Detected dangerous failure in 2 of PETZL Grigri
The Grigri 2 of Petzl, which replaces the popular and long-lived Grigri in the same house, a fault in its design that makes it potentially dangerous. CampoBase received Grigri 2 provider of the company in Spain (Vertical SL) just three months, in order to test it, analyze it and conduct a review in the pages of our magazine (see next month's issue of July).
After securing the climber both first and second climbers and point out its strengths and failures, surprise jumped a few days ago when, after arresting a fall, the insurer (our tester) was unable to immediately rope climber, who wanted to repeat the step. We used a string of 10, 2 mm (the device supports ropes from 8.9 mm to 11 mm, with a diameter optimal use from 9, 4 and 10 mm, 3 mm). Our astonishment and surprise was enormous: the line had moved from his guide and was stuck under the bottom of the lever, dangerously pinched. A strong pull of the hand, still holding the rope inert, was used to unclog the line and allow the progression of the climber. But the shock had been tremendous. The rope has not lost his place to stop the fall, but did so when the climber grabbed onto it to go up, leading to the imbalance of the insurer, who grabbed the rope force and provided with that gesture to kick the rope guide the product (see photos 1 to 5). A gesture repeated a thousand times with the first version of Grigri that, however, never had problems of this type.
At first we blame the incident to an incomprehensible accident, but did not lose sight of the incident. Two days later, there was the same and also by chance, this time during the maneuver of lowering of a climber who had completed his route. With the device locked while the climber dismounted the road, the simple gesture of grasping the tightrope again lead to the same abandon its colase space and the left side of the device. Again the rope pinched dangerously.
This time, I discussed with a group of climbers who were in the same school, and to our surprise, one of them confirmed that he had suffered the same problem. Then asked about other climbers have entrusted us with the same comment on the Grigri 2. In successive days, very easily provoke a dangerous maneuver (with the climber hung almost to ground level), confirming the shortcomings of a device that, today, should lose his place in the market.
The characteristics of the first version of Grigri prevented these blunders: the lever was oversized and was close to the hook further back on the rotation axis thereof. Moreover, and above all, the tab is behind the string out of the force is significantly larger in Grigri, that the Grigri 2, and less vertical position, creating a 'dyke' by which rope does not leak to the left, which does not achieve the new version of the device.
The failure Grigri 2 is the more important if one considers that many climbers use nine-millimeter rope with which it even easier to escape the rope is pinched and dangerously. In addition, once tweaked, the device stops to block the rope, which slides down the device!
We checking with a string of 9, 2 mm and the result was negative eloquent.
Text and photos have been already forwarded to the Petzl distributor in Spain and hope that motivates a thorough investigation of Grigri 2 by the French manufacturer. Certainly not recommend using this device.
