Petzl is constantly making modifications to all of their ascenders. Most of the modifications are fairly minor. I have acquired several versions which are fairly representative of their designs over the past two decades.
[ Top | Versions B1 & B2 | Version C1 | Version C2 | Version D | Return to H.E.C. Ascenders ]
I acquired this pair of ascenders from Speleoshoppe in October, 1979.
The shell is a tall irregular shaped stamping made from 4.2 mm. aluminum alloy sheet metal. A rope channel is formed in the upper portion of one side and a smaller cam channel lies opposite the first. A hole drilled through both sides of the cam channel accepts a 5.5 mm. roll rivet. The cam and cam spring are mounted on this rivet. The head of the rivet sits into a stamped depression on the back of the shell, while the roll is exposed on the open side. The handle below the cam has a soft black plastic hand grip molded into place. The hand grip has four finger grooves. A 13.1 mm. sling attachment hole is punched below the handle opening. This hole is slightly beveled. A 14.1 mm. hole through both sides of the rope channel provide an attachment point just above the cam. This hole is very well beveled.
The cam is a plated skeletonized steel casting. The cam has number of small conical teeth, all of which have their axes approximately parallel to the lower surface of the cam. The tooth pattern is (F)(3.4)^3(3.2)^2(3). The F stands for a short flat area designed to allow the user to cant the ascender and slide it down the rope without opening the cam. The outside two bottom teeth are almost ground away. Like the other ascenders, the inner cam face radius reduces from top to bottom to accommodate various sized ropes. A spring-loaded manual safety bar is mounted on the bottom of the cam with a somewhat cracked steel roll rivet. The normal action of the spring holds the safety against the cam. When the cam is opened, the shell interferes with the safety bar, thus preventing opening the cam. If the safety bar is moved away from the cam (opposing the spring), it will clear the shell and the cam will open. At full open the safety can be released and the spring will hold the safety against the back of the shell. This provides a means of locking the cam open. A knob on the safety bar assists in operating the safety mechanism.
The plastic hand grip has "Poignée PETZL France" molded into one side and "breveté", "France_Etranger", and "MAXI: 400 kgs" molded into the other. Left-handed Petzl ascenders are gold anodized, right handed Petzls are blue. This color convention was followed for all Petzl ascenders discussed in this page.
I feel that this is a well made ascender. All sharp edges have been removed. The cam teeth are very well done. The attachment points are simply holes in the shell, and although well rounded I consider their small radius too sharp for directly attaching sling ropes. They are probably acceptably rounded for webbing, but considering the proximity of the attachment points to the main rope, I would recommend using a small maillon for most attachments in order to reduce the risk of sling abrasion. The lower attachment hole could theoretically have the same safety problems as the one on Clog Version A. The upper rope attachment hole is located very close to the main rope. A carabiner through the upper attachment hole may drag on the main line. Note that such a carabiner will prevent putting the Petzl on or off rope, so one's climbing system must be designed accordingly.
Single handed operation of this ascender is fairly easy with the proper hand, but is rather difficult with the opposite hand. Closing an locked open ascender is much easier than opening, since the strong cam spring assists the user. The cam is very well made. The teeth are oriented more steeply than on the C.M.I. or the Jumar, so they tend to be even more self cleaning. The flat area on the cam has caused some confusion. Some cavers think this was a design defect, but actually it was provided as a feature. The flat area allows one to cant the ascender then slide it down the rope without opening the cam, provided there is not a carabiner in the top shell holes. This feature did not work very well and was later abandoned.
This ascender has the same pit lip disadvantage as the Clog. The shell is crushed at the top edge of the hand grip due to some clamping during the manufacturing process. This crushed point is located at precisely the point that one would expect the shell to bend in the pit lip scenario described previously.
The Petzl expedition series is a very popular among handled
ascender users, particularly in Europe. Undoubtedly much of this
popularity is due to its light weight and good workmanship.
