New Ascending System?

[Landon Parks]

OK, I'm not sure if this system already exist's or not, but I think it would be possible to use it.

Equipment: 2 x Petzl Crolls, 1 x single roller chest box, 1 x Sit Harness.

Attach a croll to each foot (*just above the footloop on each foot), secure the croll to your leg by means of a length of rope or webbing. Attach a safety cord from one or both of the ascenders to the sit harness. Run the MAIN ROPE through the chest box.

To Climb: Simple "Walk" up the rope, just like with a Ropewalker. You should be able to easily pull both ascenders up the rope with the weight of your feet and legs.

Any opinion's on this system? Would it work?

[NZcaver]

Any opinion's on this system? Would it work?

Good thinking, but no it wouldn't work.

The obvious problem is this. With both Crolls mounted at the same height, they would have to pass each other on the rope with every step you take. If you like the Ropewalker, try the more standard design where one of the ascenders is on the foot and the other "floats" up by the knee. Otherwise try a Mitchell or a Frog.

[Scott McCrea]

I say give it a try. It may not work the way you imagine it, but there is only one way to really find out. Plus, experimenting with stuff like this often leads to new ideas that are even better. Good luck, keep trying and let us know how it goes.

Just like NZ said, the problem you'll have with the set-up described is the Crolls are at the same height. So, unless you clip them to different ropes, your feet will never be even--one foot will be high and one low.

Also, don't forget that you should really have a point of attachment above the harness. Should the chest roller fail, you'd be in close to a fall factor 2 fall.

[Princess Butterfly]

You will definitely need a point of attachment above your chest harness and the rope walker comes with an anti-heelhang strap to help prevent hanging upside down by just your feet.

Are you flexible enough to reach your foot ascenders to do a rope to rope changeover? I've seen this be an issue for guys before and only be able to use a knee cam to do this.

Please try this system out in a tree first.

[Landon Parks]

Actually, I already own a complete Mitchell system, I was just brain-storming the idea and was wondering if it would work or not.

Actually, one ascender would be a little higher than the other, as to allow both to go up the rope evenly.

It would require some practice, as the motion to get both ascenders to go up just the right amount at the right time would be tricky at first.

PS) I really have no intention of using this, although I may re-rig my mitchell for a short time just to SEE if it works.

[Evan G]

Landon here is a link to the 3 phase Cuddington which is much more efficient than the Mitchell:

http://forums.caves.org/viewtopic.php?t=3327

[chh]

As has already been mentioned, you'd have to offset the ascenders or settle yourself in for a leg burning (and aggravating) climb using only one leg.
If you offset them and use a bungee to mind them, you simply have a ropewalker without a safety above the harness. I've seen folks use this setup in rope climbing competitions, but you don't have to pass anything and are on a pulley so you can just be lowered down when you've climbed the length of rope, or should a problem emerge. And you sure would be surprised if your roller popped off! Not exactly safe. I wouldn't use this setup in a cave.

[Lurah_GB]

i will use if in emergency...do not have frog rig srt

[Wormster]

I'll stick to my tried and tested frog rig:

hand, chest and pantin foot ascender, it works well for me

[Cheryl Jones]

Its important to incorporate a way to stop on the rope to rest or for any other reason -- this means an ascender attached to your seat or chest. We used to call systems without this feature "death rigs."

Now, if I understand correctly what you're describing....
You're reinventing the wheel with the ascender setup. Cavers went through the several design phases in the late 60s and early 70s in developing rope-walker systems when the Gibbs ascenders came out.

Strapping the ascender to the leg was a pretty bad idea (I know, my first rope walker rig had this, before someone discovered bungee cord) and thus the floating system was developed. Not only is it hard to keep the strap, and thus the ascender, in place , but it means your knee or lower leg needs to be right next to your ascender throughout the climb. This puts your leg and its joints in unnatural positions when you climb, and could be difficult to do in some caves.

And the only way (in a rope walker type system) to get a full step is to place the one ascender at your knee, and the other on your foot. In any rig, the climbing ascenders need to be separated by at least the distance between your foot and knee.

But you'll find all this out soon enough when you climb in a tree!

Cheryl

[l lambert]

I would add something but Cheryl pretty much covered it. Leo