AustriAlpin Fifty:Fifty – Carabiner with easy opening

This article was sponsored by Austrialpin.

The Fifty:Fifty carabiner from AustriAlpin seemed a bit strange to me at first. After all, the locking mechanism is unique. It wasn’t until I received an ASAP for testing, where the energy absorber was attached to the chest harness using the Fifty:Fifty, that I slowly began to find the carabiner interesting. I quickly purchased a few of them. Now I use the carabiner for my “tactical rappel extension” and also when multi-pitch climbing, to secure myself with a clove hitch at the anchor, whether in winter or summer.

Data

Weight: 90g
Standard: EN 12275:2013 (B), EN 362:2005 (B), UIAA 121
Breaking strength (longitudinal): 26 kN
Breaking strength (lateral): 10 kN
Breaking strength (open): 8 kN
Gate opening: 21 mm

Quick opening and release

The carabiner is opened by moving the spring-loaded lock to one side. This works well with your thumb.

Or also with thumb and forefinger together. You can clearly see that the carabiner has no nose.

For my “tactical rappel extension,” I chose this carabiner because I can place the prusik loop in the upper chamber (not shown in the picture), and the lower chamber is in the belay loop. This makes it very easy and quick to detach the entire system from the rope once it’s unloaded. However, this does not replace a quick-release or jettison device.

With belay devices

You can use the carabiner with a figure-eight device. With a tube, you need to watch out for the wire gate, as it can and will press on the lock!

At the same time, many tubes are too short and don’t allow the necessary movement.

Together with a Grigri or a Skylotec Spark like here, the design of the carabiner prevents lateral loading of the carabiner.

Photo: (C)Tactical Gentleman

Anchoring at the belay station

Instead of using a personal anchor sling, I now prefer to use a carabiner and a clove hitch when climbing. Since the carabiner has no nose, it’s relatively easy to release and remove the clove hitch. I’ve especially come to appreciate the Fifty:Fifty in ice climbing, as the lock is easy to open, doesn’t seem to freeze, and closes reliably. In this photo, it’s being used with a 7.9mm half rope.

You can also easily tie a clove hitch with a thick 10mm rope.

Here are two 7.1mm half ropes with a clove hitch.

Conclusion

For climbing, I rely on the carabiner because it has no nose and is easy to operate even with thick gloves and cold or tired fingers.
Tactically, I like the quick opening. However, the carabiner rattles a bit when not under load. This loose fit seems to be necessary for the smooth operation.
Like any locking carabiner, this mechanism is not 100% secure against accidental opening. However, I’ve never experienced an unintended opening of the carabiner.

For use with a tube, I can’t recommend the carabiner, although it depends on the specific case. In some cases, the wire gate may be long enough.