ascenders

For single rope technique (SRT) ascenders are the devices that grip the rope and allow a caver to climb to the top of a rigged pitch. The earliest ascenders were simple loops of cord tied around the main rope. There are various forms of these friction knots or hitches including the Prusik, Bachmann, Klemheist and Autoblock. More recently mechanical ascenders have been developed that are easier to get on and off the rope, and have a more efficient grip and release function. The general categories include Jumar and Gibbs style ascenders. While there are some advantages to the Gibbs style in caving, most cavers today use a version of the Jumar style, which has an open side and a toothed cam for gripping the rope. There are handled and non-handled versions for use with the hand, chest, knee and foot.

Handled ascenders

These are probably the most common type of ascender in use. They are almost always available in a right and left handed version. Most are based on the original Jumar brand ascender, and to “jumar” a rope has become synonymous with ascending. Handled ascenders are manufactured by several companies including Petzl, CMI, Camp, Kong, Climbing Technology, Black Diamond and Grivel.

Handled ascender options include:

  • Petzl Ascension

  • CMI Ultrascender

  • CMI Expedition

  • Climbing Technology Quick Up

  • Camp Turbohand

  • Kong Lift

  • Kong Futura Hand

  • Kong Procave

  • Black Diamond Index

  • Grivel Up & Down (A&D)

  • Edelrid Elevator (same as CT Quick Up)

The Petzl Ascension is probably the best all-around performing handled ascender / rope-grab. It is the lightest handled ascender available, has an enlarged clipping hole that accepts two carabiners, has a very comfortable molded grip, and is easy to attach and detach from the rope with one hand.

chest ascenders

These are characterized by the Petzl Croll, though several other companies now make them including Kong, Climbing Technology and Camp. They were originally designed to ride between the seat harness and chest harness and lie flat against the belly as part of a Frog ascending system; however, they are now often used as a right-foot ascender as part of a Ropewalker system, and some people like to use them as a left-handed non-handled ascender. They are only made in one orientation - with a cam release lever that opens to the caver’s right.

Chest ascender options include:

  • Petzl Croll L

  • Petzl Croll S

  • Camp Turbo Chest

  • Climbing Technology Chest Ascender +

  • Kong Cam Clean

  • Kong Futura Body

  • Edelrid Wind-Up (same as CT Chest Ascender)

The Petzl Croll L was released in 2018 and is very similar in design to the original Croll. It is larger, heavier and has a wider rope channel than the Croll S, but the rope feeds through the Croll L more easily, which helps with climbing efficiency.

The Petzl Croll S was released in 2013 and is one of the smallest and lightest chest ascenders for a Frog ascending system. It has a stainless steel wear plate to extend the life of the aluminum frame, but the stainless steel cam now wears faster than the chrome plated steel cam from the previous model, and this usually wears out before the frame. This is a good ascender for use with a Pantin foot ascender, but the smaller size and narrower rope channel means it doesn’t feed as smoothly as the Croll L.

The CT Chest Ascender + is a knock-off design of the original Petzl Croll. Many cavers like this design, and prefer the all-metal safety release lever. The thick aluminum shell and chrome-plated steel cam should last a long time. This is a well built and affordable option to the Petzl Croll L.

Non-handled ascenders

These are generally designed to work just like a handled ascender, but they are made lighter, smaller, and less expensive by removing the handle. Many cavers prefer these as an upper or footloop ascender in a Frog system. They also have applications as a knee ascender in either a Ropewalker or Mitchell system. They are frequently only available in a right-handed version.

Non-handled ascender options include:

  • Petzl Basic

  • Camp Solo 2

  • Climbing Technology Simple +

  • CMI Ultrascender Short (Right or Left)

  • Kong Modular (Right or Left)

The Petzl Basic was redesigned in 2013 and the new model is extremely small, lightweight, and has a large clipping hole that accepts two carabiners. It is also comfortable to grip when used as the footloop ascender in a Frog system. The only drawback is that the stainless steel cam wears quickly.

