A climbing instructor is demonstrating safety gear to a climber using a belay device and carabiner at an indoor rock climbing gym.

Effective March 13th, 2019, Spire requires the the use of Assisted Braking Belay Devices (ABD), and no longer allows the use of tube style devices for belaying.

Why?  Because safety is the number one priority at Spire.  As the sport of climbing evolves, so does the technology that keeps us safe.  Years ago, some of the best climbers in the world used a Figure 8 (belay device) and even a Munter hitch to belay.  Today, the Munter hitch, which was popularized in 1970, is generally considered an "emergency only" option, and the last Figure 8 belay device you likely saw was hanging from Sylvester Stallone’s harness in Cliffhanger (1993).  

We realize that tube style belay devices may still have a place in climbing, and this is not an attempt to "water down climbing."  It is more an effort to make our facility and sport as safe as possible.  If you already use an assisted braking device you won't be affected by this change.  For those who still use tube style devices, we encourage you to explore newer assisted braking devices such as the Black Diamond Pilot, Mammut Smart, or Edelrid Mega Jul, etc, if you'd like to continue to belay at Spire.  

At the end of the day, our first priority at Spire is to make sure everyone stays safe while having a great time.  We would be devastated if a life-changing accident happened in our facility that could have been prevented, and we feel that it is our duty to reduce these accidents to the best of our ability.  Switching to only allowing assisted braking belay devices, a move that many climbing gyms across the nation are making to improve safety in their facilities, is the next step in making sure everyone returns home safely after a great session at the gym.

Assisted Braking Device (ABD) Policy

Chart displaying approved belay devices for climbing, featuring various models from brands like Petzl, Beal, Wild Country, Trango, Camp, Edelrid, Madrock, Black Diamond, Mammut. Devices are organized in a 3-row grid with names such as Grigri Plus, Birdie, Revo, Vergo, Matik, Eddy, Lifeguard, ATC Pilot, Click Up, Mega/Micro/Jul, Gigajul, Smart/Alpine.

  • Assisted braking devices are classified as either mechanical or geometric and aid in safe belaying by providing extra stopping force via the geometry of the device or a mechanism that grabs the rope in the event of the belayer losing control of the brake strand of the rope. Some examples of assisted brake devices are the Petzl GriGri, Black Diamond Pilot, Edelrid Mega Jul, and Mammut Smart. They should still be treated like a classic ATC with the belayer always maintaining control of the brake strand of the rope.

    Tubular belay devices do not provide a backup in the event of a belayer losing control of the brake strand and work via the belayer holding their hand in a downward position to apply friction between the rope and the device to catch a fall. Some examples are the Petzl Reverso and Black Diamond ATC.

  • Absolutely! Our Intro to Lead Climbing class will help you learn the ins and outs of belaying on an assisted braking belay device.

  • Yes, we have free rentals of mechanically and geometrically assisted belay devices on a first come, first served basis, alongside demo units of many assisted-braking device that we sell.

  • Unfortunately, no. Our list of approved devices can be found below.

Questions:

If you have any other questions or feedback please feel free to reach out at info@spireclimbingcenter.com