Kong Gigi
- December 2013
- Climb
If there’s one thing I can’t live without, it’s a gigi. Like all wonderful things, it’s the only thing like it. There are no moving parts, nothing to maintain, nothing to break, no mysteries going on. It’s simple, cheap, light, minimalistic and perfect at what it does. I’ve had mine for at least 10 years, and it seems like I will never need to buy a new one–which is a pretty good deal considering I paid about 10 bucks for it at the time. There’s nothing not to love about the gigi, in my opinion. It has made my life immeasurably better in every way!
The gigi differs from the reverso and other non-Grigri auto-lock devices in one essential way–you can easily pull the rope down no matter how stiff or thick or frozen the rope is (and it’s way lighter and more minimalistic than anything else out there, for me always a real deal breaker/maker with gear). This is a key difference, because it’s the difference between pure convenience (the reason you’re using the gigi) and pure hell.
So first the downsides, of which there are two.
Some complain that you can’t belay a leader with a gigi, but this is a problem easily solved by switching devices when you do your changeover at the belay–the leader always takes off with the gigi. Usually when I use a gigi, I am leading all the pitches. In this case, I just keep my device and the second keeps theirs, so I find this a total non-issue personally.
The other disadvantage of the gigi is that it is not made for lowering people. This review gives excellent demonstrations of how to unlock a gigi if someone needs to be lowered–I will say having to lower someone especially if they are hanging in space is less than ideal and not really what the gigi is all about, so don’t use the gigi if you are going up to belay someone from above while they work the crux pitch of the Salathe or the Great Roof. (Of course the advantage is that if they have jumars, they could just get on jugs and go up it as a fixed line.)
Here is what I do with the gigi, and why I love it so much.
Guiding: I can belay two people simultaneously with the gigi, and I can also stack ropes and take photos of them at the same time, which is huge. A nice bonus: I can just let go of the belay end of the rope when people arrive at the anchor, because they are still safe, and use that end to tie them directly into the anchor before releasing it from the gigi–another little thing that makes things faster and more convenient.
Climbing with friends: Ditto above. A real time saver, lets you take photos with reckless abandon, eat at your leisure, and also good for things like peeing without an audience.
Alpine climbing: I can belay my partner while also changing my jacket (a bigger deal/time-waster than it sounds like, with tucking things back in and getting gear slings re-situated, etc), eating, drinking water, etc, so time is never wasted and I can stay warm/cool/fed/hydrated–all of which is key on an alpine route. If I am following, I can put jugs on and start jumaring the rope when necessary instead of climbing, because it is always a fixed line as well. This trick comes in handy if you are saving weight on an alpine rock route by bringing only one set of crampons for the team–the leader can climb the odd snowfield that arises and the second can climb rock to the snow and then jug through the snow section.
Base climbing: I can belay my partner while hauling base rigs at the same time with a micro-traxion–this way the second can free them if they are stuck somewhere, and we never waste time with hauling because it’s happening at the same time as the climbing.
I also find the gigi works just fine for rappelling, despite the larger holes–and in fact, makes it easier if the ropes are on the thick side.
Whoever invented this thing is a total genius: grazie!
Yo Steph! I’m a Gigi fan, too–for all the reasons you mentioned. Couple more thoughts to add to the discussion. 1) I love rapping on it, too–THOUGH WITH A BACKUP behind the device. It offers less friction than an ATC. 2) Careful when belaying a single follower on it (see more below). The rope can easily twist and flip, thereby releasing the follower (see the “fix” below). And 3) Recall that as long as both followers are relatively plumb below the Gigi, it’s all good and hands-free. If the followers are coming in from different directions, though (taking a different when ice climbing, for example, or one is far below, while another is nearing the belay and has to step out to the side–the device will not lock ropes traveling downward in different directions!). I wrote a bit more about it for Elevation Outdoors, and included a link to a video showing how the Gigi can flip when belaying a single second. Give a look….http://www.elevationoutdoors.com/blogs/master-of-none/the-kong-gigi-totally-cool-if-used-correctly/
Cool, great post, and love the Gigi!
Rob C
I agree that it is an excellent versatile tool for guiding and multi-pitch climbing. One time saving multi-pitch technique I found when you are swapping leads is to use it to belay your second, when they get to the belay instead of having them clove hitch in I just tie a backup below the device. I attach my belay device below, when the climber is ready to leave they simply pull the gigi untie the knot and climb away. They can then use it to belay, if you are really concerned about weight you can get away with one gigi and one traditional belay device with this technique.
I agree with you totally. I’m was surprised to see this post, frankly I thought I was the only person using this. But I have a twist on the Gigi, I use it to climb roped solo with twin and double ropes in winter.
I have exclusively been climbing solo for about 20 years after all my old partners gave up climbing. (I started climbing in 1974). I do use the Soloist and the Silent Partner with single ropes though.
It takes a bit of practice to figure it out and there are potential dangers, like if you only use one rope (if the carabiner isn’t placed around the Gigi when using a single rope, it could rotate leaving you with no engaged belay device). The Gigi works best with fuzzy 8.1mm to 9.2mm. Its a bit slippy with new 8mm or 7.5mm. I still tie backup knots some meters down the rope so its super safe and otherwise it behaves much like the Soloist does, but weighs NOTHING. Cheers from Canada, love your blog.
thanks Stephen, stay safe on the winter climbs!
I really don’t get it. All advantages you mentioned above you can easy find in ATC Guide/ Petzl Reverso. Which both are much more efficient as they are also made for belaying a leader. (not to mention DMM Pivot from this year, which also solves lowering issue). So why would suffer weight and space for 2nd device, if you can have it all in one ?
Try all the devices, the gigi by FAR has the easiest pull. On a long pitch with a 9.8 and reverso I typically have to pull up on the climber side with one hand when taking in slack because there is so much friction through the device. Just pulling on the brake strand would leave you with tenonitis in no time. With the gigi in the same scenario I can just pull on the brake strand easily, leaving my other hand free to eat, put on coat, etc. It’s nice cragging multi-pitch, but REALLY comes into it’s own on alpine routes where there is very easy climbing in the middle of pitches and your second is moving fast.
Also you can rap with the gigi, use a auto-block to increase friction. Leader takes the plate each pitch, use an ATC/gri gri to belay the leader, this really doesn’t add any time to things when you are leading in blocks.
i agree, thanks for the sum up