Secure belay for UIAA/CE certified single ropes

On smaller diameter ropes, or when holding falls that generate extremely high loads (In excess of factor 1) the Cinch acts dynamically, reducing shock loads to the belay system.

Bling: Buy it

The Petzl Gri-Gri finally has an opponent in the auto-locking easily releasable belay devices. For many these relatively expensive types of belay devices have been heralded by the sport/gym climbing crowd, and do not see much use at traditional crags. As belaying directly off the anchor after leading a pitch becomes more and more popular, and we climb on thinner and thinner ropes (it handles 9.4mm), it may be a wise investment to pick one of these up. This past summer I guided 60+ days with the Cinch and have found it a valuable tool. Once characteristic I feel does not get much attention when discussing belay devices is the friction that exists when moving rope trough the device. This is different than the more known attribute of stopping friction; i.e. how much force you must apply to the brake strand to stop a fall. If you pull a lot of rope through-out the day through a belay device with high-friction, such as a Reverso in conjunction with a thicker rope (10 mm+), you may feel a little tender in the shoulders from the belaying, not the climbing!

The Cinch has a very low profile bend in the camming mechanism that lets the rope run through the device with very little effort from the belayer. This would also make it very efficient for hauling, either during self-rescue, or big wall climbing. It is marginally smaller and lighter than the Gri-Gri, and a little cheaper, probably due to the lack of a spring mechanism. Less moving parts may prove it is easier to clean, but mine hasn't gunked up yet. This lack of a spring does make it more tricky when lowering directly off the anchor. Re-directing the brake strand through a higher point in the anchor and a little bit of practice will go a long way to mitigate this issue. It is a little more complicated than the Gri-Gri when belaying a leader, as you can not feed rope out slowly without it camming unless you hold it at a certain angle, or depress the camming mechanism with the lever or a thumb. After belaying a few climbs at Rumney I felt I could handle it as easily as the Gri-Gri. Bottom line, if you already own a Gri-Gri you may spend that 60 on a new C4 cam or a nice sharp BD Express Ice Screw. If you think you might have a place on your harness for an auto-locking releasable belay device, you now have a choice. Reviewer: Dave Lottman, Professional Guide.