Petzl Quickstep Review

Likes
These are the lightest aiders to use for ascending that I know of. They are also very streamlined and not bulky. The quick adjusting buckle is easy to use to get the right length. The buckle is also nice and small – my main resistance to this style of aider is that most other models use really big, beefy buckles. Your feet generally stay in the aiders and there is even an extra cord to make them stay. I never used it but beginning aid climbers might appreciate it.

Dislikes
While these work great on walls with lots of ledges, they are not ideal for walls with many hanging belays. The steps are thin and not comfy to stand in for an hour or more. It is also a bit of a pain to constantly adjust the length at a belay because you then have to re-adjust it later.

While it is fairly easy to get your feet in and out, it is not as easy as with a typical pair of aiders. This means they are not great for tricky pitches to clean and not good for traversing pitches (like the Great Roof on The Nose).

Best Application
These are ideal for mostly free big walls that you are climbing a day. They would excel on something like Regular Northwest Face of Half Dome where you want to save weight and want a low bulk aider for cleaning. They are not ideal for serious aid routes.

Value
At $35 these are not cheap, especially in that they are not very versatile – really only good for cleaning in specialty applications. For the same price or less you can get a real pair of aiders.