Edelrid Pinch
Overall Rating: ★★★★★
MSRP: $169.99 CDN / $119.99 USD
The Pinch in action.
Manufacturer: Edelrid
Would I purchase this product again? Yes
Is this something I keep in my day-to-day kit? Yes
The Details:
Weight: 234 grams
Approved dynamic rope compatibility: 8.5 - 10.5mm
Approved static rope compatibility: 10 - 10.5mm
Review:
Let’s welcome the new kid on the block. The Eldelrid Pinch is one of the newest assisted belay devices on the market. Many climbers that have been around for the past thirty or so years will have used some iteration of the Petzl Gri-Gri and have been left wanting something more. The Edelrid Pinch ticks that “more” box.
It’s like being a kid in a candy store and seeing so many goodies…
First and foremost, with the Pinch, you have the option of clipping the device to your belay loop with a locking carabiner, just like every other device, or you can attach it directly to your belay loop which is my preferred method. This gets rid of the floppy belay device syndrome and there is no possibility of cross-loading a carabiner which can easily happen with other devices if you are not mindful. If you are wondering about the device accidentally opening without a carabiner being attached, it is a non-issue. The side plate release button requires a decent depression to disengage the locking mechanism. I’ve played around with every reasonable scenario to try to have the release button depress and accidentally open the device to no avail. If in doubt, you can still clip a locking carabiner through the device once attached to your belay loop.
The open design of the Pinch allows for very smooth feeding of the rope as it doesn’t get hung up in the constricted channel under the cam that can cause a notchy feel as can happen with some other assisted belay device. This is very obvious when dealing with a damp or wet rope. The days of swapping between belay devices depending on climbing and weather conditions have come to an end with the Pinch.
With the Pinch, I found myself reverting back to a more traditional tube style belay method with how easy it is to pay out rope. With the Pinch being attached to your belay loop, you also have the added benefit of paying out an extra 10cm+ of rope quickly as the device is sitting lower and if you have long arms even more. A steel toothed groove at the end of the device allows for a much more controlled lower and does not cause the rope to twist.
So much goodness in such a small package!
Pros:
can be used to top belay as well as fixed point lead belay
anti-panic feature that can be disabled
can be attached directly to belay loop or attached via locking carabiner
can be used with either hand
steel toothed groove at the end of the device keeps the rope from twisting when lowering
Cons:
side plate release button can be tricky with bulky gloves (not really a con but worth mentioning)
Bottom Line:
After having numerous days out sport climbing, multi-pitching, drytooling and route development over the last six months on a pre-released Pinch and testing out a number of assisted belay devices, the Edelrid Pinch has found a permanent spot on my harness. Its simplicity, ease of feeding rope, and being able to orient the device so that the lever is always freely operable off a belay make this device shine. If you are looking for an upgrade to your old Gri-Gri, look no further, the Pinch is the answer!
