Petzl Sitta - A Climbing and Mountaineering Harness

Most ultra-light harnesses are intended for a limited number of uses, typically mountaineering or ski mountaineering. Some may also be used for ice climbing but they’re certainly not designed for sport climbing.

The Petzl Sitta is different. Petzl wanted their ultra-light harness to also be useable while sport or gym climbing, which demand a comfortable feel. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Petzl describes the Sitta as, “a high end climbing and mountaineering harness.”

To achieve a higher level of comfort without sacrificing weight, Petzl developed Wireframe technology. Multiple Spectra® (aka Dyneema) strings distribute the weight of the climber across the width of the waist belt and leg loops.

The Sitta uses no foam. Whereas traditional harness design requires foam padding to protect against hot spots caused by nylon webbing, the Sitta merely has thin layers of fabric encapsulating the Spectra stings. It’s so thin you can see light through it.

Petzl believes this technology enables a wider range of movement due to the reduced bulk and stiffness.

The strings of the Wireframe technology also inspired the Sitta name. It’s a word play on the classic stringed instrument, the Sitar. Coincidentally, Sitta is also the Swedish word for “sit.”

The Sitta will debut as a fixed leg loop harness, with no word if an adjustable leg loop version is in the future. However, Petzl designed the elasticized delta to accommodate for the variety of clothing worn during winter & summer climbing. It should also accommodate a wide range of thigh sizes.

Similar to Petzl’s Hirundos and Aquila harnesses (released Spring 2015), the Sitta has:

• No through-stitching on the waist belt – you’ll find no nasty seems to rub against, especially noticeable on shirtless days
• 100% dyneema tie-in points – reduces wear and increases the life of the harness
• Light-weight and low profile HD buckle for super smooth waist belt adjustment
• Outer shell fabric that is bluesign® certified

The front gear loops are semi-rigid and have a sliding divider allowing you to separate and prioritize your rack. Some will find this helpful while other ultra-light folks might get out the scissors. The rear gear loops are lower profile to prevent chafing and pressure points while climbing with a pack.

There are two ice clipper slots, one on either side of the harness. It’s challenging to see with the white fabric, but the photo above shows the ice clip slot by the left side of the gear loop.

The photo below shows the ice clip slot on the other side of the harness with a Caritool inserted.

On the back of the harness you’ll find a small drop seat clip and adjustable rear rise. You’ll also notice a small tagline loop.

At publication, Petzl hasn’t released the exact weight but they say it’ll be under 9 ounces putting it within the realm of other lightweight mountaineering harnesses like the CAMP Blitz, Black Diamond Couloir and Mammut Zephir Altitude.

Update, the stated weight from Petzl is:

• Small 240 g / 8.5 oz
• Medium 270 g / 9.5 oz
• Large 300 g / 10.6 oz

See all the lightest harness currently on the market at
www.WeighMyRack.com/harness

Bottom Line

Like most Petzl products, this harness looks damn good. And there is also lot of useful technology below the surface. Packing down to the size of a burrito, this harness follows the mountaineering ethos: reduce weight, reduce bulk. Yet the majority of the design decisions are devoted to increasing comfort for all climbers, as Petzl’s quest for the lightest and most comfortable harness continues.

The Sitta is expected to be available in July 2015, for $160, giving Arc’teryx a run for their money.

Here are all the places we know where to get the Sitta online: