Technical Beta courtesy CanyoneeringUSA.com Material not reviewed by Petzl. © 2012 Imlay Canyon Gear LLC
Petzl Pirana
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a Canyoneer’s Rappelling Tool
Pirana Basics
The Pirana is a Figure Eight based Rappel Device made by Petzl specifically for canyoneering. It has several friction
settings, so the correct friction for the rope/canyoneer/situation can usually be found with little hassle. It is quick to put
on the rope, and quick to take off. For Class-C canyoning, like in Ouray, the Pirana performs well in waterfalls, because it
tolerates of twists in the rope and of debris tangled in the rope. If you have to do rescue stuff, it offers opportunities for
locking off quickly and easily and for rappelling with two people (not covered in this chapter).
The Pirana snugly attaches to a carabiner by design, making it quite difficult to lose the device when doing a floating
disconnect. This also means only specific carabiners work with the Pirana: the Petzl Attache, Petzl William, and the
Pirate carabiners from Rock Exotica are the common options. The Pirana can be hard to get on the biner, but a little
lubrication (spit) and persistence will eventually get it into place.
