Page 146 - Rappelling

chapter seven

Single Rope Rappel Devices

for Fixed Lines

Rappelling with an The key safety point to remember when rappelling
Assisted Braking Device with a Grigri is to never take your brake hand off
the rope! If stopping for some reason while rappel-
Petzl Grigri ling with the Grigri, tie a backup knot before you
Used primarily as a belay device for climbing, the take your brake hand off the rope.
Petzl Grigri is “a belay device with assisted brak- Petzl Stop
ing” that can also be used for rappelling a single
fixed rope. Petzl’s current design, the Grigri 2, can The Petzl Stop is a self-braking descender for
be used on ropes from 8.9mm to 11mm in diam- single-rope rappels. I’ve used mine extensively and
eter, although its design is optimized for use with can attest that it is one of the smoothest devices I’ve
9.4mm- to 10.3mm-diameter rope. ever used for long rappels. It does a much better
The Grigri is built with a stainlesss steel fric- job of dissipating heat on long rappels than a Grigri
tion plate and stainless steel cam that locks onto the does; however, it does not lock off as securely as the
rope when the handle is closed. To rappel with the Grigri. When you stop, the rope can creep slowly
Grigri, the left hand opens the handle to unlock through the device. Anything that presses against
the cam, while the right hand holds the rope as the the handle will release the braking mechanism, so
brake hand. I prefer to use a glove for my brake if you take your brake hand off the rope, back up
hand when rappelling with a Grigri. To rappel the Stop by taking a bight of rope through the cara-
smoothly with a Grigri requires practice, as you can biner and looping it over the top of the device.
regulate the braking effect by varying the release of Petzl describes the Stop as “One of the most
the position of the handle and how tightly you grip popular devices for cave descents worldwide. It
the brake strand. The Grigri is far from foolproof, offers exceptional control and versatility, while the
and many lowering accidents have occurred with self-braking function facilitates on-rope maneu-
the device when inexperienced belayers released vers.” The Stop is also very popular with profes-
the handle and took their brake hand off the rope. sional riggers and on-cliff photographers and
camera operators, as it allows smooth descents and
hands-free operation once it’s locked off. Another
advantage of the Stop is the ingenious design that
allows the device to be installed onto and removed
from the rope without disconnecting the device
Beginning the 1,200 foot free-hanging rappel from the carabiner attaching it to the harness. The
into the Golondrinas Cave, Mexico. Stop is about twice as heavy as the Grigri (326

Pho t o b y Kevin Po well grams compared to 170 grams).

135

Rappelling_i-174_3pp_CS55le.indd 135 7/24/13 10:18 AM