Whether you are preparing yourself for a long mountain climb, or even just climbing a tree, one of the most essential tools you can come equipped with is a climbing ascender. Climbing ascenders come in many different colors and varieties, from those who use their right hand, to those who are lefties; this device is constructed to help insure your safety and be used as easily as possible. Just like any product, however, there are different price ranges and quality in climbing ascenders.
To insure your safety and life, it is always helpful to know which ones are legitimate and which ones you should maybe stay away from. Down below will be reviews of different climbing companies and the quality of the climbing ascenders they deal with. Mountain climbing and even tree climbing, no matter what the terrain, the first rule is safety first. Keep this in mind while browsing these different climbing ascender products for it could mean life or death! Or at least save you from a nasty scratch.
Depending on what kind of climbing ascender you decide to purchase, the prices will vary. This is an important factor to be aware of when looking for a new climbing ascender. Chances are, a cheaper climbing ascender may not be built as well as a climbing ascender that costs a little extra. Before we look into which ascenders are right for the job however, it is good knowledge to first understand how they work.
The average climbing ascender is a device that allows the rope that you are climbing with to be fed through. When the rope is fed through the ascender, the ascender latches onto the rope with metal teeth that point at a downward angle. This allows the rope to slide through the ascender in the direction that goes upward. The reasoning for the teeth is so that the rope will not slip from the device, doing so could make the climber fall to their death. The teeth are a way of braking at the rope so this does not happen. In order to move up the rope, the climbing ascender has a handle that has a trigger in place, this trigger is used as a break in case the automatic clamp of teeth fails. Climbing ascenders are often used in pairs of two but those who need a free hand for a different tool such as a pickaxe it is not unusual to see someone with just one climbing ascender present.
Petzl Ascension Gold Ascender
If you are a climber, chances are you have heard of the company Petzl. This company specializes in climbing gear of all sorts and happens to have some very nice climbing ascenders and products to go along with it. One of the favored climbing ascenders by Petzl is the ‘Petzl Ascension Gold Ascender’. This particular product has a five-star review from seasoned climbers and the price for it is fair. This ascender ranges in price from 80 to 90 US dollars and is equipped with many features.
Features
– Molded Grip: The molded grip on the handle of this climbing ascender assures your safety. With a rubber bi-material handle, it keeps your hands from slipping out of place in even the iciest of conditions. Unlike some of the cheaper ascender’s, this handle will not allow your hands to slip to the bottom of the frame every time you pull on the ascension.
– Self Cleaning: Equipped with a self cleaning slot, this allows the sharp teeth of the ascender to grip on the rope as a brake even when the rope is caked with mud and soaked with water. This slot does not allow any of the harsh terrain affect its performance.
– Lightweight: This ascender is impressively lightweight for the heavy duty job that it gets done. Weighing only 5.8 ounces, it is made out of aluminum and fits ropes as big as 13mm which is big enough to hold mostly anyone’s body weight several times over.
Best Uses
The Petzl Ascension Gold Ascender is typically used for big wall climbing, climbing in the canyons, cave climbing, and trad climbing. It is also a great tool for mission rescues in case of emergency. This ascender even does a fantastic job when it comes to hauling equipment.
Wild Country Ropeman Ascender
The Wild Country Ropeman Ascender is brought to you by the company ‘Wild Country’. This company makes fairly decent climbing equipment with a wide price range on its products. The Wild Country Ropeman Ascender is more on the cheaper side. With three and a half stars out of five, this 45 dollar ascender gets the job done for those with a unique taste. Particularly, this is an ascender that is used best for training purposes. It makes for great self rescue and even hauling equipment, taking it on a long or dangerous climb however is not suggested.
Features
– Lightweight: This ascender only weighs 63 grams. That is pretty light for an ascender and because of how light it is, it makes getting the job done a lot easier without weighing you down or adding too much more weight to what you are carrying with you.
– Training: If you are new to rock climbing, or if you are training on how to perform emergency rescue missions, this product is great for just that. The set up for this device is typically pretty simple and once you have the hang of this one, it will make working with a better device even easier.
Best Uses
The Wild Country Ropeman Ascender is best used for training purposes. Rock climbing and self rescue missions are great to use this device on, the size of the rope in which it is able to hold however is something to take note of. This ascender is great for ropes that are 10-13mm. Many people use smaller ropes however, which this particular ascender is not capable of doing.
Kong Futura Ascender
The Kong Futura Ascender is a product made by the climbing supply company ‘Kong’. This product can be bought as hand ascenders, foot, and even chest. This device was rated 4 out of 5 stars and has many great features.
– Heavy Duty: Unlike some of the other ascenders’ mentioned, this one is a little more on the heavier side. Weighing 125 grams, it is not the heaviest of its kind but it gets the job done well.
– Versatile: This ascender is versatile in the way that it can be used for many different occasions. Rock climbing, wall climbing, cave climbing, and trad climbing. It is even great for self rescue or for hauling equipment along with you for long climbs.
– Price: For quality like this for only 65-70 US dollars, it is truly a deal that you cannot beat. The Kong Futura Ascender is also a good ascender to use for beginners. It is easy to function and with proper usage and training it only gets better.