Guys, thanks so much for all the awesome comments and thoughts on the video and other belay devices, let us know what other belay device comparisons, or any other gear comparisons you'd like to see and we'll try and get them done!
Yeah, I have a comparison I would like to see, click up plus and mammut smart 2.0. I own a smart alpine (for wide ropes) and love it, but would like to know if it's worth buying another device or if I would just leave it in my rack while I use the smart. Great videos!!
The next gri gri should address the sensitivity of the lever. It seems when I use it I either have to lower the climber very slowly, or they drop like the tower of terror. I rarely get that sweetspot of a fast but controlled descent. That's the only problem with the gri gri imo.
I have always felt uncomfortable belaying with a GriGri (I know I know...I'm not doing it right, I just need more practice, I must be insane!). My partner is quite a bit heavier than I am, though, so I like the assisted braking, especially for rests. I LOVE the Edelrid Mega Jul, and it seems similar to the Click Up. It also allows for two ropes!
It's also not true, you can always talk about something you don't know about. It's how you learn most effectively. But it's important that you understand what you don't know, and listen to people who do.
It's been 2 years since i've made the switch to an alpine up (alpine version of the click up) and I find it so versatile compared to the grigri that I would never go back to that last one. The big plus is that you can use half ropes, abseil without any prussik knot, belay a second and even belay on a dynamic mode ( more like an atc (useful when ice climbing when you don't wanna shock load anything)) Super versatile, I love it.
I struggle with Grigri mostly because as a left handed I feel like the lever and system are on the wrong side. No such problem with ClickUp which like ATC devices is symmetrical, so great for either left or right handed. There is a bit of a learning curve to feel really comfortable with ClickUp but well worth the effort. Agreed that it is pretty terrible with thick ropes/top ropes, but then so is Grigri in my experience..
I've used the Click Up for quite a while, I think one and a half years in total. The hing about it is...I think it's a great device that is pretty simple to use. But it is to fiddly for my taste, when you have to secure very dynamic, when you have to give out th rope quickly (it tends to block itself there sometimes if you try it a little bit hasty). What I loved about it was how good it felt when the climber finished the route and I had to let him down, it is a really intuative thing especially for beginners. But also the Click Up doesn't really like your typical climbing gym top ropes. You all know these ropes, they are pretty thick and due to extensive use the surface is pretty rough and beat up. Ther eit sometimes has its problems when letting the climber down. It tends to block when those beat up ropes flow through the device. That's the reason why I personally changed to the AustriAlpin Fish belaying device. It is pretty much like the famous Mammut Smart but with the little extra of a better designed hook in the front (for giving out the rope dynamically I really appreciate thet) and it also has a lever for letting the climber down. The lever is pretty close to the way the lever of the GriGri works, but it has some better sensation of the rope going through the device, so for me it somewhat combindes the pros of the GriGri and the ClickUp.
I use the Grigri and the click-up. I take the click-up exclusively to crag and gym. I'll use someone else's Grigri once in a while. I used to use the Grigri but the click-up pushed me off the Grigri in ~2009. It is easier to use. Even though I am likely an expert belayer at this point, I want complete control. Anything that gives me the slightest edge on-task will get me interested. For this reason I try all devices that are introduced to the market. • Rope-thickness affects the Grigri and click-up similarly. The rope-sensitivity of the Click-up is over-emphasized in this video. The Mega Jule was mentioned. After trying the MJ for a few weeks I found it to be very rope-sensitive, sticky for thick ropes. • The BD Pilot is best compared with / contrasted to the Mammut Smart because the break end is tracked in a channel similarly and friction is controlled similarly by catching the thumb in the nose of the device. The belay operations of these devices are most similar to each other. I thought the Pilot would push me off the Click-Up (stainless steel, light, cheap, simple). It didn't because it does not have that intuitive feel that I get from the ATC, Reverso basket-type devices. • Over the years I have replaced 2 HMS carabiners for the same Click-up. The biner is the only spot that the functioning unit wears. The 2009 click-up mentioned above looks as good as the day I bought it minus the cosmetic dings. • Which brings me to another sticking point in the video. All of the HMS biners that I bought to replace the original were different. In fact I only bought the Click-Up, not the recommended HMS biner. I have used the biner without a keeper, but after experiencing the keeper I use an HMS biner with a keeper for the Reverso also (good for Grigri too). At some point basket type devices will cross-load the biner. It has happened to me a few times while catching a fall, it is more annoying than dangerous. • I have never had the fiddly moment referred to in the video when my climber hurriedly gets back on the wall. • Increased heat in the device? I have developed sport and trad (installing anchors/ bolts) with the click-up. Whether you abseil on one rope or lower a climber, the force on the device and the heat generated are similar. I've never had a problem there. • The Click-Up is a single pitch sport climbing device. It lacks the versatility of ATC/ Reverso because it cannot admit two ropes to rappel off the top. For this reason I also take the Reverso to the crag. Climbing Tech also made the Alpine up for this purpose, but I hated it (bulky, didn't manage friction well, very rope-sensitive).
thanks for sharing ! I am a beginner and GriGri+(2) is just smaller than the GriGri(1) from Petzl, which makes it not as attractive option for me. Therefore I have been looking for alternatives. ATC Pilot looked very interesting, but I haven't tried it. Now, this ClickUP mechanism looks even more interesting, especially the speed control seems better. Out of curiosity, would you recommend ATC Pilot over ClickUP/GriGri+ for beginner or not?
Grigris aren't lefty friendly! I totally would buy one, but they are SO difficult for lefties and there is no lefty version as of now. So excited about this new device, definitely going to invest!
Im just throwing this out there and not being mea but you CAN learn to be a right handed gri gri user. Its not that hard to do it in theory. You remeber Muscle memory right? Well, so broke some ribs and fractured one of my right arm last year in a shittu car accident. And since recovery was gonna be several weeks I had to learn to do things with my off hand...its not really an offhand anymore. I can legit pick up something like a tooth brush and brush my teeth with it and it doesn't feel weird anymore. I can decide which hand to use and it's notan issue. Both flow the same and in my head theres no weird feeling anymore when using my off hand. Anyways, just a weird suggestion lol. You can ignore it. Have a nice day.
I've got both a Grigri 2 and a Clickup+ and the toasty carabiner on the Clickup+ actually kind of is a big deal... I'm scared for my rope with how hot it gets honestly. I also have a 10mm rope and I've found giving slack on the Clickup+ is super fiddly and I need to hold it in a weird way to give slack whilst keeping it from locking up.
We have gri gris at work and if you’re belaying all day, they’re great for that. I do fancy looking into others for personally use such as the click up and the BD pilot
alon cohen if you like the click up then definitely use it, i just wanted to give my input so left handed people didnt assume they couldn't use the gri gri before they even tried it
I’ve never used or handled the Click Up but I have used both a GriGri 2 and Plus and my main device is actually an BD ATC Pilot. A comparison between the Click Up and Pilot would be interesting because they function very similarly. I believe the Edelrid Megajul does as well, with how they pinch the rope to assist breaking and the same kind of pivot movement to lower.
I started with HMS/figure-of-eight, took a break from climbing, came back, got an ATC XP, and now a Click Up. Aside from minor changes I never had to adjust the way I move my hands. My main issue with the Click Up is thick, worn ropes. The feeding can be awfully fiddly. But in those rare cases I can fall back to the ATC. I'm sure most climbers had a similar experience... and that's why I have trust issues with any device that requires to learn different motions. With the GriGri that's primarily the whole "panic-while-using-the-break" problem. There's been cases when even experienced climbers screwed this up. And that's always in my mind when I see it in use.
In my personal experience has been that beginners are safer with a GriGri. The problem I have had when teaching first timers how to use an ATC or tube device is they will not naturally hold the rope in the brake position.
I like that you admitted that it may be changing your mind. I'm a VERY beginner climber and I'm starting to look for pieces of kit. I've used your average ATC most of the time, and the grigri a few times and I must say I prefer any old ATC over the GriGri. The GriGri works very well but it's a little overly complicated and at times it feels like it buggers things up because the rope doesn't just flow through it as easily as an ATC. MOST of the people who belay at my local gym use just a standard ATC, even though they gym provides them with 2 GriGri's in the gear closet. And for me personally I find that it just flows more naturally using an ATC I don't have to think about it. Where as with a GriGri I sort of have to think about what I'm doing with the device more than I want to be.
with the grigri though, just be aware. I of course won't say it's auto-locking, but it does have break assist. which, most of the ground falls I've heard about recently were all on ATC's. I'm a Red River Gorge climber, last major fall was a 80 foot fall because a climber let go of the break hand. 5 years ago I was dropped 30 feet in the gym because my belayer let go of the break hand. It's a mistake that should NEVER happen....but it does
you might like belaying with an atc but i prefer being belayed by a gri gri. Chances are greater I get hurt being belayed by an atc than with a gri gri.
