Petzl Basic
Petzl Basic
I carry one of these in my canyoning ascending kit, every day. Well, almost.
Handles are for poofters! Unless you're planning on jugging El Cap, those handles are pretty unnecessary, and add weight and bulk. The Petzl Basic Ascender has all the working parts of the Handled Ascender, with the superfluous handle removed. A good compromise - a full function ascender that works really well, at less weight and bulk.
Petzl says:
“Versatile rope clamp / grab for use in a wide variety of situations: progress capture device in a hauling system, rope climbing, self belaying on a fixed rope. Lightweight and compact. Chrome-plated steel cam has inclined teeth and self-cleaning slots to provide grip on wet, icy or muddy ropes. Ergonomic spring-loaded catch allows the cam to be held in the open position and facilitates one-handed installation or removal of the device. Lower hole for attaching a lanyard. Upper hole allows a carabiner to be clipped around the rope for easier sliding up the rope when used for self-belaying, and for building pulley systems.”
“Compact, versatile rope clamp
The BASIC is a compact ascender that fits well in the hand for rope ascents. The lower attachment hole is large enough to accept carabiners for the lanyard and the footloop.”
Technical Specifications
For use on single rope from 8 to 13 mm in diameter.
Weight: only 85 grams!!
Individually tested.
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An elegant, simple design for ascending ropes. Now with a nice plastic widget that helps set the teeth into the rope. Use with a large-rod-stock carabiner like the Cypher Iris or the BD RockLock. Very lightweight and handy to have. Fits on ropes 8mm to 11mm, works pretty well on my 6mm pull cord. The downside: sharp teeth can tear up the rope, and it is very hard to move DOWN the rope, for instance when changing back to rappel mode. This is probably the best choice to carry as an emergency ascender. Superlight and compact, not too too pricey, and it does not wear out. Also useful for hauling packs and stuff like that.
BUT: not good on actual 8mm ropes. Very hard to get it grip => tears up the sheath when it does not work. If using the really nice, expensive, modern top-of-the-line ropes, then you definitely can afford a Petzl Basic and MicroTraxion for your ascending kit, to avoid tearing up the rope.
PRO TIPS:
A. Use a round-stock carabiner like the BD Rocklock or Cypher Iris.
B. Clip using the German style for most uses. The French style will work better forcing it past a lip.
C. CAN be used as a progress capture device using the German style, with the rope inside the carabiner. Not the best, but okay.
D. Now that these are wicked expensive, just get a MicroTraxion and Basic, which weigh a little more but work MUCH better.
The standard of handled ascenders! Work well, fit the hands well, not too heavy, pretty strong. If you are looking for handled ascenders, these are the goods. When exploring canyons, exiting caving-style, or for rescue and SAR work, sometimes there is nothing like a real, handled ascender for getting up a rope.
The first rope designed specifically for Colorado Plateau Canyoneering, the Canyon Fire has become popular with discerning canyon enthusiasts across the globe. Since the sheath is what counts, we added material there to create a “sheath-heavy” static rope, with 60% of the material devoted to the sheath. The result is a cut resistant, durable rope at a reasonable weight and an affordable price. It is on the stiff side for a tad more friction, to help resist cutting, and so it has a noticeably lesser tendency to get stuck in cracks on the pull down.
We carefully finish the ends to weld the sheath to the core without making the end larger than the rope itself, and to not create a long stiff section.
You can ADD cuts to your order for a modest fee. Some people order a spool then have it cut to non-standard lengths. We are to serve your needs, so we charge a modest fee for this service. Or you can order ‘by the foot’, which works out much the same.
Resurrected, using a commercially available sling. The new Clipster3 is a great, simple safety leash.
Doing canyons, you're using ropes; from time to time you gotta clip into things. There are other products that work OK, but are heavy and expensive. Those from a climbing background often use a daisy chain, but it is awkward and long, and you don't really need the adjustability of length.
