![]() ![]() ![]() I just got used to how much strength it takes to use it. The effort it takes operating the loop with the other hand on rappel never got any better. Where as the Megajul took me many, many rappels to figure out how to make rappelling in lock mode be only somewhat jerky. You push up and out/away from your body when you want to unlock, lower, or rappel. The trick to remember is that you are not pushing up on the nose exclusively. It does rappel very smoothly, way more so than the Megajul, and with much less effort and practice. And a few rappels outdoors to get that figured out. It took me about two evenings of gym use to get the lead belaying and lowering part down smoothly. So I took the time to learn and get used to the different way you use an Alpine Smart Belay. It needs just the slightest of resistance on the brake strand to put it into lock mode, which is not what I wanted in a brake assisted belay device. I did though change my mind when I realized that the Alpine Up wouldn't lock up on a single rope at all with poor and unsafe belay technique. When I first bought it I didn't like it either, which is why I bought the Alpine Up hoping it would be better. * And lowering in guide mode is just as difficult as an ATC guide. Which for me is not a problem as I don't have or use a single strand setup with a pull cord, and I don't simul-rappel unless it's absolutely necessary. * Single strand rappelling doesn't lock up completely. The carabiner is still good and safe to use and just got transfered to my DMM Pivot use where the little bit of wear doesn't effect it. But it only had about 20% of the material worn away. That being said my first carabiner lasted me four and half years of very regular use before needing to be replaced. * It doesn't take much wear on the carabiner (I use the Mammut Crag Smart carabiner) before you have to replace it as it won't reliably lock up completely. The only issues I have with the Alpine Smart Belay at this point are minor, but in my own humble opinion it's still a better device than the Megajul. These are the ones that bought it for themselves. They quickly realized how well it worked once they figured the altered (compared to an ATC) technique out. Others that I climbed with who were more open minded struggled a little bit initially and then figured it out fairly quickly. ![]() I've seen two people I climbed with who tried it and utterly hated it because it didn't operate like an ATC that they were used to. And this can depend a lot on how open minded they are to changing what they are used to using. My observation is that typically people new to the Alpine Smart Belay whether lead belaying or rappelling have an initial challenging time with it. I even used the Megajul exclusively for lead belay and rappelling for almost a year to make sure it was not my issue with getting used to a different device. I've used the Alpine Smart Belay for five years now, and the Megajul for two. Yes, it is a good idea to try a partners device multiple days out before buying as you can't really know the device until you've put some time into using it. And they also may not have been open minded to want to learn it. Something to keep in mind, is that people who buy and review these devices may not have put the necessary time into it to figure out the technique and get the muscle memory of using the device. Regardless of any advice you may receive while using this forum, it is your personal responsibility to make sure that you are fully trained to handle the great deal of risk involved in climbing and related activities. Please understand that rock climbing is an extremely dangerous activity.Poor quality/low quality submissions may be removed at moderator's discretion. Do not attempt to ask questions by posting an image and asking in the title. Please remember to treat others as you would like to be treated, and remember you are talking to another person.Īsk questions in the stickied threads. ![]()
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