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I acquired this Versant-Sud Honu from CanyonZone.com - Gertjan van Pelt in 2025.
My Versant-Sud Honu is 179 mm. tall, 84 mm. wide, 10 mm. thick, and weighs 184 g.
The Honu is milled from aluminum plate and anodized black. It has top and bottom eyes, a V-slot belay opening, a tilted rope hole, and two T-side ears. The diameter of the upper eye is 15.1 mm. and the lower eye is 19.0 mm. The belay opening is 60 mm. tall. Its shape is reminiscent of the Cassin Logic but with the V-slot having angular sides like those on Edelweiss' THE 9. The rope opening allows rigging the Honu like a Figure Eight. It is 49 mm. tall, 41 mm. wide, and tilted 30° away from the ears. The ears are 26 and 41 mm. long.
There front is printed with "VERSANT–SUD.FR," "Ø 8.5/10.3," a rigging illustration, and "HONU." The rear is printed with a book-with-an-"i" icon, "VERSANT–SUD.FR,"and "61 kN."
The Honu is intended as a canyoneering descender It combines the functions of a figure eight with those of a belay device. The resulting combination is fairly large, as one would expect.
When used as an eight, I find that the small rope hole produces too much friction for my taste, despite my weight. This is in part due to my preference for stiff abrasion-resistant pit rope over the thin, less resistant, more flexible cords that many canyoneers prefer. Tilting the rope hole actual makes some sense, as it should reduce that friction somewhat and help reduce induced spin.
The belay slot works well, but if I'm putting a belay opening in a plate, I prefer the simplicity of a Sticht-plate slot.
The top horn provides a means of increasing friction for users whose weight and rope choice would benefit. The second horn can be used for quick tie offs, but I prefer the simplicity and security of using my seat ascender.
If you don't mind the size and if your preferences differ from mine, the Honu may suit your needs. Don't listen to me – only you can decide what's best for you, and it is fully your responsibility to do so.
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