Check for any cracks, excessive wear, metal burs, or grooves where the rope contacts the device. If you find any of these, retire the piece. If there are any mechanical parts to your belay device, like the camming mechanism on a Grigri, make sure the action is smooth and works properly.

In 1991, Petzl offered climbers an all-new belay device, the GRIGRI. With its assisted-braking system, providing more confidence and comfort to both belayer and climber, the device quickly revealed itself to be ideal for leading, for working crux moves, for lowering, and for top roping.

With the rope through the anchor, tie in to one end of the rope, attach to the other side of the rope with your Grigri, and lower yourself. This technique is a bit less common, and it has a few pros and cons, see below. There may be times when going more slowly and having increased friction is a good thing.