I borrowed someone else's GriGri. I don't know which version it was, maybe an original V1 that's been had for a while. Unlike the ATC it takes care when paying out to stop it locking up. You have to be feeding in from the brake hand at least before pulling through. May sound obvious, but if you put any tension on it it locks. That said, I'd be tempted by a GriGri simply because of the reputation it has. I've also heard that the later ones are better at paying out.
I had someone drop me at the gym on a grigri !! Belayer opened it up and then spaced out. So, realistically, pick your belayer carefully !!! But generally I will say the grigri is more fool proof.
With the click-up I think it's a problem that if you give out rope fast by clipping or something ... The click-up closes up I dont like it that much but I have no experience with the grigri eighter. I use the ergo from salewa and it's kinda similar to the click up but it doesn't close up that quickly. Also it has this little "nose" kinda thing which is nice to bring the climber down. Have a nice weekend
It seem all assisted braking devices are always compared to the GriGri. Seldom does one hear about the Lifeguard from Mad Rock. I've tried the GriGri and didn't care for it, also I don't like being like everyone else with the same clanking noise as I'm climbing (we all know the clank of a GriGri). The Lifeguard is smaller in size than both the GriGri and the Click Up, it's also lighter than the GriGri and operates the same way with a stronger assisted brake function on most ropes. And even though I have a Lifeguard, I still find that a traditional ATC is still a go-to. There is no replacement for good belay technique and undivided attention to the climber.
Thanks for the video review. I would like to know how this device performs as a self-belay device. Many climbers use belay devices such as the GriGri2 as self-belay devices.
It works but not as well as an ATC. The bend on a GriGri is way sharper than an ATC so the GriGri bites more and has a very sharp transition from biting to releasing. It also wears the rope more as it has a larger surface area. The disadvantage of an ATC is that you need to have a backup prussik (3rd hand or leg brake) [which really isn't a big deal]. ATC has the advantage of being able to use 2 sides of your rope whereas a grigri has only 1 rope to lower you and the rope goes through the anchor which means more wear on the rope and potential problems.
I predominately go sport climbing so I'm a lot more used to using standard ATC devices - ive used a few Gri Gris and although they were good, never felt like the need to buy one but I can definitely see myself using the Click Up. I figure that with the asssited breaking, it will also prove useful on those redpoints/projects where I need to sit on the harness and rest or look for my next move... without slowly sliding down
Thank you for all your videos on testing different belay devices! I am learning a lot! I have a question: how do you feed slack quickly without accidentally engaging the assisted brake of the click up? This happens to me occasionally and then I'm short-slacking my climbers right when they're trying to clip. Makes me feel horrible!! I'd really appreciate advice from you or any other viewers.
A few summers ago I used the click-up in a guiding scenario. Most of the work was single pitch top rope. The organization I worked for provided us with a click-up for use in awkward belays and rescue scenarios. Due to the number of climbers, the ropes were pretty thick. In this specific instance the only time a click-up was used was when we were ironically belaying each other with it after the clients had left. I wish they had given us ATC guides instead. With that thicker rope it was miserable and borderline unusable.
I personally tried both the GriGri and ClickUp, and I'm currently using the ClickUp for lead belaying. Besides the disadvantages stated in the video for the GriGri, it is also alittle bias to right handers, even though it is not a big issue as long as you have enough practice with it. Another advantage of belay devices like the ClickUp, it is easily noticeable if there were to be any cracks or major scratches, however as for the GriGri, if one were to drop it on the floor, the internal structure of the device might be damaged and it would be very challenging to discover the problem. Just sharing my point of view and it is kinda obvious which is my go to belay device. NEVERTHELESS, NEVER LET GO OF YOUR BREAKING HAND! Thanks
Can you please review the Edelrid MegaJul. I know some belayers that struggle with the operation of the GriGri, but the MegaJul is quite close to a regular ATC - so less confusion
Agreed, click up and BD pilot changing the game for me. I think the biggest disadvantage to GriGri is for beginners: backward loaded equals death. You may not think it happens, but I assure you it does. People misunderstand those drawings all the time. Loading a click up backwards is like loading an atc backwards - no big deal (of course it removes the assisted braking aspect)
One issue I've found with a Grigri2 is that when you lower from above off anchor there is a lot of force on the device and the handle is really hard to get it to just un-pinch the rope so that you can lower the climber. I had to have gloves on whilst lowering due to the forces.
As someone who has used both I do prefer the clickup for lead belay. In fact it's my first choice in that category. The main drawback to me is that I don't find the clickup very nice when top roping (especially not on thick gym ropes). In the end it's so good at lead and bad at top rope that I use two different devices...
oXistence It takes a lot of effort to pull rope through compared to many other devices. Especially so on thick indoor gym ropes (which is where I do most of my top roping).
Hi Peter, I find the Mega Jul to be great for both sport climing and top roping. Maybe give it a try? It has assisted breaking for thinner 'sport' ropes but can be flipped over for use without assisted breaking on thicker 'TR' ropes. It's also cheaper than both the Click Up and GriGri, can be used to rappel off two strands, and can belay 1 or 2 strands from above with assisted breaking. The two cons I've come across with the Mega Jul are a jerky rappel (when using in the assisted breaking manner with thicker or long ropes) and some slippage of the assisted breaking on smaller ropes (problematic when trying to pass the knot on rappel or ascend). When concerned about a jerky rappel, I use it in the non-locking mode with a 'third hand' prusik.
interesting video, from what I've seen on the net, the grigri is what's used by industrial rope access workers, ie:window cleaners on skyscrapers, aerial maintenance, etc. where a handle is a good idea, they use it one handed, and since there is no risk of a piece of gear (they have a lot on them as they climb the rope, not a rock as steel is slippery!) causing the device to move and "click over" and hence failing to grip. what they do use it for is as a breaking device during descent off a height, in which the handle is used to lock off and control the descent rate, especially during a rescue maneuver where they have to rig up the casualty as well as control their own motions on their own rope.
I have been using the click up for more than 2 years now. Not that I don't like the grigri, but its really not a left handed friendly device, and I am left handed. So would definitely recommend the click up to all lefties like me. Plus if you are using a ATC before, it's really easy to learn to use the click up and it is much safer than an ATC.
I have been trained to use gri-gri and atc. Just because the budget we bought an Alpine-up (includes Click-up) wondering if it was a good choice or if we would put it in the trash in a few weeks but after 4 months using it every weekend I can say that I like it. The control of the decending process of course must be controlled by the belayer ALWAYS so the self locking system of the gri-gri is not a reason to leave the dead rope with no atention....or any other system. I have seens several accidents (falls to the ground) while the belayer is using a gri-gri so the device is not a replacement of the belayer (partner). It makes me think that the only weakness og this device is the biggest and most dangerous. Of course when you are a responsable belayer ...you are able to use all the devices. No doubt about that!! Now we are going to do the next step with our device and we will start using it for the other functions like rappeling and so on. I repeat...I was afraid of the Click-up (alpine-up) system at the beggining but when you test it with your partner is very easy to use and you can trust on its assistance. BTW when it is brand new the unlock procedure is not that easy as later on but that is the reason they released Click-up+ which has some more space for the carabin to unlock the device.
biggest hassle with the click-up is when you are too slow while giving out rope. it happens that climber pulls faster than you give out and click-up locks up. then you have a dangerous situation. it lakes ages to unclick the device and climber has to stop pulling for that, which is counterintuitive. these days beginners often have never used an atc.
The biggest problem ive had with the click up is with wider "well used" ropes... when you try to give out slack quickly it starts clicking up and blocking which is pretty annoying especially if your climber is in a tough spot and you cant give them the amount of rope they need...
I use the click up with a 10.2 dry rope and have had very few issues with feeding. I also bought it because it's similar to the ATC, which I started on. The heat issue is definitely there, but that's why my ATC never leaves my harness.
The best things about the click up you forgot to tell everybody is that 1) the click up has a lower chance to have a mechanical failure when in use since it’s only 2 components working together! 2) if anything on the click up should fail yes like you said it will be the carabiner. Why because if the rope is not managed and stored properly just like the 8 you will see that it has been eaten by how the rope runs. So yes you will know when it’s time to get a new carabiner without ruining a great day of climbing! 3) you know that the click up is only for climbing and not multi-use like for rappelling and a list of thing like you said, so this tells you yes with Climbing technology you might have to get a few more things than another climbing company but if you use it for one thing and one thing only it will last longer by far! And I know any climber will not do this but if you drag the grigri in dirt and click up also I think that the click up wins buy working normally and if you would like to clean if this happens it’s too easy!
