Petzl Microcender Ascender

I use this on a chair for climbing the mast on my boat. I like that it doesn't have teeth so it is easy to slide down the rope when descending. It is also smooth so that it doesn't scratch the mast when you get to the top and it inevitably comes into contact with the mast. Nice rounded corners and smooth surfaces. I also found in testing that if I went over the same piece of rope many times and flattened it out, it would slip until it found some round rope. I felt the spring was a little light so replaced it with 1/8 inch stainless steel rigging wire 3/4 inch longer than the standard 1/16 inch wire that comes with the unit. The allen wrenches were included so the changeover was no problem. I am undecided if that was a good idea as now it seems to have a bit too much tension. But it is an option worth considering. The real beauty is in coming down as just lifting the lever a bit and it will slide down the line. I use a basic ascender with foot straps below the chair and that is no problem re-positioning as when that is needed I am sitting comfortable and can take my time. The basic ascender slides up easily when going up so the combination fits the job nicely. I considered dozens of combinations before settling on this. The other ascender to consider is the rescucender, a bigger version of this. I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 because of the slipping I experienced during testing in my attic. I have not experienced slipping when actually climbing my mast. There is a video on L-36.com that shows this in use as well as several other setups tested.

I purchased this device based on the two previous reviews. I liked it for a good while, using it at the top of my gear connection setup, with a foot ascender on my left foot, a Trango Cinch in the middle, a Petzl hand ascender for the right hand above the Cinch, with a foot loop from the hand ascender to my right foot. I use a 10.5 mm Mammut Superflash rope, which should be well within the usable range for this ascender. After a period of time, possibly because of my use of the Trango Cinch, the Petzl Microcender would fail to hold on the 10.5 mm rope. (The Trango Cinch tends to flatten out a rope as it's used, but not permanently.) Sometimes when I'm climbing (trees), I need to be able to stop and make adjustments to my gear, and it is the item at the top that I need for sure to hold me, because it's the higher ones that tend to hold me in a vertical orientation. Having my topmost ascender slowly slip back on me as I'm trying to climb means I need to stop and take it out of the equation. In short, I simply do not trust the Petzl Microcender to hold fast on my 10.5 mm climbing line at all anymore. Maybe I shouldn't do this, but I have a 1/2 inch (approximately 12.7 mm) rigging rope that I use to lower limbs down that I'll also use for work positioning prior to the rigging down of limbs. So that is where I'm still willing to use the Petzl Microcender as a backup, because it seems to hold ok on the larger diameter rope. I like the design of the Petzl Microcender, it's easy to get on and off of the line, but I just don't trust it on my primary climbing line anymore. It's a cammed ascender as opposed to a toothed one, and it seems like it's just not beefy enough to do the job. On the other hand, I've become a huge fan of the Trango Cinch. It locks tight on the rope if installed properly, and has never given me a moment's doubt in use. I also purchased a CMI ascender that is similar in construction to the Petzl Microcender, in that it uses a cam instead of teeth to hold you, and so far it has been rock solid. It's also larger and more expensive, however, but in my opinion, worth the extra money. CMI Ropewalker Ascender SS Maybe this isn't the proper place for this, but a huge, hard to overstate advantage of the Trango Cinch is that it allows you to go in both directions, up or down. With any kind of toothed ascender or cammed ascender, in order to be able to come down, you must first be able to take your weight off of the device, which is many times easier said than done. With the Trango Cinch, even if all of your weight is on the device, by putting your thumb on the pivot point of the handle and pulling down gently, you can gradually lower yourself in a controlled fashion. With the others, you need to figure out how to get most of your body weight off the device in order to get them to release, which as I said, can be difficult. Thanks for listening.

Product Review: Petzl MicrocenderI purchased the Petzl Microcender to use as a self-belay system when top-rope soloing, an aid in self-rescue situations, for ascending a fixed rope, and as a mechanical back up to rappelling. I have used it a few times outdoors and am quite pleased with the product. This review is not meant as an instructional guide, please seek proper training before using this product.Who is this product for?The Petzl Microcender is for experienced rock climbers who are looking to expand their climbing repertoire. Technical knowledge of belay systems, anchors, and climbing are required to use this product correctly.Evaluation CriteriaI based my evaluation of the Petzl Microcender on the following criteria:1. Functionality: Will the Petzl Microcender serve as a mechanical substitute to the prusik knot or other friction hitches when ascending, rappelling, or aiding in self-rescue situations? Will it slide easily up a rope while climbing, and stay in proper position to catch a fall?2. Efficiency/Weight: Is the Petzl Microcender light enough to bring along on the average climb, or is it a burden to include on a climbing rack?3. Design: Is the design sleek enough to avoid disruption to climbing or related activities? Will it damage the rope?EvaluationI tested the Petzl Microcender’s functionality by first ascending a fixed rope with an ATC-guide as a secondary device. The Petzl Microcender functioned exactly how it was supposed to, and served as an excellent replacement for a prusik knot or other friction hitch. In fact, I prefer it to the basic knots because it always slid up the rope efficiently, whereas the knots can sometimes tighten and make that movement difficult. Likewise, it functioned well as a replacement to the prusik when rappelling back down from a pitch.The Petzl Microcender impressed me again when I used it for top-rope soloing. When the rope is set up properly, with a counterweight on the bottom to keep it taught, the Microcender moves up easily during climbing. If, however, there is not enough tension in the rope, the Microcender will not track smoothly and will disrupt climbing.The weight and design of this product are great. There are no sharp corners to snag on, no teeth to damage the rope, and it’s not very noticeable when attached to a harness. There could be some improvement to the “efficiency,” however, as it is a little clunky to install on the rope. It takes longer than similar products because the alignment of the locking pin will vary with different rope sizesOverall, I am quite pleased with the Petzl Microcender. It can be an excellent tool to accomplish a wide variety of tasks, and I highly recommend it.