Petzl ascenders for mast climbing?

[sawdoc]

PBO did a feature on various mast climbing techniques and one which seemed to suit the single hander was the use of Petzl ascenders which one would attach to a fixed halyard and pull oneself up (Stand sit stand sit). Has anyone tried this ?

[claymore]

Only up rock faces and out of caves

called it jumarring in my day
harrumph.

[Gardenshed]

Yes, I've tried it and regularly use two petzl ascenders to climb the mast.

I use a climbing harness that is attached to the upper ascender with a webbing loop crossed at my back and also attached to the ascender to make sure that I can't overturn and fall out if I accidentally invert (could happen if you reach down to your bucket of tools or reach out to the spreader ends.

The lower ascender is attached to the upper one with a bungee cord and there are two foot loops attached to the lower part of this one.

Method:
Halyard secured to the deck and tightened (braid on braid, no wire, no splices)

Second halyard as a safety attached to the harness. Tied using a bowline not a shackle, again all braid on braid or dyneema. No splices to fail.

Harness attached to upper ascender and both ascenders attached to the taught halyard.
feet in the foot loops (note to self, must make up wooden slats as the rope loops crush my foot when standing in them)

push the upper ascender up as far as possible
put weight onto upper ascender by sitting into the harness
lift up both feet
this is where the bungee lifts the lower ascender raising the height of your "foothold"

You quickly learn to use your leg strength to shimmy up the rope i.e. stand up straight, move the upper ascender up as far as possible, put weight onto harness and pull up feet, stand up straight etc etc

My mast is 15m above the deck, two sets of spreaders, masthead rigged, with lazyjacks. I'm no longer as fit as I'd like to be but even carrying my winter padding, I can easily get up to the mast head in a couple of minutes. I always have someone tailing the halyard from a winch in the cockpit. That way they can more easily look up and see what I am doing and are also not in danger if I accidentally drop something.

To come down, I put all my weight onto the tailing halyard, remove both ascenders from climbing halyard and then get lowered by my assistant. 9 times out of ten, the faithful assistant leaves me dangling at just above tiptoe height from the deck as apparently, this is amusing.

It is a great way to safely go up a mast and as you use leg strength, is far easier than free climbing the mast.

Go into a climbing shop and ask the one of the climbing assistants to rig up a harness/petzl system for you.
They also make a device that you can use to descend a rope (not abseiling) and control the descent yourself so that you can do all of this singlehanded.

two of these:
http://www.petzl.com/en/pro/verticality ... /ascension" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

There is quite a lot of kit (harnesses, fall arrest clamps etc) that is used in industry that could be adapted for mast climbing.
The climbing harness is reasonably good because it allows freedom of movement, but a bosuns chair is a lot more comfortable if you are suspended for a longer period of time.
Having the foot loops, you can stand up when working or swap between sitting/standing to minimise the loss pf circulation from sitting in the harness for too long.

hope this helps

[sawdoc]

Thanks for very informative reply.
I do have a bosuns chair so I was hoping that with two ascenders on the taut halyard as you describe and the bosuns chair and a double foot loop i could reach the mast top. Now I am slightly concerned as your description suggests that arrangement would get me to the top ok but I would have to work out another means of descent! These asecnders apparently "do what it says on the tin" and are useful for ascents but not for descents?
In the absence of another crew on deck, how does one descend?

[Gardenshed]

If going up singlehanded, then you won't be using a second halyard as a safety line so it could be rigged up tight and then a descender (http://www.petzl.com/en/pro/self-brakin ... nders/id-s" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;) used. changing from one line to the other when up the mast ..... not sure I'm too keen on that!

There must be a way. The singlehanded RTW racers must have developed a safe system but I've never seen the details.

[sawdoc]

Hi Folks,

Can't really develop this thread much further by practical example as my baidin is resting for the winter at the side of the house. however further research suggests that you can climb the mast with a couple of Prusik knots and a bit of practice......

http://fmg-www.cs.ucla.edu/geoff/prusik_knot.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


must find a climbing wall to practice on with a nice soft mat below......