A Reverso is a
belay device
A belay device is a mechanical piece of climbing equipment used to control a rope during belaying. It is designed to improve belay safety for the climber by allowing the belayer to manage their duties with minimal physical effort. With the righ ...
developed and patented by
Petzl
Petzl is a French manufacturer of climbing gear, caving gear, work-at-height equipment, and headlamps based in Crolles (near Grenoble), France. The company was created by the cave explorer Fernand Petzl in the mid-1970s. Their three speci ...
, used for example in
rock-climbing and other activities which involves rope-work. Another version of this device is the Reversino, intended for use with thinner ropes.
A Reverso can be used to belay the leader, one or two seconds, or as a descender during
rappelling
Abseiling ( ; ), also known as rappelling ( ; ), is the controlled descent of a steep slope, such as a rock face, by moving down a rope. When abseiling, the person descending controls their own movement down a static or fixed rope, in cont ...
. It can also be used in self-braking mode, to belay one or two seconds, if attached directly to the belay.
A Reverso is similar in design and use to an
ATC when belaying a lead climber from below. A rope passes through the Reverso, through a carabiner attached to both the Reverso and the belayer's harness, and back through the same hole in the Reverso. This creates the friction required to properly belay a climber.
When belaying a seconder from the top of a climb, the Reverso is attached by a
carabiner
A carabiner or karabiner (), often shortened to biner or to crab, colloquially known as a (climbing) clip, is a specialized type of shackle, a metal loop with a spring-loaded gate used to quickly and reversibly connect components, most notabl ...
through the "extra loop" that an
ATC does not have, to the anchors in the place of an
italian hitch
The Munter hitch, also known as the Italian hitch, mezzo barcaiolo is a simple adjustable knot, commonly used by climbers, cavers, and rescuers to control friction in a life-lining or belay system. It is often mistakenly identified as the cro ...
knot. Using this method, the device is self-locking, and cannot be released without extra gear.
See also
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Climbing equipment
Climbing equipment refers to a broad range of manufactured gear that is used in the activity or sport of climbing.
Notable groups include:
* Alpine climbing equipment as is used in alpine climbing and mountaineering
* Deep-water soloing equipme ...
*
Glossary of climbing terms
Glossary of climbing terms relates to rock climbing (including aid climbing, lead climbing, bouldering, and competition climbing), mountaineering, and to ice climbing. ebook:
The terms used can vary between different English-speaking countries; ...
*
Indoor climbing
A climbing wall is an artificially constructed wall with manufactured grips (or "holds") for the hands and feet. Most walls are located indoors, and climbing on such walls is often termed indoor climbing. Some walls are brick or wooden constr ...
References
Manufacturer's informationREVERSO 3 informationVideo: How to use the belay device and descender ReversoPetzl Reverso 3 review
with video
Climbing equipment
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