Front View: Closed	Rear View: Closed
Front View: Open for Rigging	Rear View: Open for Rigging

Technical Details

I acquired my HAAS Tree Gear from On Rope 1 at the 2017 Old Timer’s Reunion.

The HAAS Tree Gear is made from a Climbing Technology chest ascender by attaching a foot look spliced rom braid-in-braid rope, a 4 mm. bungy cord, and a brass swivel harness snap. The ascender is 101 mm. tall, 74 mm. wide, 38 mm. thick, and weighs 143 g., with the total rig weighing 344 g.

The front of the ascender is printed with the CT logo, "climbing technology," "Made in Italy," "Patented," an illustration of the ascender on rope, and an up-pointing arrow. The rear is printed with the CT logo, the UIAA logo, "climbing technology," "CE0333," "CHEST ASCENDER," "Rope• 10≤Ø≤13 mm|100 kg," "EN 567:1997," "Rope 8≤Ø≤13 mm," "0366-94 - 14," "0413," and a book-with-an-"i" icon. The cam has "L2" in raised characters.

Comments

The HAAS is a commercially available knee ascender. It received U.S. Patent #9,352,190 in 2016.

The foot loop design is rather unique, and seems to hold reasonably well. The bungy is terminated near the foot loop. giving a much greater length for extension. This is quite a clever arrangement and it works well. A plastic pushing protects the bungy and the blue foot sling where the bungy exits.

The Climbing Technology ascender used in my HAAS is one that I don't have in my collection. It is similar to the Climbing Technology Evo, but the safety is different. The ascender on the HAAS is essentially identical to one of my Advanced Base Camp variations and some other identical models, all rebranded ascenders made by Climbing Technology.

The instructions refer to a web site that redirects to the Weaver Arborist site, which contains an instructional video. The video shows the HAAS rigged as the lower ascender in a one-loop Texas System, with the upper "ascender " being a hitch-minder pulley arrangement with a Rope Wrench. To me, this is a cumbersome way to climb. The Texas System is not a good system for long drops - it is tiring - but it excels on short drops and for getting over tough lips. A bungy, with its tendency to snag, is not an advantage on short climbs, and I prefer an eccentric cam ascender over a knot for the upper connection. I can see why arborists continue to use the knots that they use, but cavers moved on to mechanical systems half a century ago and rarely look back.

The package that my HAAS came in states that it is "Not rated for life support." Why would anyone would market an ascender that is not rated for life support? Ascenders are obviously intended as life support devices, and selling one that is not seems like a very bad idea. I suspect that tort liability lawyers were involved, something that Americans would understand, but may make no sense to people who live in more civilized countries.