Consumer Reports

The Petzl Ascension outperformed the Black Diamond Index by a hair to come out on top. It is a bit lighter, slightly smoother on ropes, and simpler to operate than the Index. The Ascension has an extra-wide lower hole that enables two carabiners to be clipped or for the gate of a locking carabiner to be passed through. This is a great feature that can save some time if you need to take something off the bottom carabiner. With its big wall functionality and simplicity, the Petzl is more than adequate for a wide range of applications and has been proven to stand up to years of use in harsh conditions.

Ascender Comparison