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Re: Ascenders

canopytree@aol.com
Sun, 12 Oct 1997 20:54:00 -0500

A couple of years ago I read about the Ropeman in Climbing magazine. The tool looked like it had some possibilities for use in the tree-world. After waiting almost six months to get them from my local mountaineering store I put it to use. The long wait was a result of some metallurgy needing to be changed. When the first production run was released in Europe, Wild Country found that part of the tool was cracking so they recalled all of the tools and redesigned.

Like Mike, I found that I needed to use a small rope. The rope that I settled on is 1/2" static line from ABC. After using the Ropeman for awhile on my recreational climbing belt I see that only the last three or four teeth of the cam are showing signs of the anodizing wearing off. To attach the Ropeman to my belt I use a very small Maillon-Rapide. This allows the cam to bite onto the rope a little more. This setup works well for recreational climbing but I wouldn't use it for work. My work saddle is setup with the stainless steel Gibbs and True Blue rope so I can differentiate from the other ropes that I use.

Let's keep our eyes peeled for a larger version!

Strong limbs and snug ropes!

Tom