Silas Rossi

The Petzl Dragonfly is a light weight half-rope that excels on long ice / mixed routes and alpine peaks where weight savings is critical and frozen ropes are not an option. The tightly woven, single-pick sheath coupled with dry treatment on both sheath and core create a rope that is exceptionally good at shedding water. Even after long days of ice climbing in wet conditions the ropes fared well. The ropes have proven durable while ice climbing, but I have climbed little rock with them. My inclination for rock-specific climbing is to go with a thicker, more durable rope(s). The Petzl Dragonfly's are my first choice when wanting the ability to rappel a full rope length while counting every ounce.

In a world of increasing specificity, the Sarken stands out as a solid all-around crampon. The 12 point design coupled with hybrid front points (vertical AND horizontal) create a platform that is both very stable when using French technique (flat foot), as well as having the punch needed to penetrate hard water ice when front-pointing. The Sarken excels in the mountains, where you are likely to find a mixed bag of conditions. The 12 point design gives excellent lateral support on neve, the aggressive secondary points offer good purchase on vertical terrain, and the anti-balling plate keeps soft snow from balling up under foot. Choose Leverlock for ease of use and adjustability, or sidelock for a focus on steeper, more technical terrain. The Sarken will climb rock, but the long front points mean additional leverage to your calf on long sections of mixed climbing.

In a world of increasing specificity, the Sarken stands out as a solid all-around crampon. The 12 point design coupled with hybrid front points (vertical AND horizontal) create a platform that is both very stable when using French technique (flat foot), as well as having the punch needed to penetrate hard water ice when front-pointing. The Sarken excels in the mountains, where you are likely to find a mixed bag of conditions. The 12 point design gives excellent lateral support on neve, the aggressive secondary points offer good purchase on vertical terrain, and the anti-balling plate keeps soft snow from balling up under foot. Choose Leverlock for ease of use and adjustability, or sidelock for a focus on steeper, more technical terrain. The Sarken will climb rock, but the long front points mean additional leverage to your calf on long sections of mixed climbing.

The Petzl Dart crampon performs very well on waterfall ice and mixed terrain. They pack a lot of punch for being such a light crampon. They are also very agile on mixed terrain. The Sidelock offers an uber-secure, and solid, boot-to-crampon connection allowing you to kick, twist and torque to your heart's content without worry of losing a crampon.