Optimizing a foot ascender

samsquatch

samsquatch

Participating member
Location
SE MN
Hi gang.
Quick thread, hoping to start an innovative discussion around making a foot ascender more efficient (usually meaning tending easier). I'll start with idea #1:
  • A flare or bell shape on the bottom (and top?) of the rope's channel - wouldn't this help reduce friction & help with advancing when the ascender is not perfectly plumb?
 
That may be. The CAMP turbo foot ascender does this type of thing with rollers so the route of the rope doesn't matter as much. Sadly the rollers don't spin as freely as I had hoped, and they need a little maintenance.

I think every good feature of a foot ascender has been made, it just hasn't happened all in one unit yet. I'd like to avoid having to play games with an extra little carabiner and associated tether with mine. A locking cam both open and closed would be on my list.
 
I would expect that a ascender that is able to rotate forward and backwards on your foot would probably alleviate some of the bad rope angles especially when it comes to knee ascenders fixed to your knee instead of floating like the saka
 
If a climber focuses on his technique, most of what you were referring to goes away. No backwards bicycles, no bicycles at all, no flailing feet, don't use your feet for balance, they are only propulsion up the rope. Keep your feet side-by-side as they move directly up the rope, you should not have to point your toes or do anything weird. Remember that walking up a rope is not a natural ability, it must be learned and practiced.
 
yoyoman said:
Remember that walking up a rope is not a natural ability, it must be learned and practiced.
Click to expand...

Agreed, but at the same time paying customers would prefer a less than steep learning curve. If made easier for the commodity-level adopters to use the product, by optimizing the design stage, it will work to put more of those devices in your customers' hands = more $$ for you.
Optimized design is a win-win. Not saying the design of today's ascenders aren't well designed, I'm just starting a brainstorming discussion here for an improved next-gen ascender.

Mark Chisholm said:
That new foot ascender from Notch that Kevin Bingham is testing seems to lead nicely. It's a bit bulky looking but May be what you'e looking for?
Click to expand...
Cool, can't wait to find more info. Do you have a link?
 
samsquatch said:
Agreed, but at the same time paying customers would prefer a less than steep learning curve. If made easier for the commodity-level adopters to use the product, by optimizing the design stage, it will work to put more of those devices in your customers' hands = more $$ for you.
Optimized design is a win-win. Not saying the design of today's ascenders aren't well designed, I'm just starting a brainstorming discussion here for an improved next-gen ascender.


Cool, can't wait to find more info. Do you have a link?
Click to expand...
I don't, but maybe @seanlarkin does?
 
The Harken foot ascender is great because it doesn't get hung up on slack rope. There is no shaking of the foot to get it to fall through the ascender. It weighs the same as the CT foot ascender. the bulk isn't noticeable. The strapping is superior as well it holds the ascender tight and low on my boot.
 
I dont use em myself but apparently with CMI foot ascenders some guys claim its easier to use putting the left ascender on the right foot or vice versa...
 
samsquatch said:
Yeah! the SAKA mini has that. well, it's a knee ascender..
Click to expand...
Yesterday I tried the MiniSAKA as a foot ascender floating right above my right foot, with my original SAKA on my left foot. Worked great. I enlarged the small hole that is right above the strap and put the small biner through it to the foot loop. The strap itself I just folded up and tied it off to the back of the ascender with a tie wrap. These are very nice ascender mechanisms, progressive teeth and gentle on the rope, nice locking tabs. By floating it above a foot loop, it is centered over my foot and there is no twist to my ankle. I hung a couple of throw weights on the tail and went right up with no delay.
 
For a quick self belay until rope weight can take over, grab the fall of the rope under the foot ascender. Pass it under your boot and up the outside. Use this "redirect" to tend slack until you are high enough. Other than that I agree with yoyoman, it is a skill to be practiced and mastered.

Tony
 
adaycj said:
That may be. The CAMP turbo foot ascender does this type of thing with rollers so the route of the rope doesn't matter as much. Sadly the rollers don't spin as freely as I had hoped, and they need a little maintenance.

I think every good feature of a foot ascender has been made, it just hasn't happened all in one unit yet. I'd like to avoid having to play games with an extra little carabiner and associated tether with mine. A locking cam both open and closed would be on my list.
Click to expand...
My camp foot ascender works really well the rollers are fine and its my second one ! Never had an issue ( the first one was stolen..)
 
I’m stuck on the old pantin. It never needs to be weighted when using htp or kernmaster. I’ve mentioned in other places how I use a micro biner as a lock that still allows me to install and remove the rope without touching the biner.

I think the best advancement would be an easily adjustable cam lock for different sized ropes that makes just enough room for what I can do with 11-11.5 mm ropes on my Pantin.
 
Burrapeg said:
Yesterday I tried the MiniSAKA as a foot ascender floating right above my right foot, with my original SAKA on my left foot. Worked great. I enlarged the small hole that is right above the strap and put the small biner through it to the foot loop. The strap itself I just folded up and tied it off to the back of the ascender with a tie wrap. These are very nice ascender mechanisms, progressive teeth and gentle on the rope, nice locking tabs. By floating it above a foot loop, it is centered over my foot and there is no twist to my ankle. I hung a couple of throw weights on the tail and went right up with no delay.
Click to expand...
We did something similar but with both feet having a SAKA mini at a climbing event I hosted this last weekend. One SAKA mini was set fairly high but in the traditional configuration the the other was set in a couple different configurations all low and at the foot. A loop can be formed with the adjustable tether, the buckle can be shortened to its minimum length and over the top of the logo, the small carabiner that it comes with can be inserted in the small hole of the ascender.
So indeed it can it can work without climbing boots and one on each foot.
 
yoyoman said:
...
So indeed it can it can work without climbing boots and one on each foot.
Click to expand...
This is great and it's just what I wanted to hear. One question though... With the Saka mini in the boot/ankle-ascender configuration, are you still required to use the bungee and clip it to your rope bridge or someplace in that vicinity, or is there a less cumbersome way to retain the rope-tending functionality, possibly without the bungee?
 
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John@TreeXP said:
This is great and it's just what I wanted to hear. One question though... With the Saka mini in the without boot/ankle-ascender configuration, are you still required to use the bungee and clip it to your rope bridge or someplace in that vicinity, or is there possibly a less cumbersome way to retain the rope-tending functionality, possibly without the bungee?
Click to expand...
No, the bungee would be needed to lift it up the rope. I'll try to get a rough video of this.
 
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