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Hanging from GriGri instead of Ropeman?

justsomedude

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 10, 2014
Messages
2,514
Location
Nashville, TN
For you guys that are using the GriGri.

I know you aren't supposed to use it as a work positioner (the original anyway). DO you back it up with an Autoblock? Have yours ever slipped?

I would use it full time on my tether and then rappel with it and not have to have extra gear or do the switchover.

And the GriGri2 is cheaper and made for slightly fatter rope? Any downsides for our uses?
 
This will be my 4th season doing just that. I typically back it with a stopper knot or a prussic.
Simple and effective for me, but that's just for me and you'll have to make your own call.
 
If you have a full functional prusik autoblock under it you can't fall.

I'm going to try one out this week.
Does the tail end tend differently? Any issues with an autoblock setup?
 
I haven't used an autoblock with the grigri2, but I've been meaning to. I can't do that while climbing because i climb RADS so it's kind of pointless for me. This is what i do, which according to petzl is the only safe way to have your hands off the device.

I don't always clip the bight with a biner, especially if it's a quick stop. Tying like this is nice if you have to take your attention away from the device for a little bit.

7ce42e1df2d16d1f2e096ea712160c49.jpg


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The grigri2 is a nice rapell device for how we use it, I'd go with it over the grigri original. Never used one but the 2 is smaller/lighter.

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That tie off isn't too fussy. I generally only pause to take down my platform. And I guess you could tie off while hunting. I've got one coming in the mail...
 
I hang from my Grigri with a prusik autoblock and my full length rappelling rope all the time. I still tie off like the illustration above, and stuff the rest of my line in a rope bag that hangs on my saddle. When I get ready to come down, I tend the prusik with one hand and the device with the other and just let my line feed out of the bag.

One thing to keep in mind, when you start your rappel, don't forget about your autoblock. If the tension between your autoblock and your Grigri gets to tight, you could be in trouble. You have to find away to pull yourself up and get enough slack in your line to free your prusik. You won't fall, but you can't go down and it's a pain to go up.


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For you guys that are using the GriGri.

I know you aren't supposed to use it as a work positioner (the original anyway). DO you back it up with an Autoblock? Have yours ever slipped?

I would use it full time on my tether and then rappel with it and not have to have extra gear or do the switchover.

And the GriGri2 is cheaper and made for slightly fatter rope? Any downsides for our uses?
I use mine with 11mm rope with no issues what so ever, i dont use a backup i just tie in a stopper knot.

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I've usually just hook into a separate tree rope and unhook from the Grigri. I wasn't sure about hanging from it as well as having the extra tackle in the way. Of course, removing can be noisy. I like the suggestions here for locking off since hanging from it would be simpler than switching over at at the top.
 
This is a good discussion. I like the idea of eliminating my tether and just using my rappel rope. I'm going to pick up a Mad Rock Lifeguard as my descender. I'll probably play around with it.

You still have to have a retrieval rope with a link, right?
 
I use my gear hauling paracord tied to the tether stopper knot to retrieve my rope.

An Autoblock functions just like you were holding the tag with your hand (but it does a better job).

I would preset the GriGri onto the tether and leave it.

I just got in from my first practice with the GriGri2 using Yale Bandit 11mm and a square autoblock backup. I'm going to try 9mm next time

Hanging from the GriGri2 with an Autoblock feels completely safe. You can really bounce yourself with the GriGri on rappel until you get the feel for it. I found it better to keep my hips forward more to keep me from pulling too hard on the handle. Easy to tend the autoblock too. But if you grab onto the Autoblock AND the handle, you'll buzz down the rope. There is an anti panic if you pull REALLY hard on the handle. But if you just let go of the handle or the auto block you will stop.

Tying off as shown in the directions AND SECURING IT WITH A CARIBINER is also solid but I think I will use the auto block either way.

WEIGHT: The GriGri2 weighs 6oz. A Ropeman 1 and an ATC weigh 5.4oz.

The GriGri2 has more noise potential. I'm going to tape my carabiner just a little and it'll be ok. When you adjust the GriGri, it is generally just more clunky than a Ropeman, especially when it isn't loaded with your weight. I don't think the size of the GriGri vs Ropeman will be an issue when hunting. Not having to switch over to an ATC is way easier and safer.

MIGHT be able to stealth strip a couple of spots and quiet it down.

If I am going to rappel, I will use a long tether and stow the tail in a pouch or just in my pack on the tree.
If I wasn't going to hang from the GriGri to hunt, I would just use a Ropeman to hunt and an ATC to descend.
 
