Apex Direct 1.1 The Apex Direct is SMC’s fresh approach to the conventional pulley. It’s specifically designed to be used with soft attachments like prusiks, slings, and soft shackles. Used in this manner, the Apex Direct aligns the rope with the direction of the pull just like a swivel pulley does. It’s compact and over 50% lighter than a comparable swivel pulley/locking carabiner combination. The Apex Direct is mid-line attachable and features one handed operation that utilizes a low-profile, patented, triple-action lock mechanism. This lock is operated by three distinct actions: pivot the lock button, depress it, then swing open the side plate. Simply closing the side plate re-engages the lock mechanism and solidly secures the rope. The operation is intuitive and ergonomic.