Tree Climbers International - Petzl "Ascension"

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Petzl "Ascension"

Image courtesy SherrillTree

User reviews

Average user rating from: 5 user(s)


Overall rating (weighted)		4.1
Type of Use		2.2
Frequency of Use		3.2
Durability		4.4
Technical Skill Required		3.8
Ease of Use		4.2
Safety		3.6
Strength		4.4
Portability		4.2

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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful

Like the Boy Scouts - True blue and gold., Monday, 12 May 2008

Written by Franklin Klock - View all my reviews - Top 10 Reviewer


Overall rating (weighted)		4.0
Type of Use		3.0
Frequency of Use		3.0
Durability		4.0
Technical Skill Required		4.0
Ease of Use		4.0
Safety		4.0
Strength		4.0
Portability		4.0

For a very long time, the only ascenders I used were the CMI ultracenders. The handles on the CMI's are small. Petzl's ascenders offer a good sized grip without being too large overall.

During a rock climbing trip to Utah, I saw many of these ascenders in use on very high (200-800 foot) ascents. The climbers I spoke to said they wouldn't use anything else. I bought a pair that day. I really like them.

Strong, easy to use, and fairly light - a lot lighter than the ultracenders. These do take a bit of practice, but that goes for any new piece of gear.

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A decent ascender, Wednesday, 26 December 2007

Written by Justin Scott - View all my reviews - Top 10 Reviewer


Overall rating (weighted)		3.2
Type of Use		1.0
Frequency of Use		2.0
Durability		3.0
Technical Skill Required		3.0
Ease of Use		3.0
Safety		3.0
Strength		3.0
Portability		4.0

The Petzl Ascension is neither the strongest nor the most comfortable handled ascender...but it is lightweight, adequately strong, easy to use and very available.

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Petzl Ascension, Wednesday, 12 December 2007

Written by Andrew Joslin - View all my reviews - Top 10 Reviewer


Overall rating (weighted)		4.8
Type of Use		1.0
Frequency of Use		4.0
Durability		5.0
Technical Skill Required		5.0
Ease of Use		5.0
Safety		4.0
Strength		5.0
Portability		5.0

Good solid ascender. I sometimes accidentally thumb the cam on the top ascender. This is not dangerous because it only moves the cam teeth away from the rope but does not release the cam or rope completely. It is disconcerting when you're pushing the ascender up and expect it to grab. I put a biner through the top hole in a way that makes it more difficult for my thumb to contact the cam release.

The two holes in the bottom of the ascender are useful for separate connections for a footloop and the life support tether to your harness.

If you use a screwlink to attach your tether or footloop to the ascender, the steel screwlink will eventually cut a small groove in the aluminum ascender.

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Petzl Ascension - Going Up (Straight Up, that is), Wednesday, 05 December 2007

Written by Miko Del Giudice - View all my reviews - Top 10 Reviewer


Overall rating (weighted)		4.0
Type of Use		5.0
Frequency of Use		4.0
Durability		5.0
Technical Skill Required		3.0
Ease of Use		5.0
Safety		3.0
Strength		5.0
Portability		3.0

When you read my numbers, you have to understand that the ratings are based on a "Texas Climbing System" which includes the Petzl ascenders, but also includes straps and carabiners. So once you add all the straps and biners (which stay as part of the assembled system - you don't take it apart unless you are changing left to right or something) then it becomes a little more challenging to rig up, use smoothly, a little harder to drag around, etc.

I have been using this system since I started climbing, so lets say 5 years. And here's what I have learned:
** - I can tell you that routing the tailing line thru is a personal thing with the Texas system and I have played with it for a long time. Now I have a consistent method where things don't get in the way and it works well without frustration.
** - These are a great way to get a seriously aerobic workout while climbing.
** - You can switch left and right around (I usually do it 1st of every month) to become adept at climbing both ways.
** - If you have to go a long distance straight up, on a single line, this is the way to go.
** - I have never had an ascender torque free of my climbing line, but a few times, when fatigued, I almost torqued it out. Technique is important - you can't tug on these when advancing - but I also would never teach a new climber to use these without safety biners clipped into the safety holes.
** - Very lightweight, very durable. I have done probably 200-300 climbs on these and the handgrips still look perfect.
** - The "changeover" is something you practice low and slow, if you're planning on coming down the same line you went up.
** - I saw on "Planet Earth" series, a shot of climbers going up the giant Redwoods - and they were going up single line with these, and also using foothold on the trunk to push off. Point being they are versatile and be used several different ways
** - I just recently started using these with the DdRT - It's kind of slow going, but if you have no good way to advance because the tree is too far away, it works. The Petzl Pantin vs. the Petzl Ascender? Depends on how far you're going. Not really sure yet.

I used these on many jobs - could never do without them. The leg straps are looking fuzzy, the green guard part is frayed, but straps are still structurally sound.

Highly recommended.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

Very Useful Tool, Wednesday, 14 November 2007

Written by Scott Schieber - View all my reviews - Top 50 Reviewer


Overall rating (weighted)		4.5
Type of Use		1.0
Frequency of Use		3.0
Durability		5.0
Technical Skill Required		4.0
Ease of Use		4.0
Safety		4.0
Strength		5.0
Portability		5.0

I have both a set of Petzl Ascension, and Black Diamond nForce ascenders. They both have their strengths.

Sherrill doesn't sell (yet?) the Black Diamond ascenders, but the Petzl product works very well. It has two rings on the bottom for carabiner attachments, which helps keep the ropes tidy if you've got one strap to your harness and another to a foot loop (and another to a micro-pulley).

The Petzl locks open and closes with an easy push of the thumb, but taking ascender off the rope can be difficult with just one hand if you're wearing a glove, because it involves pushing on a small plastic nub. The Black Diamond nForce has a trigger which is a little easier to operate gloved one-handed.

The grip is good and secure, and it frees easily for ascending. I will occasionally use it as a back-up when rappelling down, letting it slide along the rope above my belay device; if needed a quick flick of the thumb would give an instant lock onto the rope.

It's possible if torquing it around a branch or bend to slide it off the rope when ascending it up the rope, but that's uncommon, and you wouldn't be having it hold your weight at that point, anyway.

If you haven't worked much with ascenders, they are hard if not impossible to remove when weighted even a little bit (I guess that's the point, but if you're anchored in at another location and trying to remove the ascender, you have to be able to slide it up a little)

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