Version A	Version B	Version C

Overview

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Version A
(#178)

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

Technical Details

I acquired this ascender from Ural Sport in November 2004. This Version was limited to the initial production run, then Ural -Alp introduced Version B.

This Ural Alp 10.32 is 181 mm. tall, 119 mm. wide, 40 mm. thick, and weighs 256 g.

The 10.32 is a right-hand ascender made from an aluminum shell, steel cam and titanium axle. There was no left-hand version. The shell is a tall subtriangular stamping made from 4.0 mm. aluminum alloy sheet metal. A bend in the upper portion of the left side forms a 15 mm. rope channel. A 17 mm. oval hole through both sides of the rope channel provides an attachment point just above the cam. A hole opposite the rope channel accepts a 7 mm. titanium bolt. The cam and cam spring are mounted on this rivet, along with a nylon washer on each side of the cam. The handle lies below the cam and is inclined about 30°. The handle has a soft "rubbery" hand grip riveted into place. The hand grip has four shallow finger grooves. A 15 mm. sling attachment hole is punched below the handle opening and through the hand grip.

The cam is a plated skeletonized steel casting. The cam has number of small conical teeth, all of which have their axes approximately parallel and slightly down-sloping with respect to the base of the cam. The tooth pattern is (3.2)^2.2.1.2.2.3.2.1.2. A small pin pressed into the shell above the cam limits cam closure when the cam is off rope. There are two cam opening stops. The main stop is a permanent pin pressed into the shell about 33 mm. southeast of the cam axle. The second, movable cam stop limits cam opening while climbing. It consists of a piece of 0.4 mm. spring steel supporting two buttons. The spring steel is screwed to the back of the ascender just outside the upper attachment hole. The first button is steel, and extends through a hole in the shell just below the cam. The second is brass, and extends into the handle opening. When one opens the cam, it hits the brass button, and a small lip on the base of the cam aligns with a groove in the button. There is a spring-loaded plunger on the cam. Depressing this plunger while opening the cam pushes against a sloped face on the steel button, which depresses the spring steel piece, moving the brass button out of the way, allowing the cam to open. The plunger has a mushroom head on the rear side of the cam, so one can depress it completely with the cam fully open, engaging a 7.2 mm. hole in the shell to hold the cam open. If one opens the cam slightly, the spring will retract the plunger, and the cam can snap closed

The front of my 10.32 is stamped with triangles pointing up and down, with "ROPE Ø8-12 mm" between. It is also stamped with a rectangle containing "RUSSIA" and URAL-ALP." The rear of the shell is stamped with a rectangle containing the words "KOZLOV DESIGNS."

Comments

The 10.32 handle has plenty of room for a gloved hand, and mountaineers might like the inclined hand grip. I find the grip to be comfortable and the finger grooves are comfortable in my large hands. For cavers who climb with the Mitchell System, the hand grip is normally ignored, so the ascender is simply too large. The cam stop design is complex and ingenious, but I find that it is too easy to depress the plunger when opening the cam, so the moving cam stop does not work effectively. Since I cannot depend on it, I would probably remove it if this was my main ascender. Version B addresses this issue.

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Version B
(#188)

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

Technical Details

I acquired this ascender from Ural Sport in January 2005.

This ascender is 179 mm. tall, 119 mm. wide, 30 mm. thick, and weighs 263 g.

Version B features a redesigned cam safety consisting of a bent piece of titanium bolted to the cam from the rear. When opened, the lip on the cam safety hits the repositioned cam opening stop (which now lies 27 mm. southeast of the cam axle). A spring bolted to the safety bears against the cam base, and forces the safety upwards. Pulling the safety downward with the thumb allows it to clear the cam opening stop, allowing the cam to open. A notch in the top of the safety can engage the cam opening stop to hold the cam in the open position.

Comments

The cam safety on this version is more conventional; for example, similar designs appear on the ISC Big Wall, Kirov, Kong-Bonaiti, Lucky, Petzl Ascension, PMI CAT, PMI Puma, some other Russian ascenders, and the Anthron/VauDe ascenders. The result works much better than Version A’s design. The hand opening no longer has any obstructions. I agree with the Russians: this version is an improvement.

My Version B is obviously a converted Version A. There are marks where the cam opening stop was removed and moved closer to the cam axle. The threaded holes to support the Version A spring steel assembly are present, as are the first button hole and plunger hole. These are no longer functional and could disappear in later versions.

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Version C
(#2367)

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

Technical Details

I acquired this version from Марина Храмцова (Marina Khramstova) in 2018.

This version 184 mm. tall, 120 mm. wide, 34 mm. thick, and weighs 263 g.

This version features a redesigned cam safety, replacing the bent thumb tab with a cylindrical post.

The front is stamped with triangles pointing up and down, with "ROPE" and "Ø8-12MM" between. The rear of the shell is stamped with a rectangle containing "RUSSIA" and "URAL-ALP" and another rectangle containing the words "KOZLOV DESIGNS."

Comments

I prefer the cam safety on this ascender to either of the earlier versions.

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