUICK LOGISTICS:
GriGri
- Rope compatibility: 8.5–11mm
- Weight: 175g
- Materials: Aluminum, stainless steel & reinforced nylon
- Best for: Sport & multipitch (Note: you will need a second device for abseiling)
Best for: Sport & multipitch (Note: you will need a second device for abseiling)
A powerhouse in the climbing industry for almost two decades. The GriGri is far and away the most popular active assisted-braking device on the market. Designed for all users, the GriGri is a belay device with assisted-braking for belaying both in the gym and at the crag. The cam-assisted blocking function makes belaying more convenient when a climber is working a route or when catching a fall. The design of the handled camming mechanism enables exceptional descent control. Compact and lightweight, it can be used with all single ropes from 8.5 to 11 mm.
USAGE INSTRUCTIONS:
- Slide the GriGri open and load the rope with the climber’s and belayer’s ends in the correct position, according to the diagrams on the device.
- Close the GriGri and, with the handle on the left-hand side, load a carabiner through the attachment hole.
- Clip (and lock) the carabiner to the belay loop on your harness, ensuring that the GriGri handle is on the left-hand side.
- Perform a safety check by:
- Ensuring that your harness is on correctly and all buckles are double-backed.
- Performing a squeeze test on your belaying carabiner to ensure that it is securely locked.
- Tugging both sides of the rope to ensure that the rope is loaded through the device AND the carabiner.
- Sharply tugging on the live end of the rope to ensure that the assisted-braking functionality is working properly.
- Performing a buddy check with your partner, and using the correct calls before climbing.
- Belay as you would with a tube-style device, ensuring that there is a hand on the dead end of the rope at all times.
- To lower your climber, bend the rope over the rounded edge on the right-hand side of the device, and slowly pull back the handle. Make sure to keep a hand on the dead end while lowering.
PASSIVE ABDs
Mammut Smart 2.0
QUICK LOGISTICS:
- Rope compatibility: 8.7–10.5mm
- Weight: 80g
- Materials: Aluminium alloy
Best for: Sport
The Mammut Smart 2.0 is very light, very compact and a real value. For a day at the gym or crags, this device is a great, assisted-braking belay device alternative. It is the same weight as most manual belay devices, meaning that you hardly notice it on the side of your harness.
Mammut recommends use of a HMS carabiner for the Smart 2.0. It is suitable for rope diameters from 8.7 to 10.5mm.
USAGE INSTRUCTIONS:
- Load the rope as you would with any tube-style device, ensuring that the “nose” of the device is pointing away from you (i.e. bend the rope and insert into the device, with the climber’s and belayer’s ends in the correct position, according to the diagrams on the device).
- Clip a carabiner through the attachment hole, ensuring that the carabiner goes around both the device AND the rope.
- Clip (and lock) the carabiner to the belay loop on your harness.
- Perform a safety check by:
- Ensuring that your harness is on correctly and all buckles are double-backed.
- Performing a squeeze test on your belaying carabiner to ensure that it is securely locked.
- Tugging both sides of the rope to ensure that the rope is loaded through the device AND the carabiner.
- Sharply tugging on the live end of the rope to ensure that the assisted-braking functionality is working properly.
- Performing a buddy check with your partner, and using the correct calls before climbing.
- Belay as you would with a tube-style device, ensuring that there is a hand on the dead end of the rope at all times. When giving out slack, place your thumb underneath the thumb loop, keeping your hand around the rope at all times.
- To lower your climber, place your thumb underneath the nose of the device and gently lift it upwards, allowing the rope to slowly feed through. Make sure to keep a hand on the dead end throughout lowering.
Edelrid Jul
The Edelrid Jul range is a cleverly modified tube-style design, which allows the belay carabiner to slide into a slot when catching a fall. The Edelrid Juls are considered as “passive” assisted braking belay devices. Best used with a HMS carabiner. The Jul 2 is best suited to single pitch while for multipitch and trad climbing the guide mode on the Micro Jul, Mega Jul and Giga Jul devices will be your best option The Juls come in a variety of options:
QUICK LOGISTICS:
- Rope compatibility: 7.1–10mm
- Weight: 121g
- Materials: Steel & aluminium
- Best for: Sport & multipitch
The assisted braking function, which supports the braking force, can be activated or disabled by an intelligent mechanism for situation-dependent belaying.
- Rope compatibility: 6.9–8.9mm
- Weight: 62g
- Materials: Steel & aluminium
- Best for: Sport, trad & multipitch
Suitable for 6.9–8.0 mm double and twin ropes and single ropes up to 8.9 mm, this is a fantastic lightweight trad belay device.
- Rope compatibility: 7.8–10.5mm
- Weight: 65g
- Materials: Steel & aluminium
- Best for: Sport, trad & multipitch
Suitable for 7.8 – 10.5 mm ropes, this is a fantastic all-rounder no matter your preferred discipline.
