UKC

Why is a stop better than a grigri for descending? The grigri appears to do the same things but is lighter and cheaper. I don't understand

In reply to ilovetoclimb:

Easier to put on the rope? Seem to be better suited to caving.

In reply to JLS:

I would suggest it's quicker to put a grigri on a rope than a stop.

Stop handles muddy/wet/frozen ropes better, I think.

In reply to ilovetoclimb: you can also load the rope into a stop whilst it is still attached to you via the krab. whereas with a GriGri you need to take it off the krab. so less of a drop potential with the stop which is probably a good feature if you slightly cold and damp.

In reply to ilovetoclimb: The stop is a better heat sink (important on long abseils), the rope can be loaded/unloaded without taking the device off the harness/karabiner (vital when passing things like rebelays), has more options for increasing/decreasing friction (important on thin/muddy/worn ropes), is more robust (the handle/lever isn't particularly strong on a Gri Gri), etc. Basically the Gri Gri is fine for slopes, occasional abseiling, belaying, lowering etc but isn't a serious bit of kit for serious abseiling use; we've taken them out of general service within our cave rescue team. I do like my Gri Gri but only seem to use it for self-lining if I'm aid climbing. That's just my opinion as a caver, rope access bod & fair-weather climber.

In reply to ilovetoclimb: One is good for abseiling and one is ok for belaying.

In reply to ilovetoclimb:

You can disable the stops autolocking, which can be important at times.

In reply to ilovetoclimb: Took a friend caving and let him use my stop whilst i used a grigri, never again! it was horrible to use and felt quite scary/unnerving using it. I only use my grigri for indoor or sport and have never abseiled further than 10m before. The old style rack descender is more comforting to use than the grigri for long descents.

In reply to ilovetoclimb:

stop has replaceable parts, is rated for 2 person rescues and leaves loads less pig tails in the rope.k