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The
Kong Gi-gi has two long slots that give less friction than standard
"Sticht" plates do. Although I don't like this for rock
climbing; on snow and ice I don't mind it as much since I'm usually
working with two ropes. The Gi-gi really isn't intended for sport
climbers and for everyday use, but I've run across several guides
who use it ice climbing.
Actually, the Gi-gi wasn't ever meant to be used as a standard
"Sticht" plate. The directions for belaying the leader
are more like a brake bar arrangement, as shown in the top sketch
to the right. One side of the Gi-gi has a rib that can be used
to keep the carabiner from jamming as the rope is fed. Personally,
if I'm climbing on rock I prefer to be belayed with something
that gives a little more friction. Ice climbing changes the rules,
of course, not only because some more slip is preferred (to put
less strain on the anchors), but also because I use double ropes
on ice in case my tools nick the rope (I also feel more confident
on ice, a weird feeling that no one else seems to share).
The Kong
Climbing 2000 catalog supports my views. On page 121 they write
the following:
Belaying the first climber. In spite of the fact that the Gi-Gi has not been expressely conceived as dynamic belayer for the first climber, it is used by some experts as shown in Fig. C using two connectors.
Warning! It is a delicate manoeuvre requiring skill and training.
I reproduced their Figure C to the left. By two "connectors",
they mean two carabiners.
The nice feature
that guides like about the Gi-gi is that it allows them to belay
two independent climbers simultaneously as shown to the right.
Perhaps this isn't safe in theory, but in some situations speed
is safety, and having the clients climb together certainly speeds
things. In this case a single carabiner is used across the rib,
and the rope is run as shown in the left hand sketch. If one climber
falls, the carabiner is pulled to that side, and that climber
is automatically held. The rope to the other climber remains free,
and can be taken in. There is a nice trick to rotate the carabiner
to free the fallen climber so that he can be lowered, check the
instruction sheet for details and then practice it before relying
on it.
Like
most belaying devices, the Gi-gi can be used as an emergency ascender.
This uses the same locking arrangement as for client belaying,
turned upside down, except the rib is not used (see the bottom
sketch to the right). This requires a sling, carabiner, and Gi-gi.
This works, but it isn't the easiest emergency ascender method.
Personally, I'd pocket the Gi-gi and use the sling and carabiner
to tie an RBS
knot (for example).
Rappelling on the Gi-gi uses the same rigging as is recommended
for belaying the leader. Kong recommends one carabiner for 10
to 11 mm rope, and two for 8 to 9 mm. I prefer at least
two for any size rope, at least if the drop is free.
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Version B is soft anodized; otherwise, it is equivalent to Version A.
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©2007, Gary D. Storrick