- Rope compatibility: 8.9–11mm
- Weight: 87g
- Materials: Steel & aluminium
- Best for: Sport
The Jul 2 is another great jack-of-all-trades that is ideal for thicker single ropes.
USAGE INSTRUCTIONS (GIGA JUL):
- Select your belay mode:
- For ATC / guide mode, ensure that the guide mode and thumb loops are at the back of the device (facing towards you) and that the green slider is at the back of the device.
- For ABD mode, ensure that the guide mode and thumb loops are at the front of the device (facing away from you) and that the green slider is at the back of the device.
- Load the rope as you would with any tube-style device, with the climber’s and belayer’s ends in the correct position, according to the diagrams on the device.
- Clip a carabiner through the attachment hole, ensuring that the carabiner goes around both the device AND the rope.
- Clip (and lock) the carabiner to the belay loop on your harness.
- Perform a safety check by:
- Ensuring that your harness is on correctly and all buckles are double-backed.
- Performing a squeeze test on your belaying carabiner to ensure that it is securely locked.
- Tugging both sides of the rope to ensure that the rope is loaded through the device AND the carabiner.
- Sharply tugging on the live end of the rope to ensure that the assisted-braking functionality is working properly.
- Performing a buddy check with your partner, and using the correct calls before climbing.
- Belay as you would with a tube-style device, ensuring that there is a hand on the dead end of the rope at all times. When giving out slack, place your thumb underneath the thumb loop, keeping your hand around the rope at all times.
- To lower your climber, place your thumb in the thumb loop and gently lift upwards, allowing the rope to slowly feed through. Make sure to keep a hand on the dead end throughout lowering.
USAGE INSTRUCTIONS (MEGA JUL, MICRO JUL AND JUL 2):
- Ensure that the thumb loop is at the front of the device, and load the rope as you would with any tube-style device. Make sure that the climber’s and belayer’s ends are in the correct position, according to the diagrams on the device.
- Clip a carabiner through the attachment hole, ensuring that the carabiner goes around both the device AND the rope.
- Clip (and lock) the carabiner to the belay loop on your harness.
- Perform a safety check by:
- Ensuring that your harness is on correctly and all buckles are double-backed.
- Performing a squeeze test on your belaying carabiner to ensure that it is securely locked.
- Tugging both sides of the rope to ensure that the rope is loaded through the device AND the carabiner.
- Sharply tugging on the live end of the rope to ensure that the assisted-braking functionality is working properly.
- Performing a buddy check with your partner, and using the correct calls before climbing.
- Belay as you would with a tube-style device, ensuring that there is a hand on the dead end of the rope at all times. When giving out slack, place your thumb underneath the thumb loop, keeping your hand around the rope at all times.
- To lower your climber, place your thumb in the thumb loop and gently lift upwards, allowing the rope to slowly feed through. Make sure to keep a hand on the dead end throughout lowering.
Black Diamond Pilot
QUICK LOGISTICS:
- Rope compatibility: 8.7–10.5mm
- Weight: 92g
- Materials: Steel
Best for: Sport
The Black Diamond ATC Pilot is a “geometry assisted” belay device for ropes in the 8.7 to 10.5 mm range. It provides the extra security of locking up all of the way and taking the pressure off your brake hand when compared to other tubular devices, though the manufacturer states that you should always keep your hand on the rope just in case. The ATC Pilot is best used single pitch top roping or lead climbing and lowering scenarios. This is a great option for single pitch sport crags and in climbing gyms that want the extra security of the auto-lock.
BD states that the Pilot should only be used with larger Type H or HMS carabiners, and always on the larger side to add that extra bite on a catch.
USAGE INSTRUCTIONS:
- Load the rope as you would with any tube-style device, ensuring that the “nose” of the device is pointing away from you (i.e. bend the rope and insert into the device, with the climber’s and belayer’s ends in the correct position, according to the diagrams on the device).
- Clip a carabiner through the attachment hole, ensuring that the carabiner goes around both the device AND the rope.
- Clip (and lock) the carabiner to the belay loop on your harness.
- Perform a safety check by:
- Ensuring that your harness is on correctly and all buckles are double-backed.
- Performing a squeeze test on your belaying carabiner to ensure that it is securely locked.
- Tugging both sides of the rope to ensure that the rope is loaded through the device AND the carabiner.
- Sharply tugging on the live end of the rope to ensure that the assisted-braking functionality is working properly.
- Performing a buddy check with your partner, and using the correct calls before climbing.
- Belay as you would with a tube-style device, ensuring that there is a hand on the dead end of the rope at all times. When giving out slack, place your thumb underneath the thumb loop, keeping your hand around the rope at all times.
- To lower your climber, place your thumb underneath the nose of the device and gently lift it upwards, allowing the rope to slowly feed through. Make sure to keep a hand on the dead end throughout lowering.
Shop all the above devices in-store at CityROCK or online at www.mountainmailorder.co.za. If any of the items are out of stock, pop us an email at info@mountainmailorder.co.za as we’ll do our best to assist!
