Petzl

RAD System

Petzl's RAD System has the rappel cord, locking carabiners, sling, and ascenders that backcountry skiers and mountaineers need for crevasse rescues, rappels, and glacier rope-ups. Its 30m Rad Line hyperstatic cord has a superlight, super-skinny 6mm diameter designed specifically for ski mountaineering. The Attache carabiner has a compact design, and Petzl includes three of these screw lockers for secure safety.

There are two ascenders, one chrome-plated Tibloc ascender for use as a progress capture, and Petzl's versatile Micro Traxion. The ultralight Micro Traxion is a capture pulley with sealed ball bearings and locks that double as a standard pulley for big wall climbing and solo top roping. Petzl also included its lightest sling called the Fin'Anneau, and a storage bag with webbing loops for harness attachment and holders for ice screws.

It's surprisingly convenient that all this gear stores compactly in the bag, and that the bag can compactly fit at the bottom of any ski backpack. This system should be a requirement for any mountaineer on mountains like Rainier, Hood, or Denali, but any backcountry skier can find convenience with Petzl's RAD System, especially if your partner gets stuck under a tree.