Petzl Reverso 3 wins Belay Device SuperTopo Recommend Award

MILL VALLEY, CA--SuperTopo.com, one of the most popular climbing web sites in the world, revealed Petzl Reverso 3 as the winner of the 2010 Recommended award for the best belay device category. The SuperTopo.com staff rated the Petzl Reverso 3 after extensive field testing in Yosemite, Colorado, and Utah. The Petzl Reverso 3 also underwent extensive side by side tests with others in the belay device category to evaluate key performance metrics such as ease of use, performance, packability, durability and ease of lowering. The complete review is available on SuperTopo.com.

According to gear tester Chris McNamara, "The Petzl Reverso 3 is our Editors' Choice for manual belay/auto–block belay devices. It’s like a sports car. It has sleek curves, excellent handling and is smooth to use. Nine times out of 10 we belay directly off the anchor when multipitch climbing so we need a great auto–block device. On big Yosemite free routes, we found our arms stayed fresher with the Reverso 3 as long as the rope was skinnier than 10mm. After a long day of getting high off the ground, you have to come down, and the Reverso 3 is extremely smooth for rappelling. It is pricey but worth every penny if you use it in auto-block mode. If you primarily belay off the anchor with thick ropes, then we would recommend the Mad Lock, GriGri or Cinch."

According to tester Chris Van Leuven, "The Reverso 3 is the best all-around device we tested. It does it all: lightweight, compact and great for belaying in auto–block mode or directly off the waist. It is not cheap, but it is worth the greenbacks. This is the smoothest belay/rappel/guide's device tested. It is the most common belay device you will see guides or experienced trad climbers using, whether in Yosemite or on The Diamond."

About SuperTopo.com: SuperTopo offers the most detailed and exhaustive side-by-side comparison climbing gear review in the industry. Each product is evaluated on a common set of metrics, tested both hands-on and in a lab setting, and then field tested exhaustively on Yosemite's Big Walls, The Alaska Range, Cascades and other serious climbing areas around the world.

SuperTopo.com is the premier destination site for active, influential, and outdoor-oriented rock climbers in the United States. Offering detailed information on the most popular climbing routes in the United States’ most popular climbing areas, SuperTopo.com serves as one of the critical sites to visit when planning an outdoor climbing trip. SuperTopo.com also features the United States most-active climbing discussion forum, by and for experienced outdoor rock climbers. With topics ranging from how-to-aid climb to bolting ethics, route beta, and general fireside chit-chat, the SuperTopo Climber’s Forum is regularly frequented by many of the most well known and famous rock climbers in America.