Which ascenders?

[GottaCut]

Which ascenders would you guys recommend for me? I'm just learning to rope climb, but I have nobody to train me and make suggestions. I've tried climbing free hand and footlocking and I can only get about 15' before my hands give out from trying to squeeze my .5" rope :bang:

Oh yeah and what about the boot "Pantin", or boot loops?

I'm sure there are alot of different preferences this should be interesting. Thanks, Jaime.

 

[Adkpk]

No belt? No hitch? I use a blakes hitch. Ascenders are for the more gear inclined. Better to start with the basics first before spending money you might wish you hadn't later.

 

[GottaCut]

No belt? No hitch? I use a blakes hitch. Ascenders are for the more gear inclined. Better to start with the basics first before spending money you might wish you hadn't later.

Belt? Do you mean saddle? Yes I use a saddle. So do you squeeze the hitch and not just the rope? I can see how that would make things easier.

Sorry for such a beginners questions guys, it almost makes me wince to ask these things, but I gotta find out somehow. Thanks

 

[ronnyb]

If you can't find a Tech school, college, etc in your area that offers instruction on tree climbing, why don't you attend ArborMaster training before you end up in the hospital? Money well spent IMO.

 

[ATH]

I started out with similar frustrations, so I also decided that an ascender must be the answer. I purchased a Petzl blue ascender (item #15203 at Sherrill). I used it a few times, then started climbing without it. I think developing better footlocking technique was the key for me.

I thought about getting a Pantin but did not--mostly because I didn't want to spend the money; and I thought I'd see how one extra piece helped before adding another. The ascender helped enough that I did not need the pantin. I am glad I did not get that, or I may have skipped out on learning better footlocking.

I think I can say that the ascender helped me focus more on footwork. Once I was more comfortable with that, I found the ascender to be more of a hassle than it is worth, and I no longer use it.

 

[reachtreeservi]

Which ascenders would you guys recommend for me? I'm just learning to rope climb, but I have nobody to train me and make suggestions. I've tried climbing free hand and footlocking and I can only get about 15' before my hands give out from trying to squeeze my .5" rope :bang:

Oh yeah and what about the boot "Pantin", or boot loops?

I'm sure there are alot of different preferences this should be interesting. Thanks, Jaime.

Go low and slow...
Or else...

Oh yeah, quit squeezing your rope. You'll go blind...

 

[046]

go find someone local to watch climb... it's amazing how folks will help if you just ask.

then immediately purchase your own copy of climbers companion
http://www.baileysonline.com/itemdetail.asp?item=17371

beware of advice given on AS. some will kill you!

 

[GottaCut]

Oh yeah, quit squeezing your rope. You'll go blind...

You made a funny, lol

 

[GottaCut]

I know, I know guys go low and slow. I'm not wanting to learn so I can kill myself, I want to....NEED TO, become more versatile than just using lifts or spurs.

 

[GottaCut]

beware of advice given on AS. some will kill you!

Thats the truth about advice in general, you also have to apply your own common sense and when taking someone else's advice. Thanks.

 

[Scots Climber]

Rope, rope, rope and more f*****g rope! I prefer a Blake's hitch and or Prussik knot. KISS... keep it simple stupid! I'm a mountaineer, and I have found through experience that mechanical friction hitches are ####e. I had a Ropejack and it nearly killed me, twice!!

 

[Bigus Termitius]

Hey GottaCut,

Where at in Illinois?


I'm just starting to put together a climbing kit myself. I've got a couple mentors, one keeps it simple, one has all the toys.

Me, I plain on having all the toys, but I want to be able to climb with the basics if need be. I like options and having an arsenal of various skills and methods at my disposal.

Don't be discouraged by those that believe that you need to rush off to some school or else the hospital awaits. Not everyone needs their info spoon fed or hand held. Some do, so they think everyone else should.

And nevermind the naysayers...THIS SITE ROCKS! Plenty of good advice from the very best in the business. Period.



My mentors are both self taught and have been climbing around power for years. This isn't rocket science, just gotta know what you are doing and keep your head. That's tree work in general, no? Hey, that is life in general.

Get info, study hard, take your time, and get plenty of climbing in without a saw.

That's my two cents. Just wanted to stop in and encourage and say hey and good climbing to a fellow Illinoisan.

 

[GottaCut]

Hey Bigus, I'm from Chatham just south of Springfield. Probably not too far from you if your east central. So do you work for a company or self-employed?

Good to meetcha!

 

[Sunrise Guy]

I use CMI ascenders in a frog configuration to srt into the tree.

I also use the pantin in a traditional climbing system if I'm doing a climb that has a lot of up and down movements involved or ascents in free air.

