In reply to AJM:
> Toby - can you really feed slack faster with an ATC? For me it's the grigri by a mile - you just yank an armful out and bingo!
Absolutely. My friend Tony - who I think you know through fit club? - has really got into redpoint quite hard, and when he is trying to redpoint I often pick my ATC guide over my grigri 1. I find it grabs when you try to pull through fast and I have to do the thumb on cam thing. Obviously when your mate is working the route and messing around for ages, the grigri is a godsend, but on an actual attempt I know I can do a better job belaying with an ATC.
I've only use a grigri 2 for a long weekend (actually mainly trad climbing - but granite cracks in Bohuslan, so sort of like sport
and my friend also had a lovely new rope which was something like 9.4 mm. Together they were just perfect. Superslick feeding but always locked up when you wanted it too. Would like one but can't really justify the cost.
Another mutual mate of Tony and Me, Erik, has the Smart and really rates it. I've not tried it though.