The critical point which is rarely discussed is, lead climber pulls of a block that nails the belayer, belayer lets go or tries to, maybe with a grigri grabs the live rope and depending on distance and force falls further than the leader would like. The cam in the GRigri is the problem, allows for easy payout of the rope but means that a lower grab force on the live rope leads to deck falls.
So this is the first time I've seen the click up and it looks fairly similar to the BD pilot except it has a really nice way of holding the carabiner out of the assisted braking position when giving slack. I don't use the BD pilot when lead belaying for that very reason. I am curious though because I was inspecting the carabiner that I use with the BD pilot and noticed some chipping/markings from when the carabiner comes into contact with the Pilot when in the brake position. I've now completely abandoned the BD pilot because I'm a bit skeptical that it may have caused some microfractures in the carabiner itself. Anyone have any experience with the click up and seen the same issue?
ive been using the mega jule by edilrid for a long time and find it really easy to use, could you do a video comparing more belay devices including the jule?
At 11:58 you see exactly why the Grigri is the better delay! If you hold the breaking rope parallel like in this moment, the Clickup won‘t work. N the meantime youcan get get Grigri 2 plus with Antipanic-function!
I've never used a gri gri but I've been using the click up for a few weeks and love it coming from a normal ATC. I watched a few videos on auto lock devices and the click up just seemed to be much more simple. Another big reason I like it is due to it being so easy, it's a good device to use while teaching people how to belay on a lead climb, if for some reason they panic when they come off the ground it helps me not die and it's easy for them to use and lower me back down. Like I said I've never used a grigri but for me the click up is amazing for me and people I'm teaching.
Ive been using the Click-Up for more than 2 years, completly agree with Matt. Is my preferred device for belaying sport routes, over GriGri, over Cinch. For long abseiling use another device.
I love the GriGri and probably always will. But thanks Matt and epic tv for your gear videos..... now I'm gonna have to buy a click up and try for myself.... Also I read a ton of comments about left handed use of the grigri , I'm left handed and I don't have any issues using the thing.....
Great video. I think you have helped me make up my mind. I have the original Gri gri and I’m looking to replace it. I normally use my ATC but would like to add an additional assisted braking device.
One huge plus for the click up is if you are a left hand belayer, as I am. There is no approved method for left hand lead belaying with a grigri. So, I use the click up as a left hander and love it, incredibly simple and safe device!
The only reason I haven't really liked the Gri Gri is because I am left handed and use my left hand for my break hand. The Click Up looks like a nice solution to that problem. I've always wished Petzl would make a left handed Gri Gri
The Alpine Up is the superior version of the clickUp, in my opinion. Still lighter than a Grigri, and you can rappel on 2 ropes or belay from the anchor-- two things a Grigri cannot do.
Nice video, well explained! Another disadvantage of the Grigri is when you're giving slack fast - you essentially need to block the auto braking function of the device. There are some posts on reddit about accidents happening, if the climber falls during this moment. P.S. Could you also please compare this to the ATC Pilot from BD? It seems to be the same principle, only smaller and cheaper than the Click Up.
your thumb must be incredibly strong to bypass the lockup on a grigri :) seriously.. it can't be true... when paying out slack fast with a grigri you just gently hold down the cam with your thumb, if the climber falls during that the cam will overcome the pressure coming from your thumb easily. i'm using and i love the grigri before it i was using the mammut smart - it's yet another amazing and really cheap assisted braking belay device.. and it's also very popular over here . i would say it's up to the user to choose... all of the assisted braking devices are doing a good job compared to plain tube like devices (e.g. atc).
The ATC pilot uses the same principle as the Mammut Smart (which is $10 less), you can find man comparisons between various devices and the smart. The edelrid mega jul uses the same method as well.
To me the ATC Pilot is pretty much an exact copy of the Salewa Ergo, which I really like. So I expect the ATC Pilot to be good too, never really tried it though.
@@robertjung8929 wrong, theres a video on youtube of this where even a petite female climber belaying a larger guy can hold down the cam just fine on the grigri
@@ugiboogy1111 when the grigri is held correctly , so you have 4 fingers curled around the rope, have your thumb on the cam and the grigri is resting on your index finger while paying out slack, there is no way to hold down the cam with enough force... end of discussion.... and yes i seen the video by Hard is easy.. they demonstrated what happens when you hold the grigri incorrectly, that girl was not holding the rope at all while firmly holding the grigri and pressing on the cam.
didnt read all the comments but the click-up if used incorrectly will still work as a belay device albeit unassisted. also the clickup once locked will stay locked, ie you have to unlock it manually. i found this feature useful once when i was seconding and the belayer had too much drag that it was impossible to belay me. so i put on the click up in the locked position and belayed myself up... also for this reason click up is safest for beginners and top roping
I’m a newer climber. (About 8 months) I have been climbing with my sister who is a heavier weight than me. She has fallen off the wall and I stopped her but my hand came up and got caught between the rope and atc. I was thinking about getting a gri gri to have that extra breaking security. Now I’m looking into this click up. Would it be recommend for someone like me just to have the extra “stop” since I’m belaying someone who is a different weight? (We have only done top rope climbing in a gym) *i completely understand never to fully rely on a breaking device and always make sure I have control of the rope*
i would suggest you a grigri, if you are a novice perhaps even a grigri+, with anti panic function the click-up is a novelty and is quite rare tbh, the grigri in sports climbing is golden standard, anyone, your new potential climbing partner will already know and have experience with grigri (quite the majority of climbers), where with click-up it requires initial crash course as its so rare with click up the transitioning of climber resting on a rope and paying out slack can be difficult, as the rope is still tense, perhaps with heavier climber that can be harder, with grigri its just a bit of lowering lever use , and you can pay out slack the usual way to sum it all up, both systems are safe, but i dont think there is a great need to divert from grigri, perhaps with click up giving rope is a tad easier, for me personally its not worth it. check your rope compatibility with either device you are going to buy about belaying with tubular device, its all good and safe until you have climbed for a while, your hands are sore, you are tired and lost a bit of focus, thats where the auto break assist shines, when you are tired, but still try to push that extra route safely
You are directly fighting the force that clicks it into a locked position when you push it, whereas with the gri gri you are not because the lever fights that force for you. If you were to panic because you pushed it all the way down, instinctually you will want to stop applying so much force and it will lock itself up again. With the gri gri you are not really applying force to the lever, so there is no instinctive reason to assume you have to push the lever forward again to stop the falling.
Learned on the ClickUp. Hated it for „clicking up“ to fast especially when your a beginner. Giving out slack fast I found really hard without triggering the breaking system. I’m using a Smart now. Like it way better.
I've used both & prefer the Grigri. But for me, they are fighting for a very distant second place. My current setup is a Camp Matik, BD Magnetron, and a Tendon Master Pro 9.2. I'd like to see a video about the Matik. It's super easy to use. I know it has a reputation for being heavier, overpriced, and generally harder to use, but to that, i would just say to try it with a rope that's 8.8 to 9.5. It works great with my Tendon cord. And it's had the anti panic feature Petzl added to the Grigri+ for a couple years now. Plus it doesn't leave that grey stuff on your rope like the Grigri does. It's purely cosmetic, i realize, but it's true none the less.
I recently bought an Alpine UP - a big brother of Click Up, able to take two strands (rappelling, simul). Having belayed on an ATC, GriGri, and MegaJul before, Alpine Up is definitely my favorite and frankly it's quite surprising to me how much less popular and known it is, given how well it works and how easy it is to learn - giving slack is almost as easy as with an ATC (I don't like the way you do it with a GriGri, seems kinda sketchy, similar with MegaJul), it's versatile and locks up super well - although there has to be at least minimal tension downwards on the blocking end of the rope, so won't work unless you hold it. Though tbh I kinda like that as well - GriGri gives a lot of people a false sense of confidence because it usually locks up even not held - but it's that tiny margin of error that might get you ;)
I have a couple of comments when it comes to both the GriGri and the Click Up. If you haven't guessed by my previous comments I'm a big Click Up fan.. 1. The GriGri encourages you to give out far more slack than you need. I'm amazed how many belayers I've seen using GriGri's that have insane levels of slack in the system. From my own experience I think it's because if it locks by accident (didn't give enough slack for the climber who's now clipping) it's a bitch to unlock the system while the climber is still active and often will ruin a redpoint attempt. 2. The Click Up is so much easier to unlock if you need too. "Oh crap I didn't give out quite enough slack and now he's pulling on the rope" all you have to do is yank it upwards and you're good to go. This means you're far more likely to have the right amount of slack for the climber since you treat it far more like a regular belay plate over a GriGri. 3. The heat issue is something I've run into. However I've only found it an issue when I'm lowering someone off at a fair speed. I think it's really just an issue of people being lazy and lowering climbers to fast.
