AAI/Guideschoice Field Testing the SMC Spire

On Tuesday August 13th we met up with the guys from SMC and got out for some field tests with their new belay device "The Spire." We tested several versions of the device in two different diameter ropes. Here is a video for a little glimpse into our afternoon at Mt. Erie.

"The Spire" has an auto-lock mode for belaying from above. But what makes "The Spire" different is that you can lower someone by clipping a carabiner into it and levering it sideways. In this video you will see Richard do this for a lower. One of the things he is testing for is to see what the easiest grip is for lowering.

Video By: Tim Page