I use my gear hauling paracord tied to the tether stopper knot to retrieve my rope.
Could you describe in more detail how you retrieve your rope after descending? I have been using what I think is called SRT to climb, but always securing the rope at the bottom of the tree which means I need twice as much rope... enough to go from the bottom of the tree to my stand level or higher and then back to the bottom. This certainly adds to the amount of rope I'm carrying. I'd love to hear more about some of the methods you've experimented with.
 
I am not using the rope to ascend. So just imagine a long tether girth hitched around the tree as normal. I have a stopper knot at the top end and I attach my gear hoist paracord to it and lower my pack/bow etc.

After I descend, I just hold the paracord in one hand and the end of the rope in the other. Pull the paracord and just whip the rope a little and the girth hitch pulls apart. If you keep pulling the paracord and feed the rope and walk back a little, the girth hitch keeps opening wider making it easy to get the rope to drop.

If you passed a branch on the way up, you would pause your rappel at that point and set a foot loop and temporary tether and lower your rappel rope to that point and reset it below the branch
 
Could you describe in more detail how you retrieve your rope after descending? I have been using what I think is called SRT to climb, but always securing the rope at the bottom of the tree which means I need twice as much rope... enough to go from the bottom of the tree to my stand level or higher and then back to the bottom. This certainly adds to the amount of rope I'm carrying. I'd love to hear more about some of the methods you've experimented with.

I use a length of paracord tossed over a branch to pull the rope into the tree. I then loop the rope through a link leaving the paracord attached. As the free end of the rope is pulled up it also pulls up the paracord. I use the paracord to pull up my bow and pack after I'm up the tree. After I rappel down I simply pull the paracord and it pulls down the link. Unhook the link from the free end of the rope and pull it back the way it went up originally. I'd like to take credit for this but I saw it somewhere, probably on this site.
 

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I am not using the rope to ascend. So just imagine a long tether girth hitched around the tree as normal. I have a stopper knot at the top end and I attach my gear hoist paracord to it and lower my pack/bow etc.

After I descend, I just hold the paracord in one hand and the end of the rope in the other. Pull the paracord and just whip the rope a little and the girth hitch pulls apart. If you keep pulling the paracord and feed the rope and walk back a little, the girth hitch keeps opening wider making it easy to get the rope to drop.

If you passed a branch on the way up, you would pause your rappel at that point and set a foot loop and temporary tether and lower your rappel rope to that point and reset it below the branch
Thanks justsomedude, I appreciate the explanation. The knot descriptions are hard for me to follow since I don't know many knots and almost no names. Boyne bowhunter's description is a great idea though since it covers both. The pics helped a lot.
 
I use a length of paracord tossed over a branch to pull the rope into the tree. I then loop the rope through a link leaving the paracord attached. As the free end of the rope is pulled up it also pulls up the paracord. I use the paracord to pull up my bow and pack after I'm up the tree. After I rappel down I simply pull the paracord and it pulls down the link. Unhook the link from the free end of the rope and pull it back the way it went up originally. I'd like to take credit for this but I saw it somewhere, probably on this site.
Thanks Boyne bowhunter! That's awesome. I had to concentrate, but re-reading several times along with the pictures did the trick. I love this idea! I'm going to give it a try since it will reduce the amount of rope that I need quite significantly!
 
I hang from my Grigri with a prusik autoblock and my full length rappelling rope all the time. I still tie off like the illustration above, and stuff the rest of my line in a rope bag that hangs on my saddle. When I get ready to come down, I tend the prusik with one hand and the device with the other and just let my line feed out of the bag.

One thing to keep in mind, when you start your rappel, don't forget about your autoblock. If the tension between your autoblock and your Grigri gets to tight, you could be in trouble. You have to find away to pull yourself up and get enough slack in your line to free your prusik. You won't fall, but you can't go down and it's a pain to go up.

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I use a handled ascender to aid in the climb up so providing I didn't forget it at the top... did that once practicing at home... it wouldn't be too difficult to whip out the handled ascender and pull yourself up on the Grigri a bit if your autoblock got too tight... technically the Grigri2 is what I use. Complete disclosure, I never bother with the autoblock although it sounds like an appropriate practice. My grigri2 has been super solid for me so I've been trusting for climbs and descents. It has never slipped for me even a little without me tending.
 
There is an excellent app and website called "Knots in 3D"
You only need a few knots
Thanks justsomedude, I appreciate the explanation. The knot descriptions are hard for me to follow since I don't know many knots and almost no names. Boyne bowhunter's description is a great idea though since it covers both. The pics helped a lot.
 
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