Metolius Alpine PAS Sling Review (2026)

What it is

The Metolius Alpine PAS is a personal anchor system, a pre-sewn chain of full-strength loops that a climber clips into a harness on one end and uses to tether into anchors at belay stations. It is a lighter version of Metolius's original PAS, built specifically for alpine and long multi-pitch routes where saving weight on the rack matters more than it does for a single-pitch sport day. The chain-link design, where each loop is an independent sewn section rather than a continuous daisy chain, is meant to avoid the pocket failure risk that older daisy chain style lanyards carried if a carabiner cross-loaded into two adjacent pockets at once.

Weight and length

Metolius lists the Alpine PAS at about 50 grams, which the brand describes as over 40 percent lighter than its original PAS model, and that weight saving is really the entire reason this version exists. Overall length runs about 36.5 inches, or roughly 93 centimeters, when fully extended, which gives enough reach to clip into a station and adjust position without needing to unclip and reclip closer in. Because it packs down smaller than the standard PAS, it also takes up less space on a harness gear loop, which matters more on long alpine days where a climber is already carrying more gear than on a typical cragging outing.

Materials and strength

The webbing is Metolius's 11mm Monster Sling material, a Dyneema and nylon blend chosen for its strength-to-weight ratio rather than for the low stretch of pure Dyneema alone. Individual loops are rated as full strength, meeting UIAA 104 and CE EN 566 sling standards at 22kN, and Metolius rates the assembled tether itself at 14kN, comfortably above what a properly backed-up anchor system needs to hold. Being thinner and lighter than the standard PAS webbing does come with a tradeoff: the material shows wear from rubbing against rock edges faster than the bulkier original PAS, so climbers who drag it across sharp rock repeatedly should inspect it more often.

How it's used

Like any PAS, the Alpine PAS is a static tether, meaning it does not stretch to absorb energy the way a dynamic rope does, so it should only be used to hold body weight at an anchor and never as protection you could fall onto or climb above. The individual loops let a climber choose how much slack to give themselves at a station, clipping into a farther loop for working room or a closer one to sit tight against the anchor, without needing to retie or swap gear. It is meant purely as a personal tether for transitioning at belays and rappel stations, not as a substitute for a dynamic rope or a dedicated lanyard rated for lead falls.

Who should buy it

The Alpine PAS suits trad and alpine climbers doing long multi-pitch routes where the weight and bulk of a standard PAS or a chain of slings starts to add up over many pitches, and where every gram on the harness is felt by the end of a long day. It is less necessary for climbers who mostly stick to single-pitch sport or top-rope sessions, where a basic sling or quickdraw can usually handle the same job at lower cost. Anyone choosing it should still understand the static-tether limitation that applies to every PAS design, and should treat it strictly as anchor-transition gear rather than fall protection, regardless of how it is rated.

Frequently asked questions