Can you use a clickup at all for solo climbs? Matthew Hunter's channel has a neat solo tutorial with a super simple system but I can't translate it in my head
I use a 9.9 mm rope. I got this mainly for my girlfriend since she's new at climbing. But I had to get used to using it. For top roping it works great. But when I go lead climbing with my buddies it grabs whenever I'm trying to feed slack quickly🤷🏼♂️
Debate: I have used a gri gri for so long that I self belay for fixing holds using a gri gri on the left side (required due to the lever) and am yet to have an issue after testing it extensively by leaping off the wall to try and make it not work. Avid climbers will immediately note that it’s an assisted breaking device and that it’s dangerous to self belay with this. However, the physics can not and will not ever fail while the gear is undamaged. Inertia locks work 100% of the time, with the one risk being the handle when the gri gri hangs below you. I climbed up 12 feet (crash pad below) and intentionally wound the slack around the handle on one jump and another where I wedged the level in my harness. Both times, the handle simply wasn’t being pulled from the right distance up the handle to apply the force to release tension at any reasonable rate. Sure, better gear exists designed for solo assisting. The gri gri is all I have, and it’s worked flawlessly no matter how I try and make it fail. Thoughts? Mostly hoping for stories of failures so I can find a flaw in the system
I’ll have to see how it works with a 9.7 rope with the thicker ropes it locks up when your climber needs slack quickly and is very annoying trying to give them rope after it’s locked.
I have the alpine up a few years ago and I do not change it for anything. Great product It is lighter, does not require maintenance, has no mechanical parts.
@@dailyclimbing nice! it would be worth seeing the edelrid mega jul also (or the giga jul that is coming out soon), and mentioning any difference you felt with the mammut smart
I really feel like money should not be a deciding factor in these price ranges. We're talking about 60 bucks, for something that's going to be the only safety point for the climber, and you will probably use your belay device for several years. In all those years, you'll probably spend more on magnesium than you will save on the belay device.
1) grigri+ has an "anti-panic" function, 2) grigri stops a fall even if you for some reason don't hold the rope in the lower hand (e.g. if you=the belayer get injured). It is not 100%, there are situations where this won't work, but mostly grigri will block even without holding the lower (right) hand....
I got both and I would still choose the Grigri 2. Imagine the worst case scenario: your belayer becoming unconscious (ex. getting hit in the head with a rock, low sugar, etc) just when you are falling and he/she is not holding the rope... the Click up won’t lock up... the Grigri can lock up even if the belayer is not holding the rope .... again this would be a worst case scenario
I've got an ATC Pilot for a week now, "great because it's like an ATC". It's about the same thing, simple, cheap (40€ here in France). It works fine. No problem to give slack quickly. Not for beginners in my opinion beginners should not learn with assisted braking devices. But it's nice for advanced climbers who will spend a long time working in the routes. Also good for kids and schools I think.
great video, I wanted to point out that the click up could possibly have an increased chance of catching cloths or fingers in the device due the very hands~on device operation. Fodder fot thoughts, thank you.
Sure! It is important to maintain general situational awareness of the climber, which does not require always keeping your eyes locked onto them, which isn't possible on many pitches anyway. Also learning to belay from a product comparison video is a terrible idea. Obviously.
Click up seems like a stupid variation of the brilliant Mammut smart, there's an improved version and it works perfect, it also don't has the cons mentioned for the clickup. The smart really is intuitive and you have the absolute control over everything, that's what I love about it :)
Hey ! You should make a other video between the salewa ergo, mammut smart and the click up cause they are very similar each other and I'm wondering what's the better belay for every situation. If possible 😊
did you try the ATC Pilot from Black Diamond? For me this is the best belay Device. Its like a Tuber but i got assisted breaking. I really like it to belay with this.
GriGri's are great for top-down belays and pick-offs, unlike the Click Up which can only be used as a belay from the bottom of the crag. If you're only going to buy one, go with the Grigri.
I think it's an oversimplification to say that the grigri is "easy to use" and to ignore the inherent issues with geometry-based assisted locking devices (Click up, Smart, Megajul, etc). Every choice we make while climbing is a compromise. Just know the implications of the choices you make. In this case, know your gear and it’s limitations. I know you guys are focused on helping narrow down the choices for beginners, but I feel avoiding the technical issues does the public a disservice.
some while back, i took an alpine club course during which i had the chance to test all the major assisted-braking devices (grigri, clickup, smart) and i was very convinced by the salewa ergo. i've been using it eversince, and i don't think this device gets enough attention. being an auto-tuber, it's very simple to use, it locks very consistently and it has "nose" with which you can open the device, so there's never this weird, fiddly moment, when your climber needs a lot of slack for a clip. BD quite recently released a very similar device, which just shows that this system works pretty well.
Can you give me some perspective? As I understand it, the Clickup will only "assist" the catch if the belayer makes the catch in correct position, with brake hand down. If the belayer has both hands off the rope/device, the device won't "assist", right?
generally, yes. you should never ever let go of the break rope. but especially outside, i.e. in multi-pitch routes, things can go wrong (rockfall for example), and there might be a situation, in which the device has to catch the fall fully by itself. as the DAV (german alpine club) found out during a test, there are differences in that matter. the clickup for instance needs doesn't seem to lock reliably when falls are very soft (minimum force necessary), while other auto-tubers like the smart or mega-jul and jul2 have problems catching hard falls on their own. the grigri 2 and the ergo don't seem to have these problems. so, some assist even when you don't have your hand where it should be (though of course you should never put that to the test without a failsafe) while others are not so reliable.
I'm using an ergo aswell and find it the most intuitive assisted belay device, since it fits in your hand so good and has an easy way to controll the blocking (the lip mentioned by the parent comment)
I have used the Click Up and I found it very good.Belaying with this device was an enjoyable experience but I found one thing I did not like. When the climber took a fall (lets say 1-2 meters) and she pulled the rope to return up I diverged from the bottom of the route and I had to come closer again. That's when I found out that taking rope while the climber was hanging was very difficult and this is the reason I think this device is not for projecting a route. (Hope I described it well enough. English is not my mother tongue)
when lowering off a climber from a 40 meter wall recently my clickup got very hot, had to take it slow and even pause at times. The grigri also got quite hot. I love my clickup for general sport climbing.
Guys, thanks so much for all the awesome comments and thoughts on the video and other belay devices, let us know what other belay device comparisons, or any other gear comparisons you'd like to see and we'll try and get them done!
Yeah, I have a comparison I would like to see, click up plus and mammut smart 2.0. I own a smart alpine (for wide ropes) and love it, but would like to know if it's worth buying another device or if I would just leave it in my rack while I use the smart. Great videos!!
Please compare MadRock Lifeguard to the Gri Gris.... cheers
The next gri gri should address the sensitivity of the lever. It seems when I use it I either have to lower the climber very slowly, or they drop like the tower of terror. I rarely get that sweetspot of a fast but controlled descent. That's the only problem with the gri gri imo.
I have always felt uncomfortable belaying with a GriGri (I know I know...I'm not doing it right, I just need more practice, I must be insane!). My partner is quite a bit heavier than I am, though, so I like the assisted braking, especially for rests. I LOVE the Edelrid Mega Jul, and it seems similar to the Click Up. It also allows for two ropes!
@@brianamk01 look into an edlrid ohm to add to your kit if your partner is significantly heavier. Matt did a review on it and I was quite impressed.
You said "I can't talk about it unless I KNOW about it." I wish everyone on this planet did that!!!
Donald Trump comes to mind
It's also not true, you can always talk about something you don't know about. It's how you learn most effectively. But it's important that you understand what you don't know, and listen to people who do.
@@user-zb8tq5pr4x you can even have a more interesting view of something bc you're on the outside and have this wide view
It's been 2 years since i've made the switch to an alpine up (alpine version of the click up) and I find it so versatile compared to the grigri that I would never go back to that last one. The big plus is that you can use half ropes, abseil without any prussik knot, belay a second and even belay on a dynamic mode ( more like an atc (useful when ice climbing when you don't wanna shock load anything)) Super versatile, I love it.
I struggle with Grigri mostly because as a left handed I feel like the lever and system are on the wrong side. No such problem with ClickUp which like ATC devices is symmetrical, so great for either left or right handed. There is a bit of a learning curve to feel really comfortable with ClickUp but well worth the effort. Agreed that it is pretty terrible with thick ropes/top ropes, but then so is Grigri in my experience..
I've been using the Alpine Up (which is the more heavy duty version of the Click Up) for years. Much prefer it to GriGri for sport climbing.
