Tom Hughes
Reviewed: 23 January 2005
GREAT FOR TRING, USELESS FOR EVEYTHING ELSE!
In my experience, this is an excellent device for belaying a top roped climber, particularly if they are quite heavy, or are working the route and likely to be spending a long time resting on the rope. Despite trying various ways of trying to make it fail, both my climbing partner (13st) and myself (7st) have not been able to find a way to fall so that it will not lock. It is also very good for lowering heavy climbers on long descents, as its speed is easily adjusted, and if let go of, it locks up, whilst at the same time being very smooth. It could, I suppose be used for abseiling on a single rope, or in dire circumstances, as an ascender, but I would not recommend this. It works equally well on fairly new 10mm, and older, stiffer 11(ish)mm ropes, using a DMM belaymaster, and WC Synchro HMS.
Whilst it is possible to use this to belay a leader, it has a major flaw: as you pull for more slack, it has a tendency to lock up, which is not very helpful. By holding it open, almost inverted, it will freely pay out slack, and will still lock in a fall, but this means that you have to release the brake hand to hold it open, - not something I would recommend. This may be half the price of a Petzl GriGri, but then it is only half as useful. (There may be a better technique for using it, however as yet I have not worked one out). Another problem is that when you take in a top roped climber tight, it will lock, but this is easily clearly with a quick movement of the thumb, and is less of problem. Belaying from above with it is something I have not tried, but would expect it to be useless! It can only be used with a 10-11mm single rope.
I purchased this device (used, with no instructions so I could be using it wrong - but I don't see how!) with two reasons in mind, firsly for belaying my climbing partner, who is much heavier than me, on a top roping wall where he is likely to spend a long time working out moves, and resting on the rope. I also bought it for a friend who can belay competently, but lacks confidence to use, so she will be less scared of dropping me, to make her life at the wall less stressful. For this the YoYo fits my needs perfectly, however, I already own an ATC-XP, so this is more of an extra than a key piece of my rack. Because of the reasons listed above, unless you are really sure the YoYo is what you need, then the XP, or perhaps a Reverso, or GriGri, is what I would recommend buying, as it is far more versatile. That said, for TRing the YoYo is 'almost' foolproof (no device can be a substitute for good belaying!).