The Climbing Technology Simple Ascender Plus is a design that was inspired by the pre-2013 version of the Petzl Basic. Many cavers favored this design due to the larger rope channel, all metal construction and longer wearing chrome-plated steel cam. It’s heavier than other non-handled ascenders and has a stiffer cam spring so it doesn’t slide up the rope as smoothly. It’s not the best option for use as a knee ascender in a Ropewalker system, but still works well as a foot-loop ascender in a Frog system.

foot ascenders

These are characterized by the Petzl Pantin, which has now been copied by many manufacturers. In every case these are designed to ride just around the inside ankle bone, and they are usually available in either a right or left foot model, though in almost all cases the caver would choose one or the other. They were originally designed to help with efficiency in a Frog ascending system, but they are sometimes now used in Ropewalker systems as well. They are auxiliary devices to help with climbing efficiency, but are not life safety rated. Some models lack a locking mechanism so that the ascender can just be kicked off the rope, though many of these have a hole for clipping a carabiner to lock it on the rope if desired. Other models have a locking catch that requires reaching down to remove the ascender from the rope. Most cavers who need to pass multiple rebelays will prefer to not have a lock, but this increases the likelihood of accidentally kicking off the ascender when not desired.

Foot ascender options include:

  • Petzl Pantin

  • Climbing Technology Quick Step

  • Camp Turbo Foot

  • Kong Futura Foot

  • CMI Foot Ascender

  • Harken Ninja

The Petzl Pantin is the original foot ascender and is designed as an optional accessory for the Frog ascending system. It can be used to enable “Frog-walking” on low angle pitches, and it helps with body positioning and climbing efficiency on longer free-hanging rope pitches. It comes in either a right or left foot version, and there is an optional release catch.

Gibbs-style ascenders

These are clam-shell style ascenders that have a pin that must be removed and reinserted to separate the cam from the shell when installing or removing it from the rope. The leverage that the cam can apply to the rope makes them very good on icy or muddy ropes, but they are very slow to install or remove. They were the preferred ascender in the Ropewalker system in the 70’s and 80’s, but have mostly been replaced by Jumar style ascenders.

Gibbs-style ascender options include:

  • Gibbs Spring-Loaded

  • Gibbs Free-Running

  • Gibbs Rescue

  • SMC Grip

  • Petzl Rescucender

  • Petzl Micrograb

  • CMI Ropewalker

Emergency ascenders

There are a growing number of very small mechanical ascenders that are alternatives to a Prusik. These are extremely small and lightweight, and are usually carried as something to be used in an emergency. Most of these devices have multiple applications. In addition to being an emergency ascender, some of these devices have an integrated pulley and can be used as a progress capture pulley or part of a mechanical advantage setup for hauling.

Small emergency ascender options include:

  • Petzl Tibloc

  • Petzl Micro Traxion

  • Wild Country Ropeman 1 and 2

  • Kong Duck

  • Climbing Technology RollNLock

  • Edelrid Spoc

Emergency Ascenders.jpg

Ascender properties

The chart below compares spring tension where the cam face contacts the rope. A lower spring tension will create less drag as the ascender is advanced up the rope, but it may also fail to grab the rope as positively. There are other factors that affect drag such as the shape of the cam, shape of the teeth on the cam face, and the dimensions and design of the rope channel. It should be apparent from the chart that the higher in the climbing system the ascender is designed to be used, the greater the spring tension. Handled and non-handled ascenders are generally used above the chest and there is almost always another ascender tensioning the rope from below, so these can have a higher spring tension without encountering issues with advancement up the rope. Chest ascenders often don’t have another ascender below them to tension the rope, so a softer spring will allow them to self-feed more easily. Foot ascenders generally never have tension below them, and often almost no rope weight below them at the bottom of a pitch, so a very low spring tension will help them advance without pulling the rope up as the foot is lifted.

The chart below compares the lever arm for different models of ascenders. This is the distance between the pivot point of the cam and the back surface of the rope channel. The longer this distance, the greater the leverage and therefore clamping force the cam will have against the rope.

The chart below compares the thickness of the metal used in the frame of the ascender. All commercially available ascenders have aluminum frames. Some are stamped and others are cast.