Ascenders

[tracstarr]

Just want to know more about ascenders. The biggest question is how much do they harm the rope? I was looking at say the ropeman style ones for occasional use. those who have ascenders what type are they and what would you recomend. i'm tired of using my webbing for ascending.

[Fred]

the teeth on those Petzel devies look deadly but from what I hear they don't harm the rope at all. hard to believe but hey

[The Mitt]

Depends on the use. If you are just climbing the rope or using a hall system that will hold less than 300 lbs the juggs with teeth are fine. I would recommend the clog ascenders, much more room for hands plus they look more sturdy. If you are looking at maybe doing some climbing and possibly falling on your ascender, I would suggest something like a shunt.

Remember falling on a ascender with teeth is not an option, the sheeth will only hold a fraction of the weight that the rope will. Constant use of an ascender with teeth will make your rope fuzzy but I don't think it does much harm.

Mitt