The Grigri is an assisted braking belay device. How does it work? How is the rope inserted? How do brake hand and guide hand work together for taking up or paying out rope? What failures should one be aware of when operating the device? The Safety Research Group of the DAV provides anwers.

The GRIGRI is a belay device with assisted braking. The belay technique is very close to the generic technique, but has a few specifics. For a climber who is already familiar with using classic devices, it takes a little time to adjust. The technique described here is the only one that Petzl recommends. This technique offers real advantages in terms of safety: - the rule to never let go of the brake side of the rope is respected - it allows to transition between "giving slack" and "giving slack quickly" without letting go of the rope - in case of a fall, the belayer doesn't clench the cam A tip for easier belaying with the GRIGRI: keep the free rope stacked near you. More info about belaying techniques, on www.petzl.com/belaying