Petzl Grillon Hook Work Positioning Lanyard

The Petzl Grillon Hook is an adjustable work-positioning lanyard with a cam adjuster at one end and a wide-opening hook at the other. Pull the free end to shorten, ease the adjuster to lengthen, and you can set your position on a stem, pole or structure with one hand.

How the Grillon works

The Grillon is a rope lanyard with a cam adjuster that grips the rope under load. Pull the free end and you shorten up; operate the handle on the adjuster and you lengthen in a controlled way. It is quick and smooth, even with gloves on.

The Hook version adds a wide-opening hook connector at the far end of the lanyard, so it clips around bigger anchors and hardware than a standard carabiner can. That makes it popular for bucket and pole work as well as climbing.

Because the adjuster sits at your hip, length changes happen right where your hands are. That makes it easy to snug up as you reach a stem, ease off to lean back for a cut, and take up slack again when you move.

Grillon in tree work

In trees, many climbers use the Grillon as a secondary positioning lanyard during pruning and climbing, choking a limb or wrapping the stem to free up both hands. Arborists who cut close to the lanyard often prefer a wire core flipline or a tree-specific lanyard such as the Petzl Zillon.

The lanyard rope is not cut resistant. Keep the saw away from it, and use a wire core lanyard or follow your crew's cutting procedure when making cuts near your tie-in.

A quick habit that helps: before each cut, look at where your lanyard runs and where the bar will exit the wood, and move one or the other if they are close.

Choosing a length

Shorter lanyards are easier to manage and stay out of the way. Longer ones let you wrap bigger stems and reach around obstacles. Think about the trunk sizes you usually work and the way you hang the spare tail on your saddle.

The free tail of a long Grillon can be stowed in a small bag or clipped to a gear loop so it does not tangle with your climbing line.

If you work on poles or bucket trucks as well as trees, the hook end makes the Grillon easy to clip around crossarms and large structures where a standard carabiner might not fit.

Inspection

Check the adjuster for wear on the cam, smooth action of the handle and a working spring. Inspect the rope for cuts, glazing and stiff spots, especially near the adjuster, and the hook for wear and correct closure. Life-support gear has to meet the applicable standard and the manufacturer's instructions, get inspected before every climb, and be used only by trained climbers.

Wash the rope in cool water with a mild soap if it gets heavily soiled, let it dry out of direct sun, and store the lanyard loosely coiled in a gear bag away from fuel and chemicals. Keep a note of when it went into service so you know when to look closely at retirement.