I have seen photos of two earlier Clog handled ascenders with frames like my Version A and cams like those on my handleless Clog ascenders Versions A and B. I would like to get a pair of each for my collection. If you have ones that you can part with, please send an email to me.
[ Top | Version B | Version C | Version D | Return to H.E.C. Ascenders ]
I acquired this pair in Driggs, Idaho in August, 1980, but I believe the ascender is at least five years older than that, since Version B was available in 1976.
The ascender shell is a roughly "D" shaped piece of unfinished 4.2 mm. thick aluminum bent to form a rope groove on one side and to hold the cam pivot and safety on the other. The handle opening is fairly large, and a molded rubber hand grip is glued to the shell. A 15.3 mm. hole at the base of the shell serves as a rope attachment point. A second 15.3 mm. hole provides a means to attach non-load-bearing slings to the shell above the cam.
The cam is a skeletonized steel casting with a (4.5)^4(4.3)^4 conical tooth count. The teeth are well made compared to those of some other toothed ascenders. The inner cam face radius reduces from top to bottom to accommodate various sized ropes. The cam and cam spring are mounted on a solid 7 mm. steel pin. The pin is expanded at both ends to keep it in place. The cam safety is a crudely machined aluminum lever mounted on a 3 mm. roll pin in the same shell channel as the cam. A second spring serves as a safety spring. Normally this spring holds the safety where it blocks the cam from opening. When the end of the safety lever is depressed, the opposite end pivots upwards so that the cam is no longer obstructed.
The words "CLOG WALES" are stamped on the inner shell surface, and "CLOG" is cast on top of the cam.
This ascender combines a very well made cam with a poorly executed shell and safety. The cam is identical to the cam on the handleless Clog Versions C, D & E. There are no sharp edges on the ascender in either the rope channel or the sling attachment holes, but the cam pin does have a sharp lip. I don't like the way the cam pin is expanded, I would prefer to see round head rivets used here.
Clog ascenders are quite large. This makes them popular among snow and ice climbers, who must wear heavy mittens while climbing fixed ropes. Of course, the large size is a disadvantage for caving. The ascender is easily opened with one hand, but only the wrong hand. It is very difficult to open the right hand ascender with one's right hand without going through some severe contortions. The ascender can be removed from the rope by simply depressing the safety with one's thumb and lifting up on the handle. It is much more difficult to put the ascender on the rope with one hand, particularly the proper hand. Normally it becomes a two handed operation.
The rubber hand grip is very comfortable, but is excessively heavy. The hand grip provides some insulation in winter conditions, but there is a rib of the aluminum shell exposed next to one's palm so the protection is not complete. In many climbing systems (e.g.,, the lower ascender in the Mitchell System) ascenders are pulled up the rope from above. Clog ascenders are not as easy to grasp from above as some others (such as the Jumar).
The ascender is attached to the harness by a carabiner through the bottom attachment hole. Clog eliminated carabiner attachment holes from later expedition ascenders because of two cases of carabiner failure (see D. Moorhouse, Clog Climbing Gear, Off Belay #30, Dec. 76, pp. 54-55). These were caused by sideways gate loading on carabiners lodged incorrectly in the attachment hole. This could happen also occur with Petzl's, S.R.T.'s, handled C.M.I.'s, etc. I caution against using carabiners for attaching slings to ascenders.
Clog ascenders also have a disadvantage shared by all handled
ascenders using a sheet metal shell. When crossing a sharp lip,
it is very easy to carelessly place the ascender so that the cam
grips the rope just above the lip, while the base of the handle
sticks out over the pit lip. When weight is transferred to the
ascender sling, the shell tends to bend 90°. This effectively
destroys the ascender. Milled or cast frame ascenders, such as
the C.M.I., Jumar,
and S.R.T. are more likely to survive
this mistake.
[ Top | Version A | Version C | Version D | Return to H.E.C. Ascenders ]
I acquired this pair of ascenders from Avalanche in Pittsburgh, Pa. in April, 1978. At the time it was the current production model. I acquired a third ascender used from Terry Wilkins in 2004.
The ascender is very similar to Version A, so only the differences will be noted. The cam safety is a more elegantly shaped steel casting, and is mounted with a steel round head rivet. It functions in the same manner as the safety for Version A. The hand grip is plastic molded onto the shell. A small extension on the base of the plastic hand grip protects the inside bottom of the handle opening so that slings can be tied directly through the handle. "CLOG-WALES" is molded into both sides of the plastic hand grip. The lower attachment hole was eliminated due to the safety concerns mentioned above. The shell is blue anodized, and the shell markings are eliminated.
All of these changes are improvements, except one. Elimination
of the lower attachment hole was done for safety reasons, but
without the hole there is no easy way to prevent ascender rotation
on horizontal or sloping ropes. I still wish the cam pivot had
been changed. The resulting design is something of a nuisance,
since slings must now be tied through the handle. Unfortunately,
the slings pull towards the outside of the ascender, i.e., away
from the rope and towards the hand. This causes the ascender to
pivot slightly when loaded, leading to lost efficiency. The hand
grip is less comfortable than the rubber one of Version A,
but is superior in terms of weight and durability. It also completely
surrounds the aluminum shell, providing better cold weather protection.
[ Top | Version A | Version B | Version D | Return to H.E.C. Ascenders ]
I acquired this pair used from Anthony Morton in 2007, but it is clearly a much older design.
Version C differs from Version B by having a plastic thumb safety catch instead of an aluminum catch. Since the catch is unlikely to break, this change also has little impact on the ascender's functionality.
[ Top | Version A | Version B | Version C | Return to H.E.C. Ascenders ]
I acquired this pair from Exkursion in 1993. I acquired a third ascender used from Terry Wilkins in 2004.
Version D adds a pin cam stop to the Version C design. This eliminates the cam sticking when it is closed off rope, but has no function when the ascender is in use.
[ Top | Version A | Version B | Version C | Version D ]
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©2007, Gary D. Storrick