Mast climbing with climbing gear

[Parmesan]

I have a question about mast climbing - specifically using climbing gear to do this.

Has anyone tried climbing the mast with a foot and knee ascender, rather than with a hand ascender and a foot loop? It seems like this approach, if it works, would be quicker and leave you with two hands free to brace yourself as you ascend the mast - so be more secure than the usual system (which has both hands in use).

I would also be interested to hear if anyone has used a LOV2, LOV3 or Olivette instead of the Grigri.

 

[thinwater]

Rope walking setups can be much faster and you do see them on big boats. They are more difficult to tune, so you don't see them much on boats. As you say, it is really nice to be able to hold onto a swaying mast.

 

[IanCC]

I have a question about mast climbing - specifically using climbing gear to do this.

Has anyone tried climbing the mast with a foot and knee ascender, rather than with a hand ascender and a foot loop? It seems like this approach, if it works, would be quicker and leave you with two hands free to brace yourself as you ascend the mast - so be more secure than the usual system (which has both hands in use).

I would also be interested to hear if anyone has used a LOV2, LOV3 or Olivette instead of the Grigri.

I think you mean caving gear. As they would say SRT. A friend, in that domain, uses it a lot. I don't think it is hands free. I would try a caving forum, there will be lots of info.

 

[Refueler]

I have Arborist working my estate and I have considered talking to him about this very matter - as I have mast work to do.

The guy is so fast up the trees - its amazing ...

 

[Geoff A]

I have used climbing gear many times to go up a mast. I also used a shunt on a separate halyard for safety. The only danger I can see is UV damage to the lines you use.

 

[fredrussell]

I used one chest and one foot ascender to climb my mast but in all honesty I found it a bit of a faff, especially coming down using ascenders. A petzl stop made descending much easier but it was yet more clobber to take up. I’ve now installed folding mast steps which are a big improvement and I use a Petzl Asap with ‘Sorber’ lanyard clipped at chest level to my halyard.

 

[Graham_Wright]

No comment!
Whatever method its cummin down that's the problem.
When climbing single handed using my gear, I take a separate line up, attach it the "top" (any handy secure point) and abseil down.

 

[thinwater]

Actually, his question was dead on. It is just outside of most of our sailing experience. Common among arborists, as refueler pointed out.

• A pro sailor using a rope walking rig. Rope walking on a sailboat. Very fast.
• Yes, it can be hands-free, though often the rope is the handiest thing to hold. I have used this method on boats and trees and cliffs, and typically I hold on to the rope except when working my way around overhangs and branches. What ever works best at the moment. On a boat you often grab spreaders and shrouds when they are handy.
• Coming down is easy, since the chest device is both ascender and rappel device. A very important detail most mast climbing rigs miss.
• It is both rope access and arborist equipment. Not recreational climbing equipment as we commonly define it.

 

[Refueler]

I mentioned fast up ... you have to see him come down !! I thought absailers were quick - but this guys is Zip Zip Zip ...

He is actually rated #3 in Baltic Competition for rope climbing ..

 

[Sandy]

Whatever method its cummin down that's the problem.

Its never pantomime season already!

Oh no its not. Like your system you just abseil.

 

[Parmesan]

Thanks everyone for the comments so far - all very useful.

From my research so far, similar techniques are used by cavers, arborists and some climbers (for instance, doing TRS - top rope soloing). Each has their own slight variations. For instance, arborists use some industry-specific devices (like the Rope Wrench) and thicker lines. Cavers have a similar "3 Gibbs" setup, but tend to use a hand ascender instead due to the conditions.

The picture in Thinwater's post is quite similar to what I had in mind, though with a LOV3/Microtraxion instead of the Chicane/Zigzag. This is quite common with TRS climbers, though naturally they don't use ascenders. For those not familiar with the LOV, the line pulls freely through it when it is in one orientation - and in the other, it works as a descender.

It takes a little time to get in/out of the foot ascenders, but this seems a reasonable tradeoff (a little more setup time for a lot less time in transit up/down the mast). I have previously installed a couple of steps at the masthead, so that should make the changeover to descending easier.

I would mouse through a dedicated climbing line when needed, so shouldn't have a problem with UV. This is also safer as climbing gear isn't designed to grip halyards, etc.

 

[dunedin]

I have used climbing gear many times to go up a mast. I also used a shunt on a separate halyard for safety. The only danger I can see is UV damage to the lines you use.

I know nothing about the climbing equipment details. But a local Argyll rigger arrived solo and used climbing gear to go up our mast.
Due to the issue of existing rope status, EV or other damage, the first thing he did was thread his own rope through in place of the main halyard, and used that for the primary rope.
He also had a backup on the spinnaker halyard - which like the main halyard was not on an attached block (dangerous) but into the mast.

 

[Dellquay13]

I have Arborist working my estate and I have considered talking to him about this very matter - as I have mast work to do.

The guy is so fast up the trees - its amazing ...

I’d be tempted to talk to the arborist about him doing the mast work, under guidance from below…

 

[Refueler]

I’d be tempted to talk to the arborist about him doing the mast work, under guidance from below…

mmmm that was the idea !

 

[IanCC]

I would mouse through a dedicated climbing line...

That will of course not be a rock climbing rope, too stretchy, but a "semi-static" .

Personally i am quite happy with a gri gri and a jammer with a pulley on the bottom of the jammer takung the tale from the gri gri to help me pull my chest up. Then come back down on gri gri. It's simple, i know it, and i don't need much kit.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

I suspect that all the techniques described work fine - if they're what you're used to and have the right degree of physical fitness! I have a Deffee mast ladder and it works fine - indeed, it is often borrowed by others. But the real problem with it and I suspect all other techniques is that you're climbing a dead vertical mast. And that simply needs muscles we don't ordinarily use! Arborists, cavers, climbers are all in regular practice; most of us are not, not do we want to have to climb our masts on a routine basis - for us it's an occasional and undesirable means to an end. So I expect discussions like this will continue ad infinitum as all the excellent solutions used by people practiced in their use are aired once again.

 

[thinwater]

The advantage of the zigzag and several related pieces of gear is that the they convert seamlessly from climbing to rappelling (abseiling). The Microtraxion won' do that. I am surprised that convertible ascenders never found their way into mast climbing rigs. Common in rope access and arborist work. To $$$ I guess.

I've long used fall arrest gear in place of ascenders. Much faster and more versatile.

 

[NormanS]

When I see all the assorted clobber that folk seem to have for getting up their masts, it makes me even more glad that I fitted folding mast steps. As I get older, I just wish that I'd fitted them a wee bit closer together.

 

[BobnLesley]

For many years I climbed my own and many other people's masts using a lightweight climbing harness and a wooden step connected by either ascenders or prussic loops to a taut main halyard. Works well, nothing required of crew beyond (for preference) tailing a safety line and with properly adjusted connection lines and a safety line around your waist and the mast you can stand comfortably with the masthead lights/fittings at waist/chest height and both hands free to work on thrm

 

[thinwater]

BTW, when I posted the video and described the equipment, that was not to say I would use the method on a boat. It's really for longer climbs. I use simpler methods. But the video demonstrates that a pro sailor with a 100' mast might use the method. It is safer when getting tossed around.