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The deadly croll

royfellows

royfellows

Well-known member
Disgusted from Cornwall. said:
"I now think Petzl have really lost the plot."
Click to expand...

Understatement if ever there was one.

The Ecrin Roc was probably the best climbing and caving helmet ever made, so they discontinue it.
And now we have this business. So we vote with our check books as they say.
 
Now its no leap of imagination to see that this is going to rub off on their other products and their name will be mud, you reap as you sow.
 
pete_the_caver

pete_the_caver

New member
Having been following this unhappy story for several months (including the Ecrin Roc issue) and having suggested a well publicised boycott by Petzl's original market, no one seems interested. However, someone will die and when the resulting inquiry/suit is made aware that Petzl was made aware of the dangers of their product(s), heads will roll and monies will be paid and perhaps following the bad publicity the company will change its name. Black Oval?  Charlet Moser?  Whatever happens, it will be a sad day


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D

Disgusted from Cornwall.

New member
pete_the_caver said:
Having been following this unhappy story for several months (including the Ecrin Roc issue) and having suggested a well publicised boycott by Petzl's original market, no one seems interested. However, someone will die and when the resulting inquiry/suit is made aware that Petzl was made aware of the dangers of their product(s), heads will roll and monies will be paid and perhaps following the bad publicity the company will change its name. Black Oval?  Charlet Moser?  Whatever happens, it will be a sad day


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Click to expand...

The production manager is probably on profit share. It will be a few "profit shares" before someone says "What have you done?"
 
A

Andyj23UK

New member
Pegasus said:
https://www.petzl.com/GB/en/Sport/News/2016-2-2/Determining-when-a-CROLL-ascender-is-worn-out-(caving-context)#.V8fSf5grKhe
Click to expand...

err - that does not actually address the issue cavers are having

is petzl taking any notice of the croll issue ??????????????????

because - having looked at mine - and thought about it - is there any way to predict that the failure mode first identified by simon wilson is imminent - WITHOUT a micrometer or other measuring instrument ?????????????
 
D

Diba

New member
I climb more then 10k meter per year with my croll and I change one per year, but not because the plate you are all talking about wears off but because the hole where it's "attached" to Omni ring. It was the same with the old model. I think the main problem is, people have bad ascending technique. Because also in the past you could see that crolls only wore out
 
Simon Wilson

Simon Wilson

New member
Diba said:
I climb more then 10k meter per year with my croll and I change one per year, but not because the plate you are all talking about wears off but because the hole where it's "attached" to Omni ring. It was the same with the old model. I think the main problem is, people have bad ascending technique. Because also in the past you could see that crolls only wore out
Click to expand...

Do you do 10km of climbing in caves?
 
PeteHall

PeteHall

Moderator
Diba said:
I climb more then 10k meter per year with my croll and I change one per year, but not because the plate you are all talking about wears off but because the hole where it's "attached" to Omni ring. It was the same with the old model. I think the main problem is, people have bad ascending technique. Because also in the past you could see that crolls only wore out
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I would personally shy from bad ascending technique and perhaps say people have different ascending techniques, which wear out gear in different ways.

Like you though, I have also found the attachment hole at the bottom to wear out before anything else and I know a number of very proficient cavers who also experience this.

That said, I haven't needed to buy one of the new style ones with the wear plate yet, so not sure how one of these would hold up against my srt technique...
 
royfellows

royfellows

Well-known member
I dont do a tremendous lot of SRT so gear tends to last a few years and usually gets replaced due to wear on the teeth.

The way things look, next time I replace kit it will be goodbye Petzl. Simple.
 
David Rose

David Rose

Active member
I'm about to set off for two weeks' caving in the Picos. And I'm scared - I replaced my own new style Croll with an MT chest ascender when the publicity about this deadly fault started, but obviously others on the team I'll be caving with may not have. What if a Croll develops a sharp edge near the bottom of the deep system we'll be pushing? Or halfway up a 150m shaft? People can't be expected to inspect their gear before every pitch.

Petzl needs to act, and fast.
 
F

Fulk

Well-known member
so not sure how one of these would hold up against my srt technique...
Click to expand...

Me neither . . . but I'm sure as hell not going to find out; when I replace my current Croll it won't be with a new one.
 
Leclused

Leclused

Active member
David Rose said:
I'm about to set off for two weeks' caving in the Picos. And I'm scared - I replaced my own new style Croll with an MT chest ascender when the publicity about this deadly fault started, but obviously others on the team I'll be caving with may not have. What if a Croll develops a sharp edge near the bottom of the deep system we'll be pushing? Or halfway up a 150m shaft? People can't be expected to inspect their gear before every pitch.

Petzl needs to act, and fast.
Click to expand...

Exactly the situation where a member on the Anialarre expedition ended up with. He started the 400m pitches and a bit over halfway the plate was gone. At the bottom of the pitches everything was ok. 200 m further not.  This is impossible to check.
 
cooleycr

cooleycr

Active member
Have I missed something here?

You shouldn't use a Pantin with a Croll, surely they are designed to be used together?!?!!?

My Croll is beginning to show signs of wear on the teeth and I recently had to file down a burr on the attachment hole but after what must be at least 20 years of (albeit intermittent) use it is holding up fine.

I will be renewing it soon, after reading all these threads I am so puzzled as to what to replace it with but I do know that it certainly won't be another Petz!
 
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