[ Top | Version A | Version C1 | Version C2 | Version D | Return to H.E.C. Ascenders ]
I acquired this ascender from Inner Mountain Outfitters at O.T.R. in 1989, but it represents the design of about two years earlier. Version B1 and B2 are from the same pair; the difference is that the ascender is supplied with two types of safety knobs, so the buyer can choose which type he prefers. Version B1 is converted to Version B2 by unbolting the mushroom shaped thumb knob on the cam safety and replacing it with the cylindrical knob supplied with the ascender. The mushroom shaped (B1) knob is less bulky and would normally be used for caving. The cylindrical knob is longer, and easier to operate with gloved hands typical in winter mountaineering conditions. I recommend selecting the one you want and epoxying it in place.
The shell has been substantially enlarged. A cylindrical cam closing stop is riveted to the shell just above the cam. The original pair of upper carabiner holes have been enlarged to 13.6 by 19.5 mm. oval holes, and an additional 15.8 mm. hole is punched beside the first pair. The handle opening is larger than Version A's. The hand grip is unchanged.
The cam assembly has been changed in several ways. The flat area on the cam was eliminated and the tooth pattern changed to (3.4)^2(3.2)^2(1.2). The cam safety has a slightly different shape, but functions in the same manner. The safety knob is the same shape as Version A's, but is threaded and attached to the safety by a hex nut rather than riveted.
The hand grip is very similar to Version A's, with a slight change in finish. The handle markings are the same as Version A's. The cam has "PETZL" cast in each side. The cam safety has "OIL" stamped into it with an arrow pointing to the safety pivot.
This ascender is bulkier than the earlier Version. I don't see any compelling justification for the increased bulk. The larger frame provides more hand room, but increases the bulk of the ascender. I have rather large hands, and with the cam locked open, the cam teeth in Version A dig into my finger. In this Version there is adequate clearance, but the minutely improved comfort hardly justifies the size increase. The extra sling hole above the cam is a welcome addition, and the enlargement of the previous Version's upper hole reduces the drag imposed by a carabiner in that hole. The crushed area noted on Version A is also present here.
The workmanship of the cam does not appear to be as good as on Version A, but is certainly adequate. The cam mounting is sloppy, with about 2 mm. of lateral play. The cam safety mounting is also loose. I doubt there is any strength problem, but one expects better workmanship in assembling a modern ascender.
The cylindrical cam closing stop is located with about 0.7 mm.
clearance between the stop and the cam, so is accomplishes nothing
in normal use. Presumably this stop prevents the cam from pulling
through during strength tests. I'm no fan of gimmicks designed
exclusively to pass some regulatory standard, but which serve
no function in the real world. Unless I'm missing some other useful
function, I'd suggest eliminating the stop as a cost savings.
[ Top | Version A | Versions B1 & B2 | Version C2 | Version D | Return to H.E.C. Ascenders ]
I acquired this pair of ascenders from Bob & Bob at the 1989 N.S.S. Convention.
The shell is essentially the same size as in Versions B1/B2.
An indentation stamped into the frame extends across the upper
portion of the shell and down both sides of the hand hole, ending
just above the plastic hand grip on one side and about 22 mm.
above the lower sling attachment hole on the other. A cylindrical
cam closing stop is riveted to the shell just above the cam. The
new Petzl Expedition ascenders are available in several colors,
mine is anodized dark blue.
The hand grip is very similar to Version B's, with a slight
change in finish.
The cam is a revised skeletonized casting, plated as before. The cam face is divided by a vertical slot designed to provide clearance for mud. The face is supported by more elaborate bracing than Version A. The conical cam teeth have their axes approximately parallel to the lower surface of the cam. The tooth pattern is (2.3)(2S2.1S1)^2(1S1)^3(1.2), where the "S"s stand for the single longitudinal mud removal slot. The cam safety has a revised shape, but functions in the same manner as Version A's. It is now anodized red rather than left unfinished. The thumb knob has been replaced by a two piece mechanism consisting of a threaded rivet fixed to the safety, and a knurled cylinder which screws onto the rivet. This allows the cylinder to be screwed down against the safety where it does not project very far, or unscrewed about 7.8 mm. to make it easier to operate with gloved hands.
