Aspiring Enterprises carries a range of ascenders and pulleys to suit various applications, particularly caving and rescue. Ascenders are designed to slide up a rope, and are used in pairs for ascending a rope by a method known as "prusiking". In caving both handled ascenders and chest ascenders are used and they must be able to operate in muddy conditions. Rescue teams require robust models with high strength ratings, and sometimes also use rope grabs, which are described in the height safety section. These are similar to ascenders, in that they will move up a rope and then hold under load, but their uses are somewhat different.
Ascenders
Aspiring SRT kit
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Aspiring Enterprises supplies SRT Equipment ascenders from Australia. The ascender bodies are extruded aluminium sections cut to shape, while the stainless steel cams are investment cast - a process that gives the greatest possible reliability for a casting. The cams are designed to minimise the accumulation of mud on the teeth.
One of the good features of SRT ascenders is the two attachment holes at the bottom. This makes it easy to attach footloops as well as a cowstail (safety sling). The Explorer handled ascender has a stainless steel insert in the larger hole, to reduce wear both on the hole itself and the attachment to it. |
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| MODEL | Rope size | Weight | Features |
| SRT EXPLORER | 8-13mm | 330g | comfortable handle grip |
| SRT MINI EXPLORER | 8-13mm | 225g | short frame |
| SRT CHEST ASCENDER | 8-13mm | 225g | offset attachment eyes. |
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Many beginner cavers, when starting single rope technique (SRT), face a difficult task in assembling all the gear into a cohesive set of equipment that will actually work. So rather than have everyone suffer the hassle of repeatedly measuring, cutting, knotting and re-knotting bits of webbing and rope, puzzling over lengths and pondering how many karabiners will be required, we have put together a complete prusiking kit that includes
everything needed, and will work for anyone regardless of size. Because of this it is ideal as a club SRT kit, either for hire or training.
Buying all the gear at once seems expensive, however you will probably save money by getting exactly what you need, and also because our kit has many components integrated with each other, eliminating most of the karabiners normally used.
The kit includes:
- Triad sit harness fitted with double cowstail, including one captive twistlock and one
loose bentgate karabiner; adjustable double footloops;
- chest ascender with 6 mm stainless maillon rapide
- chest harness with 3 mm stainless maillon rapide;
- Explorer handled ascender with sewn-in safety sling.
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The foot loops have a small stainless steel snaplink fitted, so they are easily removed from the ascender when required. There is a small steel adjustment buckle for altering the length of the footloops. This is useful if shorter footloops are required for different sized people, or to give you more manoeuvrability at tricky re-anchors. The actual loops can be cinched down to fit snugly around your boots.
Assembled, the SRT kit functions as a Frog system, similar to the standard system used throughout the world.
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Copyright Aspiring Enterprises, revised 17 October, 2004.
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