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Version B
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I acquired a second Petzl Ascentree from Expé-Spelemat in 2009 and cut it in half to make two single right-hand ascenders, one for my friend Bob Thrun and one for me. I reacquired the latter in 2017 as part of Bob Thrun’s collection.
The resulting Petzl Ascentree half is 189 mm. tall, 99 mm. wide, 23 mm. thick, and weighs 197 g. The rope channel is 15 mm. wide. The cam radius increases from 39 to 55 mm. over an angle of 34°, giving a 30° cam angle. The tooth pattern is (3.4)(1S1.2S2)^2(1S1.2.3), where the "S"s stand for the single longitudinal mud removal slot.
When the Petzl Ascentree first came out, I assumed that it was made by riveting two Petzl Ascension ascenders together, but when the new Ascension came out, it was clear that it was a different ascender. I was curious how well half an Ascentree would work as an ascender. Bob Thrun had the same idea, so we bought an Ascentree and I cut it in half. Unfortunately, there is no way to get a left-hand version.
The main attachment hole is directly in line with the rope channel. This is an efficient consequence of this being half of a symmetric ascender. With this tie-in location, though, comes a bit more interference between the sling and the standing line. I do not consider this significant,
The cam safety on the Ascentree lacks the sharp thumb-stabbing projection found on the ~2010-vintage Petzl Ascension ascenders. I think that the one on the Ascentree is almost too smooth; frequently I find my thumb sliding off rather than moving the safety.
[ Top | Version A | Return to H.E.C. Ascenders ]
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| Front View: Closed | Rear View: Closed |
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| Front View: Open for Rigging | Rear View: Open for Rigging |
I acquired a second Version B Petzl Ascentree from On Rope 1 in 2021 and cut it in half to make two single right-hand ascenders.
Each resulting Petzl Ascentree half is 193 mm. tall, 101 mm. wide, 27 mm. thick, and weighs 169 g. The rope channel is 15 mm. wide. The cam axle rivet is centered 50 mm. from the inside of the rope channel. The cam radius increases from 38 to 55 mm. over an angle of 34°, giving a 32° cam angle. The tooth pattern is (3.4)(1S1)^2(2S2)(1S1)^3(2.3.4.3), where the "S"s stand for the single longitudinal mud removal slot.
Cutting dual ascenders in half is useless fun, so I did it again. As before, it yielded two right-handed ascenders. This is not the most practical way to get pair of handled ascender, and there is no way to get a left-hand version.
Once again, the Ascentree frame has a different shape than the concurrent Petzl Ascension. The main attachment hole is directly in line with the rope channel. This is an efficient consequence of this being half of a symmetric ascender. With this tie-in location, though, comes some interference between the sling and the standing line. I do not consider this to be significant. The concurrent Petzl Ascension also places it’s attachment hole directly in line with the rope channel, and nobody seems to mind.
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