Tree Gear Equipment

While other ascenders are made of aluminum to keep them lightweight, the makers of the USHBA Handled Ascender opted for titanium. Although titanium makes the USHBA ascender heavier than its aluminum cousins, it also makes it stronger and more durable.

The USHBA Handled Ascender is a trapezoid-shaped device with two parallel sides longer than the other two. One of the longer sides is the handgrip while its opposite holds the working parts of the ascender. These are the triangular grip lever, post, and anvil that are covered by a swinging plate to protect them from dirt and debris. It is these parts that clamp the climbing rope without penetrating it with sharp points.

The handgrip is wrapped with a rubber handle with an ergonomic design, assuring a comfortable hold thus resisting fatigue and strain. The device is large enough to accommodate your hands even when wearing gloves or mittens.

The grip lever is mounted on the lower section of the cam, pivoting on a nylon bushing and a stainless steel bolt. It is kept in the closed position by a hidden spring. The anvil is a nickel-plated aluminum fastened to the bottom of the frame by a titanium bolt. The post is above the anvil and, while it is not used during ascending, it is useful when rappelling. The swinging plate is a 2 mm titanium sheet which pivots on the same nylon bushing and stainless steel bolt as the grip lever.

The USHBA Handled Ascender is easy and comfortable to use both for ascending and descending. After the rope is loaded into the device, the ascender is positioned in a way that the handgrip is horizontal. This locks the rope in place. If you wish to progress either upward or downward, all you need to do is rotate the ascender into a vertical position.

The ascender weighs 270 g, has a case strength of 3,000 kg, and a holding strength of 400+ kg. It is suited for ropes with a diameter of from 8 – 12 mm. It has dimensions of 14 x 12 x 2.

The old idiom “getting there is half the fun” definitely is true for mountain as well as tree climbing. Had Sir Edmund Hilary ridden a chopper to the top of Mr. Everest, we probably would never have heard of him. And if you ride a motorized ascender to scale a tree, purists might scoff at you. And yet these may have a role to play in tree climbing. There may be times when you need to climb a tree quickly, as when you are trying to rescue a trapped or injured climber. In a professional setting, these gadgets would surely be very useful.

The RopeTek Wraptor Ascending Device is a gasoline-fed ascender that can take you up a tree at 100 feet per minute. It has a two-stroke engine equipped with a gear reduction system, and is powerful enough to carry a load of 300 pounds. It weighs 20 pounds and has a tank that can hold enough fuel to run over a thousand feet of rope.

A bite of rope is taken from Wraptor line previously set and wrapped around the ascender’s pulley, with the standing end at the back and the slack end in front. After setting up the CMI Ropewalker that comes with the Wraptor, you are ready to start the motor. Attach your climbing line to the ascender and the Ropewalker lanyard to your harness. Hold the handle and depress the trigger and you are on your way up. Just be sure to look up because you don’t want to run into twigs and branches. At the speed the RopeTex Wraptor can run, you are liable to get hurt if you do not look out for them.

The Wraptor works with most double-braided dynamic ropes with sizes from 7/16 to 5/8 inches. It is intended an ascending and not as a work positioning device.

The predecessor of the Wild Country Ropeman MK 2, the MK 1, is a highly successful ascender. It is a small and lightweight device that was intended to replace prusiks for emergency rescue, but climbers started using it for other purposes as well. It began to be used with ropes that were thinner than intended thus severely straining the device. This situation planted the seeds for the development of the Wild Country Ropeman MK 2. It was designed precisely to address this problem.

The horizontal, serrated teeth of the MK 1’s alloy cam tended to damage the sheath of thinner ropes in the event of a shock load or fall. Thus, in the MK 2, the cam is replaced with a stainless steel version with more aggressive-looking conical teeth but are actually kinder on the ropes, even those with smaller diameters. The MK 1 is still produced alongside the MK 2, with the former used for ropes with diameters of 10 – 11 mm, while the latter works with 8.5 – 11 mm ropes.

The weight of the Wild Country Ropeman MK 2 is kept low through the use of compact investment casting. With a weight of only 85 grams and the size of a silver dollar, the Wild Country Ropeman MK 2 is arguably the lightest and smallest functioning ascender. In spite of this, it still packs an axle strength of 15 kiloNewtons.

