Most Miscellaneous

This page has a number of miscellaneous items, including:

• Adjustable and Dynamic Cow's Tails - Adjustable cow's tails, sometimes applicable for via ferrata and similar situations
• Decrocheurs
• Grappling Hooks
• Other interesting devices

[ Top | Decrocheurs | Grappling Hooks | Other Devices ]

Adjustable and Dynamic Cow's Tails

Adjustable cow's tails allow one to change the length of the cow's tail easily.

The problem with a standard cow's tail is that if one falls from above the anchor, the resulting fall factor can be quite high. This is especially true for via ferrata, where fall factors of 5 or 10 or even more are possible. Dynamic cow's tails incorporate a shock absorber of some form so that the forces generated in such falls are greatly reduced, hopefully to within human tolerance. The ones listed here are commercially produced, and include their own sling rope. These should only be used in the situations recommended by the manufacturer. Most of the anchor brakes can also be used to make dynamic cow's tails, if the manufacturer endorses such use.

The MSR Autobelayer was marketed as an autobelayer, not for making adjustable cows tails, but is so similar that I included it here.

The weights in the following table are for the entire kit, unless otherwise noted. The dimensions are for the brake plate.

ID	Device	Description	Acquired	Weight	Height	Width	Thickness	Std. volume
698	Kong Doble Longe (Slyde)	Milled Al plate, soft anodized, rope hole & slot, eye.	Inner Mountain Outfitters	38 (plate only)	63	49	10	31
785	Mammut Klettersteigset	Forged Al, Anodized, 5-12 mm rope holes, L-shaped eye	Inner Mountain Outfitters, 2003	437	90	49	9	40
877	MSR Auto Belayer	Milled Al plate, sodt anodized, adjustment screw	Steve Hotchkiss, 2007	93	92	50	16	73
703	Petzl Zyper	Forged Al, unfinished, rope hole, V slot	Inner Mountain Outfitters, 1997	294 (without carabiners)	109	40	14	61
786	Simond Aerofrein	Milled Al, soft anodized, 4-10mm & 2-16-mm rope holes, 15 mm eye	Inner Mountain Outfitters, 2003	576	87	46	8	32

Pierre Allain Decrocheur

The device to the left is a Pierre Allain Decrocheur. Despite rumors that it is a medieval torture device, its intended purpose is to allow one to rappel down a drop on a single rope, then recover the rope by pulling on a thin cord. The device is rigged by attaching the main line to a carabiner and clipping the carabiner into the top hole. The hook is then set over the anchor carabiner, and the thin cord is run torough the anchor carabiner as well. After the rappel, a good hard tug on the thin cord releases a sear, the spring retracts the hook, and assuming that the thin cord is twice the length of the drop, the rope can be lowered to te ground. If the cord is left in place, the rope can be returned to service by other techniques (which make this device superfluous, since they could have been used in the first place), and one can ascend.

There was another version of the Pierre Allain Decrocheur that had a pulley mounted on the side. I am looking for one of these for my collection.

[ Top | Dynamic cow's Tails | Decrocheurs | Other Devices ]

Ninja Grappling Hook

It is said that no one is a real caver unless they have ascended a rope that was rigged by throwing a grappling hook, and that no one is an intelligent caver who has. I plead the fifth on this one.

My grappling hook is a "Ninja" grappling hook, whatever that means. Instead of being one welded piece, like most, mine features a threaded top hook that can be unscrewed to allow the hook to fold into a flat package. This is certainly much more convenient when sneaking...oh, sorry, I can't talk about that.

Don't trust your life to a grappling hook.

Other Devices

This is a small collection of odds & ends.

ID	Device	Description	Acquired	Weight	Height	Width	Thickness	Std. volume
829	Advanced Ropeclimbing Technology Lockjack Sport	Al cylinder, pivoting attachment, wood knob on rope	Robert Jones, 2005	255	119	73	60	519
671	Air Space Devices Saf-T-climb	Cast bronze device for notched pipe	John Murray, 1993	1870	245	100	62	1519
726	Antec Pole Lanyard Maxiglisse	Cast Al shell /w finger grooves, cast cam /wdiamond grooves, rivet pivot.	Inner Mountain Outfitters, 1999	Difficult to weigh	95	91	35	303
767	Beranek Lowering Device	Stainless steel, rotating spool in closed frame, spool guides, top ring, four top & two bottom ears.	Jerry Beranek, 2002	About 5000	268	172	112	5163
825	Buckingham Lockjack	Al cylinder, rope & control cord slots, circumferential load cord	eBay, 2005	About 350	64	77	61	298
637	Crescent Tool Cable Puller	Steel, lever activated jaw, sliding arm, swinging safety catch.	Rick Banning, 1992	776	172	94	36	582
663	Foot Stirrup	Welded steel rod stirrup /w milled steel ascender mount	ca. 1980	246	166	129	42	899
838	Gibbs Klimair Flipline Adjuster	Anodized Al U-shell, double-sided anodized Al cam, swivel eye, axle /w split ring closure	WesSpur Tree Equipment, 2006	133	51	77	31	123
805	Gossett Plate	Milled Al plate	Dr. Gary D. Storrick, 2005	603	64	395	13	331
625	IMO Extension Arm	Drilled Al strip for attaching to QR pin Gibbs ascender	Inner Mountain Outfitters, 1987	97	178	25	10	45
878	Petzl Freino	Specialty carabiner for use with bobbins.	Inner Mountain Outfitters, 2004	84	102	79	17	140
859	Petzl Grillon Flipline Adjuster	Stamped frame, forged cam	Mike's Pawn, 2007	208	117	67	42	332
882	Rack Jack	Steel rod with cable keeper	Josh Babcock, 2007	23	152	6	5	4
777	Servobrake	Boombrake	Joe Merichino, 2003	440	137	131	58	1048

[ Top | Dynamic cow's Tails | Decrocheurs | Grappling Hooks | Other Devices ]

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©2008, Gary D. Storrick