A traction winch for winching an elongated article having a high-tension end connectable to a load and low-tension end connectable to a storage device includes two or more rotatable drums arranged adjacent to each other with their rotational axes substantially parallel, each of them having a plurality of parallel, circumferential sheaves with groove, the sheaves being axially offset with respect to each other to allow wrapping of the elongated article around the sheaves of both drums in a spiral fashion. The sheaves includes fixed sheaves, stationary relative to their underlying drum, and rotatable sheaves, rotatable relative to their underlying drum. The majority of the rotatable sheaves of at least one of the drums is arranged adjacent to each other on a high load supporting side of the winch and the rotational velocity of at least one of the rotatable sheaves is reducible by means of at least one braking device.