Italian company Climbing Technology has developed a new belay device called the Click Up. Lightweight and simple to use, the auto-locking belay device employs an HMS carabiner to do the hard work. Very little effort is required to give or take in slack and lock off if your climber should fall.
To use, simply insert a rope bight into the Click Up and clip your HMS carabiner through the belay device on top of the loop and then through your belay loop on your harness- much as you would any other belay device. In this mode, it is easy to move the rope up and down to give or take in slack.
To arrest a fall, simply pull down on the free end of the rope and the HMS carabiner will automatically "click" into the lock off position of the belay device. When you are ready to lower, simply apply a bit of pressure with the palm of your hand to the outside of the Click Up and the rope will gently feed through. If the climber falls while being lowered, the carabiner will automatically click back into lock mode. Apply enough pressure and you can "click" the carabiner back into the free position to start taking in or giving out slack again.
The Company has developed some other very interesting climbing products. One of the most innovative is the avalanche shovel which uses an extremely lightweight and strong ice axe as a handle. You store the shovel head in your pack and use the ice axe while alpine climbing. When needed, simply click the ice axe into the back of the shovel head and it's ready for use.
Similar to the new Black Diamond leashes coming out, Climbing Technology has created a coiled ice tool leash that clips into your harness, not around your wrist. This way you can climb in the same style as you would leashless but not have the worry of losing a tool on those long climbs where you rappelled in! I also like their ice screws with integrated quickdraw and easy turn handle which you can see in the right side of the picture below.
Watch this video to see the Click Up belay device in action. It's in German but you will get the gist of how the device is meant to work.
Stefano Codazzi from Climbing Technology gave me a Click Up to test out. So who is up for some climbing to play with the new belay device? I am offering to be your belay slave! Stefano wants some cool US shots of the Click Up in action for his product catalog. Ouray anyone?
I dig the ice axe/shovel combo...that is a good idea! The belay device is clever, but I'm lukewarm on it (and the belay in the vid!) Here's why:
1. It is bulkier than either an ATC or GriGri
2. It can only handle one rope, so it can't be used for 2 ropes in a rappel
3. The difference between the "clicked/locked" position and the "feed" position is based on some amount of load applied to he device. When that load is applied, the device locks, period. To feed/unlock the device, you have to push it manually with your thumb. The amount of effort required by your thumb goes up as the load increases, and as the diameter of the rope decreases....so
If you are belaying a buddy who takes a solid whipper with a bunch of slack, both of you are left hanging in the air, and the belayer must manually fight the clicked in/locking action of the device ALL THE WAY TO THE GROUND, under double load..while trying not to drop the climber....(hope they r using large dia rope)anyhow..that's how it looks from the vid (where the belayer is continuously letting go of the lock-off side of the rope...yikes!)
That's my 2 cents. Cheers!
Posted by: Climbingguy123 | February 24, 2010 at 05:27 PM
Awesome 2 cents! Thanks! I agree on the lack of two ropes for rappel issue. I can't wait to try it to see just how tough you have to push with your thumb if the rope is under heavy load. I think it's impossible to drop your climber as the click up will automatically lock off if you lower too fast I believe. I will definitely post some pics and videos of my experience in using it. We will see how it goes! Thanks again for your comments.
Posted by: Amy Jurries | February 25, 2010 at 09:53 PM
any more reviews on this?
Posted by: climbing bum | July 25, 2010 at 01:09 AM
I have just been using it, was sceptical at first, but it is awesome. (Have not seen the videos). Yes, it is a single rope device, but so is the grigri. Use it as such. It is a lot smaller and lighter than the grigri. You can lower someone with ease in the locked position, doesn't take much effort at all. you can still take up slack in the locked position.
The difference is that it definetly needs some resistance on the dead end for the device to lock, unlike the grigri, but then again you should always have a hand on the dead end.
I've used the grigri for 14 years and I'm it's biggest fan, but here I find myself hunting online to buy a Click Up. It's and awesome device.
Posted by: Mark | November 07, 2010 at 11:04 PM
Hi Mark- thanks for the review! Glad to hear you like the Click Up- I think it's a pretty cool device too.
Posted by: Amy Jurries | November 10, 2010 at 07:02 AM
I have been using the 'click up' for about 6 months now, its easy to use .ie. paying out rope as well as taking in.
Note to Climbingguy123. It is no bigger than a GriGri (having used both) in fact just use it pretty much the same way as you use your GriGri, but with the added advantage that you can use it down to 9mm rope (GriGri low limit is 10mm (GriGri 2 will go down to 8.9mm, when it comes out))
Posted by: Ashley Scott | November 17, 2010 at 06:48 PM
I have used the Click Up when using different belay devices on S.P.A course.
I found it fantastic to use, easy and better than a grigri which I have been using for some time at the center I work.
Although maybe more aimed for sport climbing, I still really like this device and thoroughly intend to buy one.
Posted by: W.W | January 11, 2011 at 04:12 PM
Late to the party but in response to Climbingguy123 even when the device is locked you can still feed rope through it if you lift the free end of rope up and parallel to the load bearing side of the device. As such it doesn't lock, period.
Posted by: Joshua Armstrong | March 11, 2011 at 02:32 AM
The same company has a version called AlpineUp, designed for one OR two ropes and with a feature letting you lock the device during abseil. Useful when cleaning, etc. Looks pretty cool!
Posted by: John | August 10, 2011 at 04:06 AM
Hi, is it possible to give a rope to climber quickly? I have seen a few videos and it seemed, that you have to put more effort and it is a bit slower to do it than with grigri with a lever pushed down...??? I hesitate if I should buy this one or Gri-gri2. But I am really fan of this device, no movable part and it works.
Posted by: Able | November 22, 2011 at 03:27 PM
dose anyone know ware to buy an alpine up?
Posted by: thatGuy | December 04, 2011 at 12:36 PM