Gear review: Petzl Altitude Harness

Petzl Altitude specs 

• Weight: 150 g (size S/M),  160 g (M/L), 170 g (L/XL)  
• Four gear loops 
• Belay loop
• Nylon monofilament, polyester, high-modulus polyethylene, aluminum
• Adjustable leg loops
• A keeper with silicon interior for positioning an ice screw in each leg loop

Where to get it

• Price: $80
• Petzl 
• Amazon
• Backcountry
• Moosejaw 
• REI 

The Bottom Line: The Petzl Altitude is a lightweight harness that works great for alpine skiing and glacier travel. This ultralight harness is one of the first ones to incorporate dyneema into a full strength ultra-lightweight harness weighing only 150 grams.

Climbing with the Peztl Altitude. Photo by Rini Sugianto.  

I started looking into this harness for my trip to Chamonix earlier this year. With a lot of mixed climbing that involves glacier travel, steep snow slopes and rock, this harness fit all my needs for the whole trip . 

Being so thin and lightweight, it still gave me an all-day comfort and flexibility moving on mixed terrain. The clip on the leg loop allowed me to put on and take off my harness without having to remove my crampons. 

The only thing I was not a big fan of was the gear loop construction. These are rather flimsy, which makes it harder to clip carabiners in and out while wearing a backpack. The loops are also vertically mounted instead the horizontally mounted, but this doesn't take long to get used to. The ice screw holders in each leg loop are super nice to have to keep them from getting tangled with all the other gear. 

The waist belt is around 50 millimeters wide, and it is not the most comfortable dimension for hanging or to rappelling, but in the winter and under all the layers, it didn't feel too bad. An additional bonus is that this harness packs down really small into its provided bag. 

After a full three weeks of climbing in the Alps, I can say that I'm pretty happy with this harness, and it is still my go-to harness for any alpine climbing and glacier travel that I have planned for the future.