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

Technical Details

I acquired my Alpidex Move Up from David Wain in 2017.

The Alpidex Move Up is 205 mm. tall, 103 mm. wide, 27 mm. thick, and weighs 239 g.

The cam radius increases from 38 to 57 mm. over an angle of 41°, giving a 30° cam angle. The tooth pattern is (3)(4.H)^2(3.H)^2(3.2.2).

The shell is a tall irregular shaped stamping made from 4.0 mm. aluminum alloy sheet metal. A 17 mm. wide rope channel is formed in the upper portion of one side and a smaller cam channel lies opposite the first. A hole drilled through both sides of the cam channel accepts a 5.5 mm. semi-tubular rivet. The cam and cam spring are mounted on this rivet. The handle below the cam has a soft "rubbery" hand grip molded into place. The hand grip has shallow grooves for the index and middle fingers. A 15.5 mm. sling attachment hole is punched below the handle opening, and an 10.6 mm. hole is punched below and outside the first. A 14.4 by 17.6 mm. oval hole punched through both sides of the rope channel provides an attachment point just above the cam, and a 13.7 by 10.9 mm. D-shaped hole beside it provides a second attachment point.

The cam is a painted skeletonized steel casting. The cam radius increases from 38 to 57 mm. over an angle of 41°, giving a 30° cam angle. The cam has number of small conical teeth. The teeth are parallel to the top of the cam. The tooth pattern is (3)(4.H)^2(3.H)^2(3.2.2) where each H stands for a mud relief hole.

A spring-loaded manual safety bar is riveted to the cam. The normal action of the spring holds the safety against the cam. When the cam is opened, the shell interferes with the safety bar, thus preventing opening the cam. If the safety bar is moved away from the cam (opposing the spring), it will clear the shell and the cam will open. At full open the safety can be released and the spring will hold the safety against the back of the shell. This provides a means of locking the cam open.

The front of ascenders are printed with an up-pointing arrow, "UP," "ALTO," "HAUT," "OBEN," and "ARRIBA," a Sieg Heil icon, "EN567," a book-with-an-"i" icon, "USE ROPE" and "Ø8mm-13mm." The rear are printed with "111" on the left and "112" on the right ascender, "alpidex" inside a rounded rectangle, "CE0321," "UIAA," and "16P1."

Comments

These ascenders are well made. All sharp edges have been removed. The attachment points are rounded, but I consider their small radius too sharp for directly attaching sling ropes. They could probably be acceptably rounded for webbing, but considering the proximity of the attachment points to the main rope, I would recommend using a small maillon for most attachments in order to reduce the risk of sling abrasion. The lower attachment hole could theoretically have the same safety problems as the one on Clog Version A. The upper rope attachment hole is located very close to the main rope. A carabiner through the upper oval attachment hole will probably drag on the main line.

This ascender has the same pit lip disadvantage as the Clog and other stamped frame ascenders.

The safety is quite easy to use with the proper hand but not with the opposite hand.

The rubber handle is comfortable my large hands, and although the finger grooves are not spaced far enough apart for me, they are shallow enough not to be annoying. In any case, I don't climb by gripping ascenders at their handle. I think it is better to simply grasp the ascender from above and lift the ascender in the traditional manner.