Vertical caving terminology and methods > Rigging methods and equipment
A metal hook on a short loop, which can be clipped to the D-ring or some other object like an etrier using a carabiner. The ones that hook forward, normally known as a progression hook, can be clipped to an anchor in order to balance, and allow both hands to be free for using tools, while standing on an etrier. This may be useful for bolting. The most common one is the Sky Hook made by Petzl, which should not be confused with an actual skyhook. These are actually designed to be used to hook directly onto small rock flakes or other naturals that might otherwise be used as a handhold, to provide an unreliable alternative to an anchor for aid climbing. However, they really should not be used this way in caves, since they can only hold about 250 kg, which is far lower than the normal safety margin expected for bolting, and the risk of them falling off is far too high. When used that way, they are expected to have several other pieces of equipment that could take over when they fail, as with lead climbing. There are also hooks that curl sideways rather than forwards, so they are flat and thin, normally known as a suspension hook or fifi hook. These are more commonly used for hanging objects such as an etrier off an anchor, in cases where accidentally falling off is not considered dangerous. Some manufacturers make hooks that can be used for either purpose.
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