![]() If you were to embark on an adventure that meant more air time - say, longer rappels - I’d certainly keep the padding in and tighten the leg loops. When I was hanging, I was most comfortable with the leg loops a little tighter for more support. (Luckily, I didn’t fall into a crevasse in Alaska, nor did we rap into any lines, so I put comfortability to the test at home.) However, when I returned from my trip, I hung off my deck in the harness for 10 minutes. Despite my scrawny frame, I was most comfortable touring with the leg loops in their widest position. ![]() I’m not a big guy - 5’9”, 145 pounds - and I tested a medium. Best of all, this combo allows you to easily don the harness by wrapping it around the body while you are in bulky boots, board, or skis instead of doing that awkward, step-through shuffle. The leg loop attachments are simple - a girth hitch on one side tightens over a knotted cord on the other. This attachment can be a little finicky, particularly with gloves on, so I opted to secure it in my tent vestibule on chillier mornings. It’s a minimalist drop-seat style with a toggle that secures the harness around the waist. Unlike a bergschrund-bottomed couloir, the Fly’s entrance and exit are fairly straightforward. But, I imagine that some mountaineers might crave more carrying capacity than the Fly offers, as the Fly is purpose-built for fast and light travel. I could easily access all of my gear (with gloves on!) both in practice scenarios and while roping up on the glacier. That said, the harness sports two longer, horizontal gear loops four additional smaller, vertical loops and two silicone ice screw retainers - more than enough for an organized approach to glacial travel. This was the only time I noticed the harness sag while touring. The Micro Traxion and Tibloc come with Petzl’s RAD Kit, which also includes a thin 6mm x 30m RAD Line in a small pouch, about the size of a football.Ī couple of times - including approaching a bergschrund when our guide wanted to rope up - I toured with the pouch attached to a gear loop for quick access. The weight and design of the harness made those 30 grams hardly noticeable.Īnd it offered impressive support as I carried a standard glacier rescue kit: a few auto-lockers, a couple of wiregate carabiners, ATC, sling, Micro Traxion, and Tibloc. I’m not a masochist or hardcore gram counter, so I toured the entire week with the padding in. While there are a few lighter harnesses on the market, a lack of padding seems standard practice if you want to dip below the 130g mark. The Altitude weighs in at 160 g (size M), while the Fly weighs 130 g (size M) with padding.Īnd, the padding - a couple of millimeters of firm foam cushioning - can be removed to pare down to 100 g. ![]() I was initially drawn to the Fly, as it’s even lighter than the Altitude, a popular Petzl harness relied on by many ski and snowboard mountaineers. Weighing Your Options: The Petzl Fly Is a Flyweight Of course, rocking a harness can also be helpful off the glacier when tackling more technical approaches, rappels, and more. If you or a teammate falls, a harness is critical to implementing a successful crevasse rescue. Wearing a harness at all times is accepted as a minimum safety requirement - much like a beacon, shovel, and probe- so that a crew can rope up at a moment’s notice. ![]() Instead, you must also contend with obstacles like seracs, bergschrunds, and gaping crevasses, which are often veiled by snow and impossible to discern with the naked eye. Avalanche hazards aren’t your only concern. This will come as no surprise to winter backcountry travelers, but glacial travel is complex, making a harness obligatory for daily missions in the alpine regions. (Like, removable padding, great support, and plenty of gear loops.) Learn why it’s now the go-to for glacier travel for one of our testers. ![]() In short: The Petzl Fly Harness is ultralight. Our crew camped on and navigated through a glacier, and rode rowdy lines for a week straight. This past month, I had ample opportunities to log time in the Petzl Fly during an expedition to Denali National Park. I admit, I belong to neither faction of ski mountaineers or alpinists, but I am a splitboarder tiptoeing into steeper, more technical terrain. The Petzl Fly is an ultralight harness that packs down to the size of a few Clif Bars, and is made specifically for ski mountaineers and alpinists. ![]()
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