I've used the Click Up for quite a while, I think one and a half years in total. The hing about it is...I think it's a great device that is pretty simple to use. But it is to fiddly for my taste, when you have to secure very dynamic, when you have to give out th rope quickly (it tends to block itself there sometimes if you try it a little bit hasty). What I loved about it was how good it felt when the climber finished the route and I had to let him down, it is a really intuative thing especially for beginners. But also the Click Up doesn't really like your typical climbing gym top ropes. You all know these ropes, they are pretty thick and due to extensive use the surface is pretty rough and beat up. Ther eit sometimes has its problems when letting the climber down. It tends to block when those beat up ropes flow through the device. That's the reason why I personally changed to the AustriAlpin Fish belaying device. It is pretty much like the famous Mammut Smart but with the little extra of a better designed hook in the front (for giving out the rope dynamically I really appreciate thet) and it also has a lever for letting the climber down. The lever is pretty close to the way the lever of the GriGri works, but it has some better sensation of the rope going through the device, so for me it somewhat combindes the pros of the GriGri and the ClickUp.
I use the Grigri and the click-up. I take the click-up exclusively to crag and gym. I'll use someone else's Grigri once in a while. I used to use the Grigri but the click-up pushed me off the Grigri in ~2009. It is easier to use. Even though I am likely an expert belayer at this point, I want complete control. Anything that gives me the slightest edge on-task will get me interested. For this reason I try all devices that are introduced to the market.
• Rope-thickness affects the Grigri and click-up similarly. The rope-sensitivity of the Click-up is over-emphasized in this video. The Mega Jule was mentioned. After trying the MJ for a few weeks I found it to be very rope-sensitive, sticky for thick ropes.
• The BD Pilot is best compared with / contrasted to the Mammut Smart because the break end is tracked in a channel similarly and friction is controlled similarly by catching the thumb in the nose of the device. The belay operations of these devices are most similar to each other. I thought the Pilot would push me off the Click-Up (stainless steel, light, cheap, simple). It didn't because it does not have that intuitive feel that I get from the ATC, Reverso basket-type devices.
• Over the years I have replaced 2 HMS carabiners for the same Click-up. The biner is the only spot that the functioning unit wears. The 2009 click-up mentioned above looks as good as the day I bought it minus the cosmetic dings.
• Which brings me to another sticking point in the video. All of the HMS biners that I bought to replace the original were different. In fact I only bought the Click-Up, not the recommended HMS biner. I have used the biner without a keeper, but after experiencing the keeper I use an HMS biner with a keeper for the Reverso also (good for Grigri too). At some point basket type devices will cross-load the biner. It has happened to me a few times while catching a fall, it is more annoying than dangerous.
• I have never had the fiddly moment referred to in the video when my climber hurriedly gets back on the wall.
• Increased heat in the device? I have developed sport and trad (installing anchors/ bolts) with the click-up. Whether you abseil on one rope or lower a climber, the force on the device and the heat generated are similar. I've never had a problem there.
• The Click-Up is a single pitch sport climbing device. It lacks the versatility of ATC/ Reverso because it cannot admit two ropes to rappel off the top. For this reason I also take the Reverso to the crag. Climbing Tech also made the Alpine up for this purpose, but I hated it (bulky, didn't manage friction well, very rope-sensitive).
thanks for sharing ! I am a beginner and GriGri+(2) is just smaller than the GriGri(1) from Petzl, which makes it not as attractive option for me. Therefore I have been looking for alternatives. ATC Pilot looked very interesting, but I haven't tried it. Now, this ClickUP mechanism looks even more interesting, especially the speed control seems better. Out of curiosity, would you recommend ATC Pilot over ClickUP/GriGri+ for beginner or not?
Grigris aren't lefty friendly! I totally would buy one, but they are SO difficult for lefties and there is no lefty version as of now. So excited about this new device, definitely going to invest!
Im just throwing this out there and not being mea but you CAN learn to be a right handed gri gri user. Its not that hard to do it in theory. You remeber Muscle memory right? Well, so broke some ribs and fractured one of my right arm last year in a shittu car accident. And since recovery was gonna be several weeks I had to learn to do things with my off hand...its not really an offhand anymore. I can legit pick up something like a tooth brush and brush my teeth with it and it doesn't feel weird anymore. I can decide which hand to use and it's notan issue. Both flow the same and in my head theres no weird feeling anymore when using my off hand. Anyways, just a weird suggestion lol. You can ignore it. Have a nice day.
I've got both a Grigri 2 and a Clickup+ and the toasty carabiner on the Clickup+ actually kind of is a big deal... I'm scared for my rope with how hot it gets honestly. I also have a 10mm rope and I've found giving slack on the Clickup+ is super fiddly and I need to hold it in a weird way to give slack whilst keeping it from locking up.
We have gri gris at work and if you’re belaying all day, they’re great for that. I do fancy looking into others for personally use such as the click up and the BD pilot
Gri Gri is hard to use for left handed, the click up is for both left and right handed
alon cohen im left handed and havent ever had an issue with the gri gri, i love mine...
Courtney Shock I tried using the gri gri but its just felt weird and hard... I hope they will come out with a gri gri for lefties
alon cohen did you try to use it different or just the normal way? I use it the same way he does and its just something you have to get use to
Courtney Shock I think I will try to use it again but now I prefer the click up
alon cohen if you like the click up then definitely use it, i just wanted to give my input so left handed people didnt assume they couldn't use the gri gri before they even tried it
You guys should do an updated video for the new Click Up + vs the latest GriGri :)
It's lame he said there's never version and then said one of the biggest cons was the panic thing which they fixed...
I’ve never used or handled the Click Up but I have used both a GriGri 2 and Plus and my main device is actually an BD ATC Pilot. A comparison between the Click Up and Pilot would be interesting because they function very similarly. I believe the Edelrid Megajul does as well, with how they pinch the rope to assist breaking and the same kind of pivot movement to lower.
I started with HMS/figure-of-eight, took a break from climbing, came back, got an ATC XP, and now a Click Up. Aside from minor changes I never had to adjust the way I move my hands.
My main issue with the Click Up is thick, worn ropes. The feeding can be awfully fiddly. But in those rare cases I can fall back to the ATC.
I'm sure most climbers had a similar experience... and that's why I have trust issues with any device that requires to learn different motions. With the GriGri that's primarily the whole "panic-while-using-the-break" problem. There's been cases when even experienced climbers screwed this up. And that's always in my mind when I see it in use.
In my personal experience has been that beginners are safer with a GriGri. The problem I have had when teaching first timers how to use an ATC or tube device is they will not naturally hold the rope in the brake position.
I like that you admitted that it may be changing your mind. I'm a VERY beginner climber and I'm starting to look for pieces of kit. I've used your average ATC most of the time, and the grigri a few times and I must say I prefer any old ATC over the GriGri. The GriGri works very well but it's a little overly complicated and at times it feels like it buggers things up because the rope doesn't just flow through it as easily as an ATC. MOST of the people who belay at my local gym use just a standard ATC, even though they gym provides them with 2 GriGri's in the gear closet. And for me personally I find that it just flows more naturally using an ATC I don't have to think about it. Where as with a GriGri I sort of have to think about what I'm doing with the device more than I want to be.
with the grigri though, just be aware. I of course won't say it's auto-locking, but it does have break assist. which, most of the ground falls I've heard about recently were all on ATC's. I'm a Red River Gorge climber, last major fall was a 80 foot fall because a climber let go of the break hand. 5 years ago I was dropped 30 feet in the gym because my belayer let go of the break hand. It's a mistake that should NEVER happen....but it does
you might like belaying with an atc but i prefer being belayed by a gri gri. Chances are greater I get hurt being belayed by an atc than with a gri gri.
I borrowed someone else's GriGri. I don't know which version it was, maybe an original V1 that's been had for a while. Unlike the ATC it takes care when paying out to stop it locking up. You have to be feeding in from the brake hand at least before pulling through. May sound obvious, but if you put any tension on it it locks.
That said, I'd be tempted by a GriGri simply because of the reputation it has. I've also heard that the later ones are better at paying out.
I had someone drop me at the gym on a grigri !! Belayer opened it up and then spaced out. So, realistically, pick your belayer carefully !!! But generally I will say the grigri is more fool proof.
Gri gri not a belay devices, it is a lifestlye
Haha! Thats brand loyalty :D
a death style is more like it.
With the click-up I think it's a problem that if you give out rope fast by clipping or something ... The click-up closes up
I dont like it that much but I have no experience with the grigri eighter.
I use the ergo from salewa and it's kinda similar to the click up but it doesn't close up that quickly. Also it has this little "nose" kinda thing which is nice to bring the climber down.
