Climbing Technology Pillar TG Carabiner

The CT Pillar TG carabiner is an auto-locking connector from Climbing Technology for arborist climbing and positioning systems. The auto-locking gate closes and locks on its own, which is what tree work requires on life-support connections.

Where it fits in your kit

An arborist carries a handful of carabiners on the saddle: one on the hitch, one or two on the lanyard, and spares for the friction saver or a redirect. Every one on a life-support connection needs an auto-locking gate, so it can't be rolled open by the rope or a branch.

The Pillar TG is CT's auto-locking version of their Pillar carabiner. Check the gate action and size against the rest of your system before you commit, and compare with other auto-locking carabiners.

Climbing Technology is an Italian maker of climbing and work-at-height hardware, and the Pillar line is one of their general-purpose carabiner families. Before you clip it into a life-support system, confirm the markings on the spine show the rating your system requires.

Clipping and inspection

Load a carabiner along its spine, not across the gate or in a three-way pull. Watch for cross-loading on bridges and rings, where a carabiner can roll if it's the wrong shape for the job.

Life-support gear must meet the applicable standard, follow ANSI Z133 and the manufacturer's instructions, be inspected before every climb, and be used only by trained climbers. Retire a carabiner that has been dropped onto a hard surface from height, has sharp grooves, or has a gate that doesn't close and lock fully.

Keep carabiners clean and free of grit, and rinse and dry them if they get muddy so the gate keeps closing crisply.