Will this be a REVOlution?

WILDCOUNTRY_PE17_REVOBritish manufacturer Wild Country presented REVO, its new and innovative belay device.

The REVO is supposed to be safer than other mechanical assisted-locking devices as it stops the rope in either direction and has no lever to over-ride the locking system. This means that there is not one correct way of using it but both ways are just the same. One of the major problems with other devices such as the very popular GriGri is that it is possible to press down on the lever, preventing the locking system from catching a falling climber.

The REVO will be released in 2017 and I honestly wonder if it will really be a break-through in belaying safety. We have seen the fall of so many promising devices and recalls of incomplete designs that I find myself hardened and a bit skeptic at any promised ‘innovation’.

Many of us are still using an good and old ATC device and spending £100 for a new device that does not allow you to abseil or use a double rope seems a bit over the top. The Revo was probably built for beginners and indoor climbers as its only focus seems to be on safety. Surely the new climbing generation, especially in northern Europe, climbs mostly (if not solely) indoor and only requires a dumb-proof tool to belay a lead climber or a top-roper. I honestly doubt that those climbing outdoor will be blown-away by the Revo…