Trango Vergo

As I mentioned, I don’t believe it’s fair to penalize the Trango Vergo for what, to me, felt like a lengthy learning curve simply because that aspect exists for virtually any belay device.

However, I do think it’s fair to compare the Vergo to the GRIGRI 2. And on that comparison, the Vergo, to me, falls short.

If you’re a new climber who is looking to purchase your first assisted-locking belay device, I think the Vergo might certainly be worth a strong consideration.

If you’ve got tons of experience with the GRIGRI, but you are wondering whether the Vergo might be a replacement or an upgrade in terms of safety, then I would probably suggest sticking the GRIGRI. The Vergo is certainly a solid contender, but to me, the GRIGRI is still king.