Gadgets that can perform more than one function are always welcome especially those that have to be carried around. It is for this reason that the Petzl Rescucender Ascender is deemed a useful tool by some climbers. It is designed for ascending on fixed ropes, though it is more of a back-up belay device. It is also used for rescue work, and for hauling heavy loads. In hauling systems, it is useful as a progress capture device.

The cam of the Petzl Rescucender is curved in a way that its clamping force over the rope is spread over a wide area. This minimizes damage to the rope which could eventually lead to rope failure.

The cam surface is smooth allowing the rope to glide over it when pushed up. When load is applied, however, it instantly locks the rope. When the cam is disengaged, the Rescucender slides downwards with ease. The cam’s axle is locked with a pin for increased safety. This means that you will need to perform two separate actions to disconnect the ascender from the rope.

A thin cable attaches the jaw to ascender’s body thus providing spring action.

The Petz Rescucender Ascender is made of milled components. This results in a very strong and durable ascending device with a strength rating of 25 kilonewtons. It weighs 225 grams, and is compatible with ropes sized 7/16 to ½ inches.

Designed to work with a hand ascender, such as the Petzl Basic or Ascension, and a chest harness, the Petzl Croll Chest Ascender is attached to the latter’s straps. It is positioned between the chest and seat harnesses and is intended mainly to suspend a climber as he pushes his or her hand ascender upwards.

The attachment hole of the Croll Chest Ascender is angled to keep it lying flat against the chest. This angle, coupled with an ergonomic trigger, also allows single-handed installation, removal, and adjustment of the rope. This trigger is recessed inside the frame to prevent unintentional opening of the cam. The upper hole, on the other hand, is for attachment to the shoulder harness’ straps.

The chrome-plated cam is spring-loaded. It has angled teeth with self-cleaning slots which enable secure grips on the rope regardless of whether it is muddy or even icy. Gliding over the rope is made more efficient with refinements on the cam. For durability, the wear area of the cam is now lower. An integrated safety catch has been incorporated to prevent the cam from excessive opening thereby keeping the rope safely locked.

The Petzl Croll Chest ascender is constructed from aluminum, chrome steel, and nylon. The frame is in aluminum, contributing to its light weight of only 130 grams. The cam is chrome steel making it a sturdy rope catch, while the trigger is made of nylon. It supports ropes with diameters between 8mm and 13mm.

Consisting of two pairs of CMI Ultracenders, tether that attaches to the saddle, handle and step assemblies, the Mar-Bar Ascending System offers an easy and efficient way to climb tall trees using a dual line system. With this system, you alternate between standing on the steps and hanging from the handles. There are actually several climbing methods you can use with the Mar-Bar system –the inchworm, frog, short frog, and pogo.

The handle and step assemblies are made up of a belt, an insert, rope and handle chaff guards, and the handles and steps. These parts are assembled along with the CMI Ultracenders into the hand or upper and the foot or lower Mar-Bar. The finished hand Mar-Bar looks like two 90° triangles sharing the same vertical axis. This axis is actually a pair of Ultracenders. For the foot Mar-Bar the pointed upper tip of the triangles is replaced with a flat design making it wider at the top. This is necessary to accommodate your shod feet.

The Mar-Bar is attached to the rope by first opening the safety catch, and then the cam. Lock the cam by slotting in its teeth into the indentions at the back of the safety catch. Insert the rope and free the safety catch. This, in turn, releases the cam allowing it to press the rope against the Mar-Bar’s body.

The tether is attached to the Ultracender. Its looped end is inserted into the lower hole of the ascender and secured using a girth hitch. Its other end is attached to the harness or saddle with double-locking carabiners. Its length can be adjusted to suit the chosen climbing method. With inchworm it should be long enough to allow you to fully extend your arms upwards. For frog, the length is usually about half of that for inchworm. Short frog is even shorter. Pogo requires the same length as frog.

It is easy to get tired when climbing very tall trees. It is for this reason that climbing tools and devices are continually being developed to help make tree climbing an easier and more enjoyable activity. One of these devices is the CMI Foot Ascender.

This ascending tool is intended to supplement rather than replace hand-held ascenders. It consists of a rotating cam that locks the ropes against an enclosing shell when weighted down. The shell and cam are clasped to a strap which is wound around the ankle. A second strap runs down to the boot’s instep from the first and climbs back up on the other side of the boots to connect with the shell. The shell and cam are positioned at the inner side of the boots.

With the CMI Foot Ascender the tension of the rope is maintained as it is weighted down. This makes moving the main ascender upwards easier. Also, since you can actually stand on the foot ascender, your body can assume an upright posture promoting better body mechanics.

