Ascent on a rope

The ascent on a rope is mostly used in speleology, when climbing trees, constructing ropes courses, in rescue techniques, in mountaineering. You need only two 1.2 – 1.5 m long slings of 6-7 mm in diameter. In repeated and long ascents it is better to use ascending devices

Ascent with slings

The simple ascent is possible to describe in the following way. The climber hangs in a sling tied by a tightening knot to the rope and the central harness loop. The second sling is also tight to the rope and serves for a leg. The ascent starts by stepping in the lower sling, losing the upper tightening knot and moving it up. The climber loads the upper knot by sitting in his harness, which draws tight. Then he moves the lower knot and the whole process is repeated. The suitable tightening knot is the French knot or Prusik knot (see the chapter Knots).

Ascent with ascending devices

There are two types of ascending. The first is technically same with the above described, only the slings are substituted by ascending devices (e.g. (Jumar, Shunt, Croll, Tibloc, …). The other way uses an ascending device with a pulley or a belaying device, in which the rope is not running straight but draws tight by a bend (Mini Traction, Grigri, Eddy, Cinch,…). The climber sits in this belaying device and he has the other ascending device (Jumar, Shunt, Croll, Tibloc, …) with a long sling for a leg upper on the rope. The climb is similar, the climber stands or sits in one ascending device and moves the unloaded one up. This type of ascent is faster and it is possible to abseil straight away then.

In all ascents it is necessary to belay yourself in both ascending devices and slings.