Recommended Use

Activity

Gate

Material

bottomline

Petzl

The Petzl story began in the early 1930s, when Fernand Petzl discovered the sport of caving. Petzl was 17 and trained as a mechanic by trade; he was used to solving complex problems with simple solutions. Together, with his friend Pierre Chevalier, the two began exploring deep caves with gear designed for only for hiking and light climbing. It wasn’t long before the two began to envision new techniques for going deeper into previously inaccessible caves, and with these new techniques, they created new gear for the task. Rather than rely on fixed ladders as was the norm, Petzl began to use nylon ropes, and he invented the climbing pole, the Ascender, and Descender. With tools in hand, Petzl and Chevalier explored the first 17 kilometers of the Dent de Crolles and established a new world record for caving below 600 meters. By 1968, Petzl was manufacturing ascenders and descenders under the name Produits Fernand Petzl (Fernand Petzl Products). In 1970 Petzl brought his sons Pierre and Paul into the business, and the Petzl brand expanded its production to include mountaineering equipment. The first Petzl mountaineering headlamp followed in 1973 and, in 1975, Petzl established its headquarters in Crolles, France. This was truly the beginning of something larger. With the name established and its manufacturing plant in place, things took off. The Petzl name was already synonymous with high-quality climbing equipment and headlamps, so the addition of climbing harnesses was a natural addittion to the product line in 1977. Eleven years later Petzl would put in place its own research and development department, complete with a Test Tower for climbing gear, and an athlete team, Team Petzl, soon followed. Now known as the the world’s first self-braking belay device, the invention of the Grigi made climbing much safer. It was 1991 and the world of climbing suddenly became more accessible to recreational and casual climbers. Just a year earlier Petzl had begun making safety equipment for firefighters, roofers, tree care professionals, rescue workers, and other professionals whose jobs involve roping in above the ground. To this day, many of Petzl’s product such as descenders, work-spec harnesses, and helmets are used for both work and play.  Countless other products and innovations have followed over the past 20 years. The Tikka, Petzl’s firs LED headlamp, The Quark Ergo ice axe, the ASAP mobile fall arrester, the Rope Trip, and many others. Over the years, Petzl has always designed products to address a specific issue—never just to add to its catalog. Innovation in lighting and verticality are at the heart of the brand’s expertise and innovation is what drives their products into the hands of future customers, again and again.

Browse a wide selection of Petzl Bike, Hike, and Climbing gear at Backcountry.com. Choose from the latest headlamps, tents, sleeping bags, and more.

Petzl - Hike, Camp, & Climb Headlamps, Helmets, & More

The Petzl story began in the early 1930s, when Fernand Petzl discovered the sport of caving. Petzl was 17 and trained as a mechanic by trade; he was used to solving complex problems with simple solutions. Together, with his friend Pierre Chevalier, the two began exploring deep caves with gear designed for only for hiking and light climbing. It wasn’t long before the two began to envision new techniques for going deeper into previously inaccessible caves, and with these new techniques, they created new gear for the task. Rather than rely on fixed ladders as was the norm, Petzl began to use nylon ropes, and he invented the climbing pole, the Ascender, and Descender. With tools in hand, Petzl and Chevalier explored the first 17 kilometers of the Dent de Crolles and established a new world record for caving below 600 meters.
 
By 1968, Petzl was manufacturing ascenders and descenders under the name Produits Fernand Petzl (Fernand Petzl Products). In 1970 Petzl brought his sons Pierre and Paul into the business, and the Petzl brand expanded its production to include mountaineering equipment. The first Petzl mountaineering headlamp followed in 1973 and, in 1975, Petzl established its headquarters in Crolles, France. This was truly the beginning of something larger.
 
With the name established and its manufacturing plant in place, things took off. The Petzl name was already synonymous with high-quality climbing equipment and headlamps, so the addition of climbing harnesses was a natural addittion to the product line in 1977. Eleven years later Petzl would put in place its own research and development department, complete with a Test Tower for climbing gear, and an athlete team, Team Petzl, soon followed.
 
Now known as the the world’s first self-braking belay device, the invention of the Grigi made climbing much safer. It was 1991 and the world of climbing suddenly became more accessible to recreational and casual climbers. Just a year earlier Petzl had begun making safety equipment for firefighters, roofers, tree care professionals, rescue workers, and other professionals whose jobs involve roping in above the ground. To this day, many of Petzl’s product such as descenders, work-spec harnesses, and helmets are used for both work and play.
 
Countless other products and innovations have followed over the past 20 years. The Tikka, Petzl’s firs LED headlamp, The Quark Ergo ice axe, the ASAP mobile fall arrester, the Rope Trip, and many others. Over the years, Petzl has always designed products to address a specific issue—never just to add to its catalog. Innovation in lighting and verticality are at the heart of the brand’s expertise and innovation is what drives their products into the hands of future customers, again and again.

One Color

One Size

Gate Type

Features

Major Axis Strength

Minor Axis Strength

Manufacturer Warranty

storecredits

One Color, One Size

Delta Quick-Link

Up To 20% Off Santa Cruz & Juliana — Shop Now

Discount applies to full-price items only. 

Get the scoop on sales and gear

15% off when you sign up for email

Women

Kids

Activities

Exclusive Brands

Shop All

New Arrivals

The Runoff Rain Collection

Clothing

Footwear

Accessories

On Sale

Gear For The Groms: Kits, Skis & Boards For Kids

Gear

Ski & Ride Guide

Snowboard

Snow Essentials

Ice Climbing

Snow

All Activities

Brands

Backcountry

Stoic

Basin + Range

WHITESPACE

Featured Deals

Womens

Mens

Sale

Community

Advocacy

Partnerships

Ambassadors

See All Stories

Introduction to Ski Mountaineering

How To Buy A Bike In 2021

How A Winter Kit Made The Perfect Trip

Explore Blog

<a class="buybox-promo__popup-link popup-link" href="#shipping-rules" data-ui="{&quot;remoteDialog&quot;: { &quot;href&quot; : &quot;/Store/content/contentDescription.jsp?id=bcs-shipping-rules&quot;}}">Free Shipping on orders over $50* </a>

By submitting this form, you agree to receive recurring automated promotional and personalized marketing text messages (e.g. cart reminders) from Backcountry at the cell number provided when signing up. Consent is not a condition of any purchase. Msg frequency varies. Msg. and data rates may apply. 

First dibs on products, sales & exclusives

Sign up for text alerts & get 15% off

Petzl
Delta Quick-Link

Delta Quick-Link

Tech Specs