What are you talking about? Pretty much everyone on big walls is carrying a gri. In addition to giving lead belays, they are more pleasant to use for top down belays, and can be useful for hauling, juggin, lowering out, rappelling, or any number of other big wall chores. Yes, they are relatively heavy, but so is the number six you are lugging up the face so you can place it once on the scary offwidth pitch.

[–] thebestaquaman@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Ok, sounds like this is my inexperience showing: I've only ever been on multi-pitches where we used half-ropes, so we we use what's called a "hylsebrems" in Norwegian (the standard friction break with two holes). Regarding hauling equipment, that's not very common here, we climb with a backpack if we need one. I've heard that hauling equipment is much more common in the US though.

[–] blarghly@lemmy.world 1 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

It sounds like you are doing alpine multipitches, which are a different discipline from big walls.

[–] thebestaquaman@lemmy.world 1 points 17 hours ago

Yeah, I guess that sounds like a better description, I've never really considered that there's a significant difference between the two. Happy to learn :)