The CMI Foot Ascender is made out of aluminum making it a lightweight device. In spite of its light weight, it is of heavy-duty construction. The shell is anodized while the cam is hard coated as a protection against corrosion and wear.

The cam is ribbed contributing to its light weight. It is smooth and lacks spikes thus eliminating the possibility of tearing your ropes in case of overloading. It works with 10 mm to 13 mm ropes although bigger ropes will not fit. With the 10 and 13 mm, however, you can use them even if they are muddy.

These ascenders are available in right and left foot versions.

Climbing ropes is made a lot easier with mechanical ascenders. Although these are more expensive that friction hitches, they enable climbers to ascend ropes faster and easier, thus they are less tiring. Ascenders can either be held by the hand, or strapped to the foot. Among the latter is the Petzl Pantin Foot Ascender.

The Pantin Foot Ascender consists of a stamped aluminum frame, an eccentric chrome-plated steel cam, and two straps that are reinforced with Dyneema, an ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) invented and manufactured by Royal DSM. They are designed to work with hand-held ascenders such as the Petzl Ascension or Ascentree.

The frame is designed in a way that allows the rope to run vertically through it. Thus, when the climber moves his foot upward and the cam is disengaged, it glides smoothly and freely over the rope with a minimum of friction.

The cam is completely integrated within the frame. It is equipped with angled teeth that tightly clasp the rope when loaded with weight. A self-cleaning slot enables the cam to perform its function even if the rope is dirty, muddy, or icy. The area on the cam that comes into contact with the rope when it is moving upwards has been refined to assure a smooth flow.

The mounting straps are made of 18 mm-webbing strengthened with UHMWPE. This provides extra durability, and resistance to abrasion. One is wrapped around the ankle while the other runs around the instep. The fit of the straps are easily adjusted with a DoubleBack buckle.

The Petzl Pantin Foot Ascender is available in both left and right foot versions. For easy identification, these are color-coded with the one for the left foot in black while the right is in yellow.

Only ropes with a diameter ranging from 8 to 13 mm should be used with the Petzl Pantin.

Made of 4.0 mm aluminum alloy with a tall shell and a grooved rubbery grip that is molded into the handle, the Edelrid Elevator Ascender is a lightweight and comfortable device for ascending ropes.

At the upper portion of the ascender are two channels –the bigger one for the rope while the other holds the cam. The cam and its spring are held by a 5.0 mm rivet. Pear-shaped holes on the sides of the rope channel, just above the cam, act as the attachment point. There are two holes beneath the handle opening. One measures 14.88 mm intended as a sling attachment. The other is about 9.8 mm.

Unlike the cams of other ascenders, the Edelrid Elevator Ascender’s cam is not a solid block, rather it is in the form of a skeleton. This helps further reduce the weight to only 280 grams. It features several conical teeth with downward-sloping axes. A manual safety bar is pushed against the cam by the normal action of a spring. As the shell obstructs the safety bar, the cam does not open. But if the safety bar is pushed away from the cam, the cam opens. You can release the safety bar if the cam is fully opened as the spring will hold it against the shell.

The Eldelrid Elevator works well with ropes with a diameter of 8.0 to 13.0 mm. They are offered in both right and left hand versions. Colors available for the left are red, Sahara, and yellow; for the right are black, slate, and grey.

Cold weather has never been a deterrent to climbing trees. In fact, there are plenty of trees perfectly suited for the sport of tree climbing that are located in colder regions. You will need to wear appropriate clothing though –thick jackets, thermal pants, and insulated gloves or mittens. The problem with gloves and mittens is that they hamper the manipulation of ropes and climbing devices.

Recognizing this problem, Colorado Mountain Industries, created CMI Expedition Ascenders. The generously-sized grips of this ascending tool are perfect for gloved and even mitten-clad hands. They are not, however, particularly bulkier nor even heavier than other ascenders.

The CMI Expedition Ascenders are constructed of extruded aluminum alloy and painted with an epoxy coating colored black. This tough coating protects the ascender from rust. The plastic handgrips are securely fastened to the aluminum body with countersunk Allen or hex socket screws. There are three attachment holes, one at the top and two at the bottom that are big enough to accommodate the bigger-sized carabiners. A steel pin with a snap ring secures the cam to the body.

The ascender works well with 7 to 12 mm ropes, even icy ropes. It has a breaking strength of 3,400 lbs.