I'll second the use of CMI ascenders when going up in free space, without any foot contact with the tree, at all. They make a huge difference when it comes to getting up into areas not normally accessible from the main leader because of lean or dog legs. You do need to be mindful of free ascents if your rope is some distance from the main leaders, when it comes to really knowing how much weight a given branch can take. There are stories on here and other sites about guys trusting a branch to hold them and finding, after they were some ways up, that was not going to be the case. Some did not live to tell their own stories. When possible, always try to set your rope in a crotch next to the main leader(s).
CMI foot ascenders make climbing your rope very easy, once you get the hang of using them. I use a single ascender on a DdRT system, and that serves me well. Others use one or two of them on SRT ascents. Footlocking is a great skill to have, but I gave it up once my arches and the sides of my insteps started causing me great pain. Foot ascenders are far easier, and far more comfortable, for me.
If you order the CMI foot ascenders, make sure they come with the new yellow Kevlar straps and not the old, black nylon ones. The black straps get very fuzzy to the point where they won't slide through the adjustment buckles. CMI replaced my old straps, for free.

 

[Mitchell]

ascender

My experience as a relatively new spurless climbing has been; I releid on my petzel ascenders completely. I don't think I have had them out of the bag in a year though. They went from my saddle to my main bag to the odds and end bag to I'm not sure were they are actually? Still, they are cheap and helped me get comfortable with climbing away from the trunk, over all a good investment.

 

[fireman]

ascenders

got a cut we use cmi for our tech rescue team for fire dept.we just looked at and tried the mar bar system it is unreal use your legs.the way it works put the lower mar bar buy feet and the upper mar bar shoulder height u sit in your saddle push up with your legs at the same time u raise the upper mar bar which your saddle is tied into.the rope or strap shouldn't be much over eye height so you have control.you can use a single or double rope.if you want to descend you can use a munter hitch or use a rescue 8.the cams can be released so you can descend with the system.the system is very easy to use and is effortless i will show you when you come up.the other thing we just worked on is a new load release called a hookie release it is the cats :censored: it is used with 8 mill rope with a double munter so you have control when you release it.

 

[Marty B]

Don't squeeze the hitch!!!

Belt? Do you mean saddle? Yes I use a saddle. So do you squeeze the hitch and not just the rope? I can see how that would make things easier.

Sorry for such a beginners questions guys, it almost makes me wince to ask these things, but I gotta find out somehow. Thanks

If you get your fingers over the top of a Friction Hitch and squeeze you're goin' down Bud!!! You can go down (descend) on a Blake's Hitch but not on a prussik!! Some carry a Figure 8 to descend on after footlocking with a prussik for fall protection.

 

[Scots Climber]

If you get your fingers over the top of a Friction Hitch and squeeze you're goin' down Bud!!! You can go down (descend) on a Blake's Hitch but not on a prussik!! Some carry a Figure 8 to descend on after footlocking with a prussik for fall protection.

I beg to differ with your comment about not being able to descend on a Prussik. I agree that a Blakes is generally better and easier to use, however to release a Prussik in order to descend, you just have to push down on top loop with your thumb.

Just out of interest what diameter cord do you use for your Blakes and Prussik knots? If the diameter is too small they lock up very fast.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Just out of interest what diameter cord do you use for your Blakes and Prussik knots? If the diameter is too small they lock up very fast.

I use 3/8 stable braid for my VT, it is dy-no-mite

My ascenders are CMI MarBars. I like the pullup position it gives. I only use the uppers, since I can footlock. The lowers do not self-tail very well until you get a bit of rope under you.

If someone wants to come up to MKE county and buy me lunch, I'll work play in my big elms in the front yard.

 

[Marty B]

Google up Dr. Karl Prusik & learn some history!!

I beg to differ with your comment about not being able to descend on a Prussik. I agree that a Blakes is generally better and easier to use, however to release a Prussik in order to descend, you just have to push down on top loop with your thumb.

Just out of interest what diameter cord do you use for your Blakes and Prussik knots? If the diameter is too small they lock up very fast.

The Prusik knot was primarily designed for mountaineering to ascend. The prusik can be used in combination as a back-up when using a descending device. I dont think the Prusik is an ISA approved friction hitch for ascend/descend type tree work. Plus if you load 'em up they kind of lock up and have to be loosened. I learned this by hanging from my prusik (resting) when I gassed out while footlocking. When I wanted start up the rope again the prusik was clamped down so tight (I'm 240lbs.) I could hardly advance it.
As far as diameters go, I started climbing on a dynamic traditional system. We used a bowline as an attachment knot with about a 3' rope "tail" . We used a taunt-line hitch. So you can use the same dia. rope when using the taunt-line or the blake's. Just be sure you "Tie Dress Set" and load the hitch with your body weight before entering the tree. We use 5/16" HRC for prusiks, icicles,etc.