Designed to work with a hand ascender, such as the Petzl Basic or Ascension, and a chest harness, the Petzl Croll Chest Ascender is attached to the latter’s straps. It is positioned between the chest and seat harnesses and is intended mainly to suspend a climber as he pushes his or her hand ascender upwards.
The attachment hole of the Croll Chest Ascender is angled to keep it lying flat against the chest. This angle, coupled with an ergonomic trigger, also allows single-handed installation, removal, and adjustment of the rope. This trigger is recessed inside the frame to prevent unintentional opening of the cam. The upper hole, on the other hand, is for attachment to the shoulder harness’ straps.
The chrome-plated cam is spring-loaded. It has angled teeth with self-cleaning slots which enable secure grips on the rope regardless of whether it is muddy or even icy. Gliding over the rope is made more efficient with refinements on the cam. For durability, the wear area of the cam is now lower. An integrated safety catch has been incorporated to prevent the cam from excessive opening thereby keeping the rope safely locked.
The Petzl Croll Chest ascender is constructed from aluminum, chrome steel, and nylon. The frame is in aluminum, contributing to its light weight of only 130 grams. The cam is chrome steel making it a sturdy rope catch, while the trigger is made of nylon. It supports ropes with diameters between 8mm and 13mm.