Teufelberger PulleySaver

The Teufelberger PulleySaver is a friction saver that adds a pulley at the tie-in point, so the rope runs over a sheave instead of bare metal. It protects the bark and the rope at the crotch and takes some of the work out of advancing a doubled-rope system.

Why put a pulley in the crotch

A standard ring or webbing friction saver keeps your rope off the bark, but the line still bends over a fixed ring. On a long doubled-rope ascent that adds up. The PulleySaver swaps that contact point for a sheave, so the climbing line rolls rather than drags. Climbers notice it most when footlocking or body-thrusting up a tall stem, and again when they tend slack through the work position.

It also helps the tree. A friction saver keeps the rope from sawing into the bark at the tie-in point, which matters on high-value trees and on repeat pruning cycles. Browse the rest of our friction savers to compare ring, webbing, and adjustable designs.

Setting it and checking it

Install and retrieve it the way the manufacturer describes, and practice the retrieval on the ground before you rely on it aloft. Make sure the crotch you choose is sound and sized for the load, and that the device sits clean without the hardware levering against the stem.

This is life-support gear. Inspect the pulley, side plates, connecting rope or webbing, and any stitching or splices before each climb. Retire it after a shock load or at the first sign of cuts, glazing, cracks, or a sheave that binds. Use it within ANSI Z133 practice and the maker's instructions, and get trained on doubled-rope climbing before you depend on any friction saver.