Have a nice weekend
thanks Tim, good to hear that the Salewa Ergo is working well for you
It seem all assisted braking devices are always compared to the GriGri. Seldom does one hear about the Lifeguard from Mad Rock. I've tried the GriGri and didn't care for it, also I don't like being like everyone else with the same clanking noise as I'm climbing (we all know the clank of a GriGri). The Lifeguard is smaller in size than both the GriGri and the Click Up, it's also lighter than the GriGri and operates the same way with a stronger assisted brake function on most ropes.
And even though I have a Lifeguard, I still find that a traditional ATC is still a go-to. There is no replacement for good belay technique and undivided attention to the climber.
That is true I own a lifeguard and I love it I think it is alot better then the grigri
"Undivided attention" is great and all … until you get hit on the head by a rock. I want my belay device to have a failsafe.
The Alpine Up is my go-to device for pretty much every type of climbing. Great for belaying, rappeling, and guide mode.
Thanks for the video review.
I would like to know how this device performs as a self-belay device.
Many climbers use belay devices such as the GriGri2 as self-belay devices.
It works but not as well as an ATC. The bend on a GriGri is way sharper than an ATC so the GriGri bites more and has a very sharp transition from biting to releasing. It also wears the rope more as it has a larger surface area. The disadvantage of an ATC is that you need to have a backup prussik (3rd hand or leg brake) [which really isn't a big deal]. ATC has the advantage of being able to use 2 sides of your rope whereas a grigri has only 1 rope to lower you and the rope goes through the anchor which means more wear on the rope and potential problems.
I predominately go sport climbing so I'm a lot more used to using standard ATC devices - ive used a few Gri Gris and although they were good, never felt like the need to buy one but I can definitely see myself using the Click Up. I figure that with the asssited breaking, it will also prove useful on those redpoints/projects where I need to sit on the harness and rest or look for my next move... without slowly sliding down
Thank you for all your videos on testing different belay devices! I am learning a lot! I have a question: how do you feed slack quickly without accidentally engaging the assisted brake of the click up? This happens to me occasionally and then I'm short-slacking my climbers right when they're trying to clip. Makes me feel horrible!! I'd really appreciate advice from you or any other viewers.
A few summers ago I used the click-up in a guiding scenario. Most of the work was single pitch top rope. The organization I worked for provided us with a click-up for use in awkward belays and rescue scenarios. Due to the number of climbers, the ropes were pretty thick. In this specific instance the only time a click-up was used was when we were ironically belaying each other with it after the clients had left. I wish they had given us ATC guides instead. With that thicker rope it was miserable and borderline unusable.
I personally tried both the GriGri and ClickUp, and I'm currently using the ClickUp for lead belaying. Besides the disadvantages stated in the video for the GriGri, it is also alittle bias to right handers, even though it is not a big issue as long as you have enough practice with it. Another advantage of belay devices like the ClickUp, it is easily noticeable if there were to be any cracks or major scratches, however as for the GriGri, if one were to drop it on the floor, the internal structure of the device might be damaged and it would be very challenging to discover the problem. Just sharing my point of view and it is kinda obvious which is my go to belay device. NEVERTHELESS, NEVER LET GO OF YOUR BREAKING HAND! Thanks
Can you please review the Edelrid MegaJul. I know some belayers that struggle with the operation of the GriGri, but the MegaJul is quite close to a regular ATC - so less confusion
Agreed, click up and BD pilot changing the game for me.
I think the biggest disadvantage to GriGri is for beginners: backward loaded equals death.
You may not think it happens, but I assure you it does. People misunderstand those drawings all the time.
Loading a click up backwards is like loading an atc backwards - no big deal (of course it removes the assisted braking aspect)
One issue I've found with a Grigri2 is that when you lower from above off anchor there is a lot of force on the device and the handle is really hard to get it to just un-pinch the rope so that you can lower the climber. I had to have gloves on whilst lowering due to the forces.
I would also love to see a review of the Mega Jul and the Mad Rock Lifeguard please!
As someone who has used both I do prefer the clickup for lead belay. In fact it's my first choice in that category.
The main drawback to me is that I don't find the clickup very nice when top roping (especially not on thick gym ropes).
In the end it's so good at lead and bad at top rope that I use two different devices...
What makes the click up so bad at top rope?
oXistence It takes a lot of effort to pull rope through compared to many other devices. Especially so on thick indoor gym ropes (which is where I do most of my top roping).
Thanks :)
Hi Peter, I find the Mega Jul to be great for both sport climing and top roping. Maybe give it a try?
It has assisted breaking for thinner 'sport' ropes but can be flipped over for use without assisted breaking on thicker 'TR' ropes. It's also cheaper than both the Click Up and GriGri, can be used to rappel off two strands, and can belay 1 or 2 strands from above with assisted breaking.
The two cons I've come across with the Mega Jul are a jerky rappel (when using in the assisted breaking manner with thicker or long ropes) and some slippage of the assisted breaking on smaller ropes (problematic when trying to pass the knot on rappel or ascend). When concerned about a jerky rappel, I use it in the non-locking mode with a 'third hand' prusik.
interesting video, from what I've seen on the net, the grigri is what's used by industrial rope access workers, ie:window cleaners on skyscrapers, aerial maintenance, etc. where a handle is a good idea, they use it one handed, and since there is no risk of a piece of gear (they have a lot on them as they climb the rope, not a rock as steel is slippery!) causing the device to move and "click over" and hence failing to grip. what they do use it for is as a breaking device during descent off a height, in which the handle is used to lock off and control the descent rate, especially during a rescue maneuver where they have to rig up the casualty as well as control their own motions on their own rope.
I have been using the click up for more than 2 years now. Not that I don't like the grigri, but its really not a left handed friendly device, and I am left handed. So would definitely recommend the click up to all lefties like me. Plus if you are using a ATC before, it's really easy to learn to use the click up and it is much safer than an ATC.
Have you noticed any abnormal wear on the carabiner that you use with the click up?
I have been trained to use gri-gri and atc. Just because the budget we bought an Alpine-up (includes Click-up) wondering if it was a good choice or if we would put it in the trash in a few weeks but after 4 months using it every weekend I can say that I like it. The control of the decending process of course must be controlled by the belayer ALWAYS so the self locking system of the gri-gri is not a reason to leave the dead rope with no atention....or any other system.
I have seens several accidents (falls to the ground) while the belayer is using a gri-gri so the device is not a replacement of the belayer (partner). It makes me think that the only weakness og this device is the biggest and most dangerous. Of course when you are a responsable belayer ...you are able to use all the devices. No doubt about that!!
Now we are going to do the next step with our device and we will start using it for the other functions like rappeling and so on.
I repeat...I was afraid of the Click-up (alpine-up) system at the beggining but when you test it with your partner is very easy to use and you can trust on its assistance.
BTW when it is brand new the unlock procedure is not that easy as later on but that is the reason they released Click-up+ which has some more space for the carabin to unlock the device.
biggest hassle with the click-up is when you are too slow while giving out rope. it happens that climber pulls faster than you give out and click-up locks up. then you have a dangerous situation. it lakes ages to unclick the device and climber has to stop pulling for that, which is counterintuitive.
these days beginners often have never used an atc.
The biggest problem ive had with the click up is with wider "well used" ropes... when you try to give out slack quickly it starts clicking up and blocking which is pretty annoying especially if your climber is in a tough spot and you cant give them the amount of rope they need...
The Edelrid Jul 2 is my favorite!!!
Literally all the cons mentioned in this video for these devices are nonexistent with the Jul 2...
I also got jul2 few months ago. Only issue - It does catch a bit on flattened bits of the rope.
Could you please do a review on Alpine Up?
I use the click up with a 10.2 dry rope and have had very few issues with feeding. I also bought it because it's similar to the ATC, which I started on. The heat issue is definitely there, but that's why my ATC never leaves my harness.
For sport (indoor) : Gri gri
Alpine Light/Big routes : Reverso.
Try the alpine up instead of the click up. It seemed awesome and a grigri killer for the multipitch to me. ;)
Thanks guys!
I still use an 8 for abseiling as I consider my sacrificial device.
I’ve worn carabiners out belaying and abseiling with ATCs
The best things about the click up you forgot to tell everybody is that
1) the click up has a lower chance to have a mechanical failure when in use since it’s only 2 components working together!
2) if anything on the click up should fail yes like you said it will be the carabiner. Why because if the rope is not managed and stored properly just like the 8 you will see that it has been eaten by how the rope runs. So yes you will know when it’s time to get a new carabiner without ruining a great day of climbing!
3) you know that the click up is only for climbing and not multi-use like for rappelling and a list of thing like you said, so this tells you yes with Climbing technology you might have to get a few more things than another climbing company but if you use it for one thing and one thing only it will last longer by far!
And I know any climber will not do this but if you drag the grigri in dirt and click up also I think that the click up wins buy working normally and if you would like to clean if this happens it’s too easy!
