The biggest advantage during the lower is the lack of moving parts or levers make this device feel less likely to have an inexperienced belayer defeat the camming mechanism causing an uncontrolled fall and possible injury. When it came time to lower minimal coaching was required to have the belayer lower the climber. Using the universal belay technique belayers had no problem removing slack from the system.
#Black diamond atc in use install
Clear images on the device and a lack of moving parts helped even the newest, and youngest, of our testers properly install the device on the rope.īelaying on a top-rope system is quite simple with the Black Diamond ATC Pilot. Experienced climbers felt that using it felt very similar to operating a regular Black Diamond ATC or Petzl Verso. We found the Black Diamond ATC Pilot to be incredibly intuitive with a quick learning curve to become proficient in both lead and top-rope belaying. Over the test period I had at least 10 different people belay me while lead climbing and top-roping, some as young as 10 years old! More significantly I handed it to my clients and regular climbing partners every chance I could to get their opinions as well as determine really how intuitive this device would be in the hands of both longtime veteran climbers and first-day-ever climbers. We used a Black Diamond RockLock Magnetron Carabiner (our favorite belay carabiner). Over the course of two months I carried the Black Diamond ATC Pilot Belay Device for almost two dozen days of climbing between Rumney Rocks and crags all over Mount Washington Valley along with a couple trips to the Salt Pump Climbing Gym.
#Black diamond atc in use free
The packages come it at $44.95 for the Smart 2.0 (which comes with my favorite belay biner) while the Pilot package comes in at $64.95, with a less than favorable carabiner (in my opinion).įrom my testing, the Mammut Smart 2.0 beats out the Black Diamond ATC Pilot in all categories except for the package size on the harness, and would be my recommended choice for any climber looking for an added layer of security in case of an injury of the belayer at a lower weight and price point than a grigri.įeel free to ask questions or give feedback on my review, I'd love to hear what others think. The Mammut Smart 2.0 has an MSRP of $34.95 (USD) while the Black Diamond ATC Pilot comes in with an MSRP of $44.95. Others that were also testing noted they felt as if their hand was more vulnerable to being pinched on the Pilot, although that never happened in our testing on either device. I found that I was able to "search" for it a bit better, and having it farther out meant a less awkward motion for my hand and wrist than the ATC pilot. The Mammut's handle, while large and protruding, was favorable in lowering. The Pilot seemed like it was an on or off release, and either locked up with minimal slip or had less friction than a standard ATC. It feeds nicely and has a great range of release, so you can alter the speed. Lowering on the Mammut Smart 2.0 is very smooth and intuitive. Once locked up, the Black Diamond Pilot seemed to slowly slip a bit, while the Smart 2.0 held consistently.
This was as simple as a finger keeping it below horizontal on both devices.Īs previously mentioned, the Black Diamond Pilot jammed more than the Mammut Smart 2.0. Both could be used dangerously incorrectly (just like a grigri) by holding the thumb on the loop and pulling while not keeping the dominant hand wrapped around the rope in case you need to catch a fall.īoth the Pilot and the Smart lock up during a fall easily, although ground tests indicated that some downward direction on the brake strand was necessary for consistent lock up (on the 9.5 and 9.8 ropes I used). The Smart feeds better and doesn't lock up even when in the "released" position, likely due to the leverage the longer handle gets. Belaying is normal for both, but the BD definitely has more friction pulling the rope through.īoth devices are a bit difficult to lead belay with the first time, but get more intuitive with use. Setting up the devices is exactly the same, with the rope going through just as you would an ATC with grooves. The BD looked a little odd, feels cheaper (due likely to the plastic), and doesn't handle as well. The Smart is a sleeker device, it looks a lot nicer, and it isn't shaped as weird.
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