At only 4.4 ounces, the Ushba Basic Ascender is the lightest ascender in its class. In spite of its weight, or lack of it, it has a 900-pound safe load rating. As such, it can be used to climb ropes, haul bags, or as a self-belay top roping. It slides on the rope smoothly, yet also catches quickly in the event of a drop.
The Ushba Basic’s cam is configured in a way that ropes with diameters ranging from 8 to 12 mm can work well with it. Although it is toothless, the cam maintains a tight grip by clamping the rope tightly even in icy or muddy conditions. This smooth cam does not penetrate your ropes with pointed or sharp edges, thus minimizing damage to them.
Made either of strong aluminum or lightweight titanium, this ascender is strong, lustrous, and corrosion resistant, even to sea water and chlorine. It is also rather compact, measuring three inches high, two inches wide, and three-quarters of an inch wide.