The critical point which is rarely discussed is, lead climber pulls of a block that nails the belayer, belayer lets go or tries to, maybe with a grigri grabs the live rope and depending on distance and force falls further than the leader would like. The cam in the GRigri is the problem, allows for easy payout of the rope but means that a lower grab force on the live rope leads to deck falls.
So this is the first time I've seen the click up and it looks fairly similar to the BD pilot except it has a really nice way of holding the carabiner out of the assisted braking position when giving slack. I don't use the BD pilot when lead belaying for that very reason. I am curious though because I was inspecting the carabiner that I use with the BD pilot and noticed some chipping/markings from when the carabiner comes into contact with the Pilot when in the brake position. I've now completely abandoned the BD pilot because I'm a bit skeptical that it may have caused some microfractures in the carabiner itself. Anyone have any experience with the click up and seen the same issue?
ive been using the mega jule by edilrid for a long time and find it really easy to use, could you do a video comparing more belay devices including the jule?
At 11:58 you see exactly why the Grigri is the better delay! If you hold the breaking rope parallel like in this moment, the Clickup won‘t work. N the meantime youcan get get Grigri 2 plus with Antipanic-function!
Good afternoon. Can this device be used as a means of help to ensure only one when climbing for example to a tree?
I've never used a gri gri but I've been using the click up for a few weeks and love it coming from a normal ATC. I watched a few videos on auto lock devices and the click up just seemed to be much more simple. Another big reason I like it is due to it being so easy, it's a good device to use while teaching people how to belay on a lead climb, if for some reason they panic when they come off the ground it helps me not die and it's easy for them to use and lower me back down. Like I said I've never used a grigri but for me the click up is amazing for me and people I'm teaching.
"helps me not die" - thats a nice feature ;)
Ive been using the Click-Up for more than 2 years, completly agree with Matt. Is my preferred device for belaying sport routes, over GriGri, over Cinch. For long abseiling use another device.
I love the GriGri and probably always will. But thanks Matt and epic tv for your gear videos..... now I'm gonna have to buy a click up and try for myself.... Also I read a ton of comments about left handed use of the grigri , I'm left handed and I don't have any issues using the thing.....
Great video. I think you have helped me make up my mind. I have the original Gri gri and I’m looking to replace it. I normally use my ATC but would like to add an additional assisted braking device.
Great stuff... so what's the verdict a year later? GriGri or Click Up
I use Click Up for years, it's great. It's safe and simple for sport climbing!
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One huge plus for the click up is if you are a left hand belayer, as I am. There is no approved method for left hand lead belaying with a grigri. So, I use the click up as a left hander and love it, incredibly simple and safe device!
The only reason I haven't really liked the Gri Gri is because I am left handed and use my left hand for my break hand. The Click Up looks like a nice solution to that problem. I've always wished Petzl would make a left handed Gri Gri
Isn't the click up 2 coming really soon?
Yes it came soon and it sucks :D
The Alpine Up is the superior version of the clickUp, in my opinion. Still lighter than a Grigri, and you can rappel on 2 ropes or belay from the anchor-- two things a Grigri cannot do.
Nice video, well explained!
Another disadvantage of the Grigri is when you're giving slack fast - you essentially need to block the auto braking function of the device. There are some posts on reddit about accidents happening, if the climber falls during this moment.
P.S. Could you also please compare this to the ATC Pilot from BD? It seems to be the same principle, only smaller and cheaper than the Click Up.
your thumb must be incredibly strong to bypass the lockup on a grigri :) seriously.. it can't be true... when paying out slack fast with a grigri you just gently hold down the cam with your thumb, if the climber falls during that the cam will overcome the pressure coming from your thumb easily. i'm using and i love the grigri before it i was using the mammut smart - it's yet another amazing and really cheap assisted braking belay device.. and it's also very popular over here . i would say it's up to the user to choose... all of the assisted braking devices are doing a good job compared to plain tube like devices (e.g. atc).
The ATC pilot uses the same principle as the Mammut Smart (which is $10 less), you can find man comparisons between various devices and the smart. The edelrid mega jul uses the same method as well.
To me the ATC Pilot is pretty much an exact copy of the Salewa Ergo, which I really like. So I expect the ATC Pilot to be good too, never really tried it though.
@@robertjung8929 wrong, theres a video on youtube of this where even a petite female climber belaying a larger guy can hold down the cam just fine on the grigri
@@ugiboogy1111 when the grigri is held correctly , so you have 4 fingers curled around the rope, have your thumb on the cam and the grigri is resting on your index finger while paying out slack, there is no way to hold down the cam with enough force... end of discussion.... and yes i seen the video by Hard is easy.. they demonstrated what happens when you hold the grigri incorrectly, that girl was not holding the rope at all while firmly holding the grigri and pressing on the cam.
Try the Madrock lifeguard vs the grigri? Works the same but it's smaller.
didnt read all the comments but the click-up if used incorrectly will still work as a belay device albeit unassisted. also the clickup once locked will stay locked, ie you have to unlock it manually. i found this feature useful once when i was seconding and the belayer had too much drag that it was impossible to belay me. so i put on the click up in the locked position and belayed myself up... also for this reason click up is safest for beginners and top roping
Can you self belay with these too? Sorry about the beginner question
I’m a newer climber. (About 8 months) I have been climbing with my sister who is a heavier weight than me. She has fallen off the wall and I stopped her but my hand came up and got caught between the rope and atc.
I was thinking about getting a gri gri to have that extra breaking security. Now I’m looking into this click up.
Would it be recommend for someone like me just to have the extra “stop” since I’m belaying someone who is a different weight?
(We have only done top rope climbing in a gym)
*i completely understand never to fully rely on a breaking device and always make sure I have control of the rope*
i would suggest you a grigri, if you are a novice perhaps even a grigri+, with anti panic function
the click-up is a novelty and is quite rare tbh, the grigri in sports climbing is golden standard, anyone, your new potential climbing partner will already know and have experience with grigri (quite the majority of climbers), where with click-up it requires initial crash course as its so rare
with click up the transitioning of climber resting on a rope and paying out slack can be difficult, as the rope is still tense, perhaps with heavier climber that can be harder, with grigri its just a bit of lowering lever use , and you can pay out slack the usual way
to sum it all up, both systems are safe, but i dont think there is a great need to divert from grigri, perhaps with click up giving rope is a tad easier, for me personally its not worth it.
check your rope compatibility with either device you are going to buy
about belaying with tubular device, its all good and safe until you have climbed for a while, your hands are sore, you are tired and lost a bit of focus, thats where the auto break assist shines, when you are tired, but still try to push that extra route safely
Any love for the Smart Alpine or Megajul? They both do it all in my opinion. I'm surprised I don't see them more often. Cons are minimal imo
What if you panic on the 'Click up' and push it all the way when lowering some one? Will it re-lock? Or is it not possible to do that?
enotkvit if you unlock it by pushing al the way down, it’s already in a position to relock itself. It will just click up again.
You are directly fighting the force that clicks it into a locked position when you push it, whereas with the gri gri you are not because the lever fights that force for you. If you were to panic because you pushed it all the way down, instinctually you will want to stop applying so much force and it will lock itself up again. With the gri gri you are not really applying force to the lever, so there is no instinctive reason to assume you have to push the lever forward again to stop the falling.
Learned on the ClickUp. Hated it for „clicking up“ to fast especially when your a beginner. Giving out slack fast I found really hard without triggering the breaking system. I’m using a Smart now. Like it way better.
I've used both & prefer the Grigri. But for me, they are fighting for a very distant second place. My current setup is a Camp Matik, BD Magnetron, and a Tendon Master Pro 9.2. I'd like to see a video about the Matik. It's super easy to use. I know it has a reputation for being heavier, overpriced, and generally harder to use, but to that, i would just say to try it with a rope that's 8.8 to 9.5. It works great with my Tendon cord. And it's had the anti panic feature Petzl added to the Grigri+ for a couple years now. Plus it doesn't leave that grey stuff on your rope like the Grigri does. It's purely cosmetic, i realize, but it's true none the less.
I recently bought an Alpine UP - a big brother of Click Up, able to take two strands (rappelling, simul). Having belayed on an ATC, GriGri, and MegaJul before, Alpine Up is definitely my favorite and frankly it's quite surprising to me how much less popular and known it is, given how well it works and how easy it is to learn - giving slack is almost as easy as with an ATC (I don't like the way you do it with a GriGri, seems kinda sketchy, similar with MegaJul), it's versatile and locks up super well - although there has to be at least minimal tension downwards on the blocking end of the rope, so won't work unless you hold it. Though tbh I kinda like that as well - GriGri gives a lot of people a false sense of confidence because it usually locks up even not held - but it's that tiny margin of error that might get you ;)
I have a couple of comments when it comes to both the GriGri and the Click Up. If you haven't guessed by my previous comments I'm a big Click Up fan..
