How to Self Rappel With a GriGri

Setting up a top rope usually starts the same way: you build your anchor at the top, then you either hike back down to the base or, the way a lot of us prefer, you rappel. I’ve been using a GriGri to do this for a while, and here’s how I self rappel with a GriGri so you can give it a try too.

The GriGri is a solid way to control how fast you drop when you rappel. The safest way to use it for a self rappel, or to lower yourself, is with a doubled line: one side of the rope tied into your harness and the other side set up like a normal belay. With this setup your rope needs to be at least double the length of the rappel.

There are ways to self rappel and lower yourself on a single line, but Petzl, the company that makes the GriGri, recommends a doubled rope for safety. If you’re brand new to any of this, read our beginner’s guide to rappelling first, and get hands-on instruction from a certified guide before you trust your weight to a system you built yourself.

Warning: always get instruction from a qualified professional before you rappel. This guide is a recommendation only and should be evaluated critically before you use it. By reading it, you understand that Send Edition isn’t responsible for anything that may happen.

What you need to self rappel 

Besides the GriGri, you’re going to need some safety gear and gear for the anchor. Here’s what we recommend when you plan to climb up and down the route after you rappel down.

1. Climbing rope (a longer one helps, and if you’re shopping, here’s our take on the best rope for rappelling)
2. Harness (new to gear? see our guide to harnesses for rappelling)
3. Helmet
4. 1 Locking Carabiner
5. 1 GriGri (this works with other auto-locking belay devices, but not all auto-locking devices are made equal. One alternative I’ve used is the Mad Rock Lifeguard.)
6. Gear for an anchor system (see below)

What you need for an anchor system

Most of the time, if you want to rappel as safely as possible, you’ve got two main options for an anchor. One option needs access to bolts. The other needs a boulder or a tree you can build off of.

What you’ll need for making an anchor on a bolt

1. 1 Sling
2. 5 locking carabiners 

Creating an anchor with bolts for rappelling

Before you use the bolts to build your anchor, make sure they’re in good shape and safe to use. Look them over for wear, cracks, or rust. If they look fine, check that each one is solid by trying to twist or move it. If it feels sound, you’re good to build the anchor with the steps below.

1. Clip the sling into one of the bolts with a locking carabiner. The carabiner’s gate should face away from the other bolt.
2. Clip the other side of the sling to the other bolt with a locking carabiner. Like the first one, the gate should face away from the other bolt and carabiner.
3. Tie a figure eight on a bight in the middle of the sling.
4. Take two more locking carabiners and clip them onto separate strands of the bight on the figure eight, with the gates facing away from each other. 
5. Thread the rope through the two carabiners on the bight.
6. Place a third carabiner between the two the rope runs through. This one is optional since it doesn’t add safety, but it helps your rope last longer.
7. Make sure each carabiner is oriented so the screw gate tightens downward toward the ground (let gravity help you stay extra safe).

What you’ll need for creating an anchor with a tree or a large boulder

If bolts aren’t available, you’ll need a big boulder or a tree you can wrap a sling around to anchor off. Before you do, make sure the boulder or tree is solid and won’t move.

Using a tree for an anchor can damage the tree, so use a boulder if you can.

1. 2 slings, one big enough to go around the boulder or tree
2. 5 locking carabiners

How to create an anchor system on a boulder or tree

1. Wrap the large sling around the boulder or tree. Make sure there’s no way for it to slip up, down, or off.
2. Clip the second sling into one side of the large sling with a locking carabiner. The gate should face away from the other end of the sling.
3. Clip the other side of the second sling to the other end of the large sling with a locking carabiner. Like the first one, the gate should face away from the other end and carabiner.
4. Tie a figure eight on a bight in the middle of the sling.
5. Take two more locking carabiners and clip them onto separate strands of the bight on the figure eight, with the gates facing away from each other. 
6. Thread the rope through the two carabiners on the bight.
7. Place a third carabiner between the two the rope runs through. This one is optional since it doesn’t add safety, but it helps your rope last longer.
8. Make sure each carabiner is oriented so the screw gate tightens downward toward the ground (let gravity help you stay extra safe).

Preparing to rappel down

Once the person going down is properly in their harness and helmet and the anchor is built, it’s time to tie the climber into the rope. 

How to tie a figure 8

The figure 8 is the best knot for tying a person’s harness into the rope. It gets tighter the more force you put on it, but you can still untie it afterward instead of cutting someone off the rope. 

