Petzl is a French manufacturer of climbing gear, caving gear, work-at-height equipment, and headlamps based in Crolles (near Grenoble), France. The company was created by the cave explorer Fernand Petzl in the mid-1970s. Their three specialties are: Vertical sports: equipment for mountaineering, climbing, caving, etc. Work at height and rescue: solutions for progression and safety in difficult-access worksites and in technical rescue. Headlamps/head torches that provide hands free lighting. History Fernand Petzl, born in 1912, began his caving career in the late 1920s and early 1930s. In 1936, Petzl was introduced to, then small-time caver, Pierre Chevalier. The two began work on improving the technology behind their sport. In 1943, Chevalier designed and tested the first nylon rope to replace caving ladders. This technology provided the foundation for nearly all vertical safety methods to come. Chevalier's innovation led to the first 1,000 meter cave descent when Petzl explored the Gouffre Berger in France in 1950. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Petzl began experimenting further with vertical safety technology, and in 1968 he produced his first rope ascenders, then marketed as “Produits Fernand Petzl (Fernand Petzl Products)”. Five years later, in 1973, Petzl developed his first mountaineering headlamp. In 1975, the Petzl corporation was born as Fernand Petzl established the first company headquarters in Crolles, France. “This was the beginning of Petzl manufacturing.”. The initial workshop was approximately , and located at the base of Dent de Crolles “Tooth of Crolles” close to Grenoble. Two years after establishing a base, Petzl produced its first vertical safety harness in 1977. In the early 1980s the company began expanding its products from caving to vertical sports such as rock climbing and mountaineering, as well as to rescue. The company's first brand name head lamp, the ZOOM, was produced in 1981. Later, in 1986, Petzl developed its first R&D department and testing tower. In 1990, Petzl's first products for work at height were produced, and the Petzl Securité department was developed. Petzl's first self braking device, the Grigri, was produced a year later in the United States. The Grigri is still produced and sold today . Also developed in the 1990s was a modification of Fernand Petzl's initial rope ascender design. The TIBLOC, which is still sold today, was developed in 1998. In 1998, Petzl moved its North American distribution center from La Fayette, Georgia, United States, to Clearfield, Utah, United States.