A Sieg Heil icon and the U. I. A. A. approval logo are stamped onto the front of the rope channel portion of the shell. The hand grip markings are the same as Version A's except that "MAXI: 400 Kgs" is not present. "PETZL" is cast into both sides of the cam, and "OIL" and an arrow are stamper into the cam safety. The arrow points to the cam safety pivot.
The stamped indentations should add some resistance to bending in the pit lip scenario described in the Clog discussion, but the indentation on the hand grip side ends right where the maximum bending moment would be expected. The crushed area noted on Version A is also present here.
The cam and cam safety mounting are just as sloppy as in Version B1/B2. The cam stop is just as useless as it is there.
The slot in the cam is intended to reduce the risk of ascender slippage due to mud-caked cam teeth. This may be of some benefit under certain caving conditions,particularly with wet non-cohesive silty muds. My experience is that caves that have enough mud to clog ascender teeth usually have enough mud to stop a bulldozer. I suspect that most ropes muddy enough to stop other ascenders will stop this one too, despite the mud holes. Although I have not tried this ascender in the appropriate conditions, I suspect that the holes will not eliminate the icing problems common to other toothed cam ascenders.
Like the other Versions, the ascender is easy to operate with the proper hand, but still difficult to operate with the opposite hand. A Sieg Heil icon shows which way is up for certain uses. Anyone who needs this assistance, particularly on a handled ascender, shouldn't be using the ascender anyhow. Petzl's literature shows their ascenders being used in hauling systems, in which case the figure is upside down.
This is the first U. I. A. A. approved ascender I acquired. Looking at the U. I. A. A. criteria for ascenders explains why the handle opening was enlarged: there is a minimum size for acceptance. The Petzl Expedition Version A opening was too small. I made a template conforming to the dimensions of U. I. A. A. requirement M4.1.4 to check various ascenders. This ascender passes , but barely. There is a lot of extra room in the handle, but it is located in the wrong place. The protrusions between the finger grooves just miss interfering with my template. Of course, in the real world, the opening is certainly adequately sized on any of these Versions.
I am amused by the fact that the hand grip no longer gives a strength figure, particularly since it was clearly molded with one. In the place where "MAXI 400 Kgs" was molded in Version A, one finds a depressed groove with obvious milling machine marks. Only the descender on the letter "g" in "Kgs" is still visible.
Once again, this ascender is quite popular in Europe. I've found that I use my handleless Petzl's far more than the handled ones.
[ Top | Version A | Versions B1 & B2 | Version C1 | Version D | Return to H.E.C. Ascenders ]
I acquired the right-hand ascender o from Alan Shelby on eBay in 2004. At first I speculated that it may not have existed in left-hand form, but as soon as I said so here in 2005, Jay Kennedy corrected me by sending me a left-handed ascender to match. Stampings indicate that the left hand ascender was made in 1997, the right-hand in 1996.
Version C2 is a slight variation on Version C1. Version C2 has the following differences:
[ Top | Version A | Versions B1 & B2 | Version C1 | Version C2 | Return to H.E.C. Ascenders ]
I
acquired this Version from On Rope 1 in 1998. Version D
replaces the finger-groove handle with a rounded rubber handle
that I find to be much more comfortable than the old ones, and
would be even better if the remaining cusp were eliminated. There
are two tie-in holes at the base: the main one is15.5 mm,
the smaller one 11.4 mm. The second top carabiner hole has
disappeared, to be replaced by a dimpled cam stop located where
the cam cannot touch it. Although the upper attachment hole on
earlier Versions was not essential, replacing it with an ineffective
cam stop does nothing. Remember, these cam stops only increase
the ascender strength in unrealistic laboratory tests, they serve
no function in proper field use.
The cam safety is now a large plastic thumb piece. It works
smoothly, but not comfortably, and then only with the proper hand.
Opening the cam with the opposite hand is possible, but not as
easy as it is on the early Jumar. Like
all Petzl eccentric cam ascenders with down-sloping teeth, thumbing
the cam for down-climbing is awkward. I find that it is easier
to work the cam on stiff ropes, since loose-sheathed ropes seem
to snag more readily.
[ Top | Version A | Versions B1 & B2 | Version C1 | Version C2 | Version D ]
HEC43.html/070426
©2007, Gary D. Storrick