1. Take a bight of rope about an arm’s length from the end, with the short end facing your body.
2. Take the short end and wrap it around the back of your hand and back to the starting position by your body.
3. Thread the end of the rope through the hole from the bight.
4. Pull the end through until you have a loose single figure eight.
5. Thread the end of the rope through your harness.
6. Using the end, thread it back through the figure eight, following the other strand.
7. Once it’s threaded through, pull it tight.
8. Do the 10 point check to make sure it’s right: 2 strands at the bottom, 2 at the start of the knot, 2 in the middle, 2 near the top of the knot, and the tail above the knot.
9. Make sure there’s at least a fist-width of tail between the top of the knot and the end of the rope.
10. If there’s a lot of excess rope at the end, tie it off with a backup knot. Stopper knots work great.

With the person tied into one end of the rope, it’s time to set up the self-belay and lowering system. 

How to self rappel with a GriGri: setting up the device

Before you even touch the GriGri, put a stopper knot in the loose end of the rope. That way, if the rope turns out too short, it can’t slip through the belay device and drop the person rappelling in an uncontrolled fall.

How to tie a stopper knot on the other end of the rope

1. Take a small bit of rope about an elbow’s length from the end.
2. Wrap the loose end around the bight 1 to 2 times.
3. Fold the loop of the bight toward the wrapped rope.
4. Thread the end of the rope through each loop, including the folded bight.
5. Pull it tight. You should end up with a nice bulky knot at the end, big enough to keep the rope from slipping through any belay device.

Once the stopper knot is in place, it’s time to load the rope into the auto-locking belay device.

How to set up the GriGri

1. Open the GriGri by sliding the metal plate out.
2. Using the icons as your guide, load the strand that runs to the end you’re tied into on the side closest to the carabiner hole, then run the rope through to the other side of the device (following the channel in the GriGri).
3. Slide the GriGri’s metal plate back into place.
4. Clip a locking carabiner through the GriGri and through the belay loop on your harness.
5. To check you did it right, make sure the strand going to the person rappelling is closest to your body and the other strand pokes out away from your body.
6. Pull on the strand you’re tied into. The device should lock and stop the rope from running through.

Once everyone’s ready to rappel, it’s time to lower yourself down.

How to lower yourself with a GriGri

Before you lower yourself, run one more check on your figure 8, the belay device, the anchor, and the space below you to make sure it’s safe to descend.

1. Walk off the edge of the cliff with your back facing out. 
2. Once you’re off the edge, lean back so your feet are against the wall and you’re in a sitting or roughly horizontal position. This keeps you from hitting your face or getting scraped up on the wall as you drop.
3. Put your right hand on the brake strand and your left hand on the GriGri handle.
4. Lightly pull the handle back until the cam eases off the rope and the rope starts to feed slowly through the device.
5. The further back you pull the handle, the faster the rope runs through the system.
6. In an emergency, let go of the handle and put both hands on the brake line, pulling it toward the back of your hip or below your seat.
7. Keep lowering yourself until you reach the bottom.

At this point you’re at the base of the cliff and the top-rope anchor is ready for you to climb. If you’ve got a friend who still needs to get down, you may want to untie the figure 8 from your harness and send that end back up to them at the top of the climb. 

Now that you’re at the bottom, it’s safer to lower your friend than to have them self rappel. If you’re not sure how to do that, practice with a professional first. This article can help too: “What is the safest way to rappel?” And if you want to build the skill in a controlled setting, here are 5 ways to practice rappelling.

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Frequently asked questions

Is it safe to self rappel with a GriGri?

It can be, but only if the system is built right and you know what you’re doing. A self rappel puts you fully in charge of your own anchor, knots, and device, so there’s no backup belayer to catch a mistake. Build a solid anchor, tie in with a figure 8, add a stopper knot, and get hands-on instruction from a certified guide before you rely on it.

How long does my rope need to be?

For the doubled-line method, your rope needs to be at least double the length of the rappel, since it runs from the anchor down to you and back. Always add a stopper knot in the loose end so the rope can’t feed all the way through the device.

Can I self rappel with a GriGri on a single line?

There are single-line methods out there, but Petzl, the company that makes the GriGri, recommends a doubled rope for safety. That’s the setup we walk through here. If you want to explore other options, learn them in person with a qualified instructor first.

Do I really need a stopper knot?

Yes. The stopper knot on the loose end is what keeps the rope from slipping through the belay device if it turns out too short, which would drop you in an uncontrolled fall. Tie it before you touch the GriGri.

What can I use instead of a GriGri?

The GriGri works well because it’s auto-locking, but not all auto-locking devices are made equal. One alternative I’ve used is the Mad Rock Lifeguard. Whatever device you pick, learn how it loads and locks before you trust it on a rappel.

Sara Climbing Coach, Climbing Trainer, Writer

Sara is the founder of Send Edition, author of '77 Drills to Help You Climb Better,' the creator of 'Elevate Your Climbing: Training Planner and Tracker,' and climbing coach.

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