I also found that if I accidently let go of the Pilot while lowering a partner I would not lose control of the rope. I found the Pilot helped me to reel in and pay out slack more smoothly than the Edelrid Mega Jul did. I also liked how the Pilot allowed me to lower the climber without the device jerking or inadvertently locking up the way that some other devices can. Operating the Pilot felt familiar to using the Black Diamond ATC I'd carried since I first roped up in the early '90s, but now the Pilot has an added brake-assist feature that makes it even more secure to operate. I liked how smooth the device was to operate, both in regards to paying out and taking rope in, and how quickly it locked off when my partner fell or needed me to take weight. Those experiences on that cool autumn day in Eldo sold me on the Black Diamond ATC-Pilot (for ropes 8.7mm to 10.5mm 85 grams) and it became my go-to device for general cragging, whether scary trad, dry-tooling or sport. Wild times.Ĭorey Flynn starts the first pitch of Scary Canary, Eldorado Canyon, Colorado. This time a microcam sheared before the next piece caught. Again he whipped, and again he blew out his pro. Pitch 2, the crux, came next-though this time he was far out of sight while doing the hardest moves. He righted himself and finished the pitch. Though shook-up, my partner was OK, and I was OK. But because the assisted-braking belay device I was using-the Black Diamond ATC Pilot-engaged as it was designed to, I barely had to grip the rope to catch the fall. Finally, he lightly impacts the sandstone wall with his feet and hands as he comes to a stop.ĭuring the fall I had time to brace for impact, and I kept a firm hand on the brake-end side of the rope. His body continues flying halfway down the wall, while the blown placements, an RP and a Ball Nut, spin around his rope. Then-pop, pop, like the sound of a BB gun firing off in rapid succession. He is far above a nest of small gear on the Eldorado Canyon route Scary Canary (5.12b/c R). With the GriGri you are either crawling or falling.It's a Monday morning in October, and my partner is fighting out the last moves of his lead. Lowering your climber is really smooth and can be as quick or slow as you want. However, if you like a standard ATC, but want a little more brake insurance I think it is a great tool. You can't treat it like a locking device. There is a tiny bit of slip when my big ass is coming down, but it's about the same as the GriGri. I'm really loving the Pilot because it still forces good brake hand discipline, but the amount of friction it puts on the rope when "locked" will stop a climber dead in their tracks.
I just bought the ATC Pilot because I don't like the GriGri, but I wanted a little extra braking insurance when I belay people who are closer to my weight (200+lbs). We have been using a GriGri when she belays me and standard ATC when I belay her. My wife also climbs and she has been climbing for about a year. I'm fairly new to climbing, and have been going to the gym about twice per week for about 6 months now. I still prefer them for single-pitch because they are so simple and (for me) easier to use and i still think they are safer than regular ATCs because there is just one more layer of security It's way easier to accidentally unlock a assisted breaking device than a device like the GriGri. I'm quite annoyed by my mistake, luckily nothing happened. The Ergo remained blocked, nothing happened, but had i stumbled somehow, i could have unblocked it, dropping the climber at least until the device got blocked again. Lulled by a false sense of security and a temporary lapse of judgement i put my Jacket on with both hands simultaneously, meaning i let go of the Break strand(!). It was starting to get cold, someone passed me my jacket. I belayed a top-roper, she fell for the 50th time, rested there. I use a Salewa Ergo which looks exactly like the ATC Pilot. Regardless of any advice you may receive while using this forum, it is your personal responsibility to make sure that you are fully trained to handle the great deal of risk involved in climbing and related activities.ĭon't know why you're downvoted, i think some accidents will happen exactly this way. Please understand that rock climbing is an extremely dangerous activity.Poor quality/low quality submissions may be removed at moderator's discretion. Do not attempt to ask questions by posting an image and asking in the title. Please remember to treat others as you would like to be treated, and remember you are talking to another person.Īsk questions in the stickied threads.
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