1. The GriGri encourages you to give out far more slack than you need. I'm amazed how many belayers I've seen using GriGri's that have insane levels of slack in the system. From my own experience I think it's because if it locks by accident (didn't give enough slack for the climber who's now clipping) it's a bitch to unlock the system while the climber is still active and often will ruin a redpoint attempt.
2. The Click Up is so much easier to unlock if you need too. "Oh crap I didn't give out quite enough slack and now he's pulling on the rope" all you have to do is yank it upwards and you're good to go. This means you're far more likely to have the right amount of slack for the climber since you treat it far more like a regular belay plate over a GriGri.
3. The heat issue is something I've run into. However I've only found it an issue when I'm lowering someone off at a fair speed. I think it's really just an issue of people being lazy and lowering climbers to fast.
Can you use a clickup at all for solo climbs? Matthew Hunter's channel has a neat solo tutorial with a super simple system but I can't translate it in my head
I use a 9.9 mm rope. I got this mainly for my girlfriend since she's new at climbing. But I had to get used to using it. For top roping it works great. But when I go lead climbing with my buddies it grabs whenever I'm trying to feed slack quickly🤷🏼♂️
Debate: I have used a gri gri for so long that I self belay for fixing holds using a gri gri on the left side (required due to the lever) and am yet to have an issue after testing it extensively by leaping off the wall to try and make it not work. Avid climbers will immediately note that it’s an assisted breaking device and that it’s dangerous to self belay with this. However, the physics can not and will not ever fail while the gear is undamaged. Inertia locks work 100% of the time, with the one risk being the handle when the gri gri hangs below you. I climbed up 12 feet (crash pad below) and intentionally wound the slack around the handle on one jump and another where I wedged the level in my harness. Both times, the handle simply wasn’t being pulled from the right distance up the handle to apply the force to release tension at any reasonable rate. Sure, better gear exists designed for solo assisting. The gri gri is all I have, and it’s worked flawlessly no matter how I try and make it fail.
Thoughts? Mostly hoping for stories of failures so I can find a flaw in the system
Did someone use with a 10.5 rope? How did it work?
I’ll have to see how it works with a 9.7 rope with the thicker ropes it locks up when your climber needs slack quickly and is very annoying trying to give them rope after it’s locked.
And what would be better the CLICK-UP or ATC ALPINE GUIDE?
Please make a video if possible?
I have the alpine up a few years ago and I do not change it for anything. Great product It is lighter, does not require maintenance, has no mechanical parts.
any chance theres an idea of making a review from the bd pilot?
its coming! :D Maybe in the next month
@@dailyclimbing nice! it would be worth seeing the edelrid mega jul also (or the giga jul that is coming out soon), and mentioning any difference you felt with the mammut smart
@@marc5279 noted, thanks Marc!
Or spend 1/3rd and get a Megajul, which is a lot easier to use, and is more versatile.
I really feel like money should not be a deciding factor in these price ranges. We're talking about 60 bucks, for something that's going to be the only safety point for the climber, and you will probably use your belay device for several years. In all those years, you'll probably spend more on magnesium than you will save on the belay device.
I’ve also found you get heat with a gri-gri so perhaps not a negative for the click up. It’s just the whole friction physics thing.
That Click Up remembers me of the old Yoyo. All in all, I prefer the Cinch, because it's so simple and easy to use, even with the Gri-gri-like lever.
1) grigri+ has an "anti-panic" function,
2) grigri stops a fall even if you for some reason don't hold the rope in the lower hand (e.g. if you=the belayer get injured). It is not 100%, there are situations where this won't work, but mostly grigri will block even without holding the lower (right) hand....
please be careful, if you hold both strand parallel with the click up like at 6:34, it will not lock...
I got both and I would still choose the Grigri 2. Imagine the worst case scenario: your belayer becoming unconscious (ex. getting hit in the head with a rock, low sugar, etc) just when you are falling and he/she is not holding the rope... the Click up won’t lock up... the Grigri can lock up even if the belayer is not holding the rope .... again this would be a worst case scenario
"low sugar" - THAT is preventable...
I've got an ATC Pilot for a week now, "great because it's like an ATC". It's about the same thing, simple, cheap (40€ here in France). It works fine. No problem to give slack quickly.
Not for beginners in my opinion beginners should not learn with assisted braking devices. But it's nice for advanced climbers who will spend a long time working in the routes. Also good for kids and schools I think.
Mega Jul.. The only device I would trust in hands of beginners ;) I have seen sooo many people using the GriGri wrong!
Can you use the Clickup top-down?
great video, I wanted to point out that the click up could possibly have an increased chance of catching cloths or fingers in the device due the very hands~on device operation. Fodder fot thoughts, thank you.
I bought a click up. But I don’t like how it locks up when your just feeding slack to the climber.
I want to start practicing climbing. Please tell me, is it ok to look in camera while belaying someone?
Sure! It is important to maintain general situational awareness of the climber, which does not require always keeping your eyes locked onto them, which isn't possible on many pitches anyway. Also learning to belay from a product comparison video is a terrible idea. Obviously.
Click up seems like a stupid variation of the brilliant Mammut smart, there's an improved version and it works perfect, it also don't has the cons mentioned for the clickup.
The smart really is intuitive and you have the absolute control over everything, that's what I love about it :)
Hey ! You should make a other video between the salewa ergo, mammut smart and the click up cause they are very similar each other and I'm wondering what's the better belay for every situation. If possible 😊
did you try the ATC Pilot from Black Diamond? For me this is the best belay Device. Its like a Tuber but i got assisted breaking. I really like it to belay with this.
GriGri's are great for top-down belays and pick-offs, unlike the Click Up which can only be used as a belay from the bottom of the crag. If you're only going to buy one, go with the Grigri.
I have a grigri and a clickup. I find the click much easier for lead belaying. It also works better than the grigri with fat ropes.
I think it's an oversimplification to say that the grigri is "easy to use" and to ignore the inherent issues with geometry-based assisted locking devices (Click up, Smart, Megajul, etc). Every choice we make while climbing is a compromise. Just know the implications of the choices you make. In this case, know your gear and it’s limitations.
I know you guys are focused on helping narrow down the choices for beginners, but I feel avoiding the technical issues does the public a disservice.
Care to elaborate?
Curious about the comparison with mega juel
some while back, i took an alpine club course during which i had the chance to test all the major assisted-braking devices (grigri, clickup, smart) and i was very convinced by the salewa ergo. i've been using it eversince, and i don't think this device gets enough attention. being an auto-tuber, it's very simple to use, it locks very consistently and it has "nose" with which you can open the device, so there's never this weird, fiddly moment, when your climber needs a lot of slack for a clip. BD quite recently released a very similar device, which just shows that this system works pretty well.
Can you give me some perspective? As I understand it, the Clickup will only "assist" the catch if the belayer makes the catch in correct position, with brake hand down. If the belayer has both hands off the rope/device, the device won't "assist", right?
generally, yes. you should never ever let go of the break rope. but especially outside, i.e. in multi-pitch routes, things can go wrong (rockfall for example), and there might be a situation, in which the device has to catch the fall fully by itself. as the DAV (german alpine club) found out during a test, there are differences in that matter. the clickup for instance needs doesn't seem to lock reliably when falls are very soft (minimum force necessary), while other auto-tubers like the smart or mega-jul and jul2 have problems catching hard falls on their own. the grigri 2 and the ergo don't seem to have these problems. so, some assist even when you don't have your hand where it should be (though of course you should never put that to the test without a failsafe) while others are not so reliable.
I'm using an ergo aswell and find it the most intuitive assisted belay device, since it fits in your hand so good and has an easy way to controll the blocking (the lip mentioned by the parent comment)
Idem, I used the salewa ergo for a while, and I liked it a lot! It works simular like the click-up, it's very simpel, not expensive and light weight
This is a good point. Can you post the link to the DAV test please? Thanks a lot!
Do you think they're going to make an aftermarket carabiner that's longer. I'd be willing to purchase one.
I have used the Click Up and I found it very good.Belaying with this device was an enjoyable experience but I found one thing I did not like. When the climber took a fall (lets say 1-2 meters) and she pulled the rope to return up I diverged from the bottom of the route and I had to come closer again. That's when I found out that taking rope while the climber was hanging was very difficult and this is the reason I think this device is not for projecting a route.
(Hope I described it well enough. English is not my mother tongue)
Do a camp matik review. All the benefits of gri gri 2 with a proper anti panic function
Can you also review the "Alpine-up"?
when lowering off a climber from a 40 meter wall recently my clickup got very hot, had to take it slow and even pause at times. The grigri also got quite hot. I love my clickup for general sport climbing.