Petzl Ascension Right Handed

The Petzl Ascension Right Handed is a handled rope clamp specially designed for rope ascents. Its overmolded grip and ergonomic upper part provide a comfortable and powerful hold while pulling with one or two hands. The ASCENSION clamp also features a wide lower hole that allows for easy attachment of two carabiners for a lanyard and footloop.

Features

Simple and efficient to use:

• The ergonomic, moulded handle provides a comfortable yet powerful grip.
• The wide opening ensures that the handle can be easily grasped, even when wearing thick gloves.
• The ergonomic upper section is designed to maximise power when pulling with two hands.
• The safety catch is fully integrated into the body of the rope clamp, reducing the risk of snagging.
• The toothed cam features a self-cleaning slot, enhancing performance in any condition, including frozen or dirty ropes.
• The wide lower hole facilitates the easy attachment of carabiners for the PROGRESS lanyard, FOOTAPE, and FOOTCORD footloops.
• The upper hole is intended for clipping a carabiner around the rope.

Specifications

Technology

Technical Notice

• Download the PDF : technical-notice-ASCENSION-4 - 2.94 MB

Declaration Of Conformity

• Download the PDF : UE-Declaration-B17AXX-ASCENSION - 0.17 MB
• Download the PDF : UKCA-Declaration-B17ALA-B17ARA-B17ALN-B17ARN-ASCENSION - 0.11 MB

Tips for maintaining your equipment

• Download the PDF - 3.28 MB

Inspection

PPE inspection procedure

• Download the PDF - 2.41 MB

PPE checklist

• Download the PDF - 0.21 MB

Technical Content

USING A SINGLE ROPE CLAMP?

A single rope clamp is not trustworthy; it is recommended to use two rope clamps together and/or to use a backup belay system.

1. A single rope clamp is not trustworthy

• Trusting the belay to a single rope clamp in motion on the rope is risky.
• There is a risk of the rope clamp coming off the rope:

- Accidental opening of the safety catch is possible while ascending.

• There is a risk of the rope clamp slipping on the rope:

- Excessive mud or ice on the rope, holding the cam open due to poor hand positioning, foreign objects interfering with the cam (branches, pack straps or clothing), worn teeth...

• There is risk of disconnecting the rope clamp's lanyard, if the carabiner opens (rubbing).
  
  

Note:

Breaking strength is not an issue when a single rope clamp is used by one person.

All of the certification tests, and Petzl's internal tests, are done on a single rope clamp.

Note:

When a rope clamp is on the rope and loaded, it is nearly impossible to cause it to disengage or slip. It's when the rope clamp is unloaded and/or moving on the rope that there is a risk of slippage or detachment from the rope.

2. Differences between a ventral rope clamp and a rope clamp on a lanyard

Ventral rope clamp 

• The ventral rope clamp is connected directly to the harness without extension. Its stable position allows for good rope glide.
• With a minimum of precautions, the user can ensure that a loop of slack is not created while progressing, thus maintaining a very low potential fall distance.
  
  

Rope clamp on a lanyard (or hand rope clamp)

A lanyard offers more freedom of movement to the user, who can mistakenly find themself above the rope clamp, or with a slack lanyard. This creates the potential for a free fall. As with the ventral rope clamp, one must also monitor the tension in the rope between the rope clamp and the anchor. Any loop of slack is dangerous.

Note:

• The risk of falling on a slack lanyard is partly covered by the rope clamp standards.
  
• The EN 12841 type B standard (rope clamps for work): fall test on a dynamic lanyard, rope clamp on a semi-static rope at 1 m from the anchor. Test using the mass marked on the rope clamp (140 kg for ASCENSION, BASIC, CROLL on compatible rope diameters greater than 10 mm).
  
• EN 567 standard (rope clamps for sport): no fall test.
  
• Petzl's internal tests complement the requirements of the standards by being based on realistic usage scenarios.
  
• These tests help ensure that the rope clamps do not tear the rope under the most unfavorable conditions (fall distance equal to the lanyard length, 1 m from the anchor, 80 kg dummy, ropes of compatible diameters).

3. Different modes of rope clamp use

Rope ascent

• The user is hanging on a progression rope.
• The recommended rope ascent system includes a ventral rope clamp (CROLL) and a rope clamp on a lanyard (BASIC, ASCENSION).
• The main risks occur at particular moments, when attaching / removing the rope clamps: start of the ascent, passing a knot, passing an intermediate anchor, arriving at the anchor station.
• As a single rope clamp is not trustworthy, it is recommended to use two rope clamps, both attached to the harness.
  
  

Progression along a fixed rope

• The user has their weight on the feet, using one or more rope clamps for self-belay and as an aid to progression.
• The user has their hands free to slide the rope clamps along the safety rope, in order to always keep slack out of it.
• If there is a low probability of a fall, using a single rope clamp is possible; the user must always keep slack out of the rope between the rope clamp and the anchor.
  
  

SHORT DOWN-CLIMB ON ASCENDERS

For a short down-climb on a rope, it is not necessarily worthwhile to use a descender. The two ascenders can be moved alternately downward.

1. Short-Step Method

Put your weight on the progression ascender, deactivate the chest ascender without opening it and move it down a step.

Put your weight on the chest ascender, deactivate the progression ascender without opening it and move it down to just above the chest ascender.

2. Method for Deactivating Ascenders

It is important to avoid completely opening the safety catch on your ascenders.

The cam can be deactivated by pressing on its top.

With the new compact ascender models, getting your finger on top is more difficult, especially when wearing gloves. Push the safety catch against the frame, without opening it, to deactivate the cam.