An ascender grips the rope in one direction and slides in the other, which is how a technician climbs a fixed line. The handle version adds a grip you can pull your whole body weight against, and this one locks with a single hand so the other stays free for the rope, a tool or the structure.
Handed for a reason. A right handed ascender sits naturally in the right hand with the cam oriented correctly; using it in the left is awkward and puts the handle in the wrong plane. Kratos colour code them so they cannot be confused: **black for left, green for right**.
Key Features
- One handed locking: Operate the cam with the same hand that holds the handle, leaving the other free. On a rope climb that matters constantly.
- Handed design: Shaped so the handle and cam sit correctly for the hand it is made for.
- Colour coded: Black anodised for left hand, green anodised for right. Immediately distinguishable in a bag or on a rack.
- 10–12 mm kernmantle compatibility: Standard rope access diameters.
- EN 567 certified: The rope clamp standard.
- Aluminium construction: Light enough to carry as part of a full rack.
Technical Specifications
| Product Code |
Hand |
Finish |
Rope |
Standard |
| FA 70 002 00 |
Left |
Black anodised |
10–12 mm kernmantle |
EN 567 |
| FA 70 003 00 |
Right |
Green anodised |
10–12 mm kernmantle |
EN 567 |
Both aluminium. Most technicians carry one of each, or one handle plus a ventral clamp.
EN 567 Rope Clamp | Category III PPE
Conforms to EN 567, the standard for rope clamps used in mountaineering and rope access. Category III personal protective equipment under Regulation (EU) 2016/425. An ascender is not a fall arrest device and must be used within a rope access system including an independent back-up. Requires inspection by a competent person at intervals not exceeding 12 months.
Suitable Applications
Used for ascending a fixed rope in industrial rope access, rescue and confined space work. The usual arrangement pairs a handled ascender with a ventral rope clamp: the ventral clamp holds position at the waist while the handle is advanced, then the technician stands in a foot loop attached to the handle and the ventral clamp takes up the slack. That cycle is how rope climbing works, and it needs both devices plus a foot loop.
More About This Product
The anchorage is the part of a fall protection system people think about last and should think about first. Most sites can produce a harness and a lanyard within minutes; producing a certified, assessed anchor point is a different matter, and it is what genuinely determines whether the system works.
The forces involved are the reason. Arresting a fall is a dynamic event, and the load a falling person imposes on an anchor is many times their body weight — which is why BS EN 795 exists as a standard in its own right, and why the structure the anchor attaches to has to be assessed separately by someone competent to do it. The anchor may be certified; the beam, the tube, the roof purlin almost certainly is not.
Anchor Position, Fall Factor and Swing
Where the anchor sits changes the severity of a fall more than any other single decision.
Fall factor is the ratio of fall distance to the length of lanyard available to absorb it. An anchor above the head gives the lowest factor and the gentlest arrest. An anchor at foot level gives a factor 2 fall — the worst case, generating forces a shock absorber may struggle to control, and it is what happens when someone clips onto something convenient at their feet rather than something suitable above them.
Pendulum swing is the second consideration and the one that catches people out. An anchor directly overhead means a fall goes straight down. An anchor off to one side means the faller swings, and the swing can be more dangerous than the drop — into structure, into plant, or across a surface at speed. A swing that ends against a steel column is not survivable simply because the harness held.
The practical rule is to position the anchor as high as practicable and as close to directly overhead as the work allows, and to reassess it every time the work position moves.
How to Use the Ascender Handle
- Check the orientation: The device is handed and must be fitted with the cam correctly oriented on the rope.
- Confirm it grips before weighting: Load it gently and check the cam bites before committing.
- Use with a ventral clamp and foot loop: A handle alone does not let you climb; the system needs both clamps.
- Maintain an independent back-up: Ascenders are not fall arrest devices. A separate safety line with a back-up device is required.
- Keep the cam clean: Mud, ice and grit in the cam teeth prevent it gripping.
- Never use on a wire rope or a damaged line.
Warning: An ascender is not a fall arrest device. It can damage or sever a rope under shock loading. Rope access requires an independent back-up system on a separate safety line, and specific training and certification.
Safety Information
- For use only by trained and certified rope access technicians.
- Not a fall arrest device.
- Use only with 10 to 12 mm kernmantle rope.
- An independent back-up on a separate safety line is required at all times.
- Confirm the cam grips before applying body weight.
- Keep the cam free of mud, ice and grit.
- Withdraw after any shock loading.
- Inspect the rope for damage where an ascender has been used.
- Inspection by a competent person required at intervals not exceeding 12 months.
Inspection and Maintenance
The cam teeth are the working surface and they wear. Inspect them for rounding, chipping and clogging, since a cam that cannot bite is an ascender that will slip. Clean them with a brush rather than anything that might leave residue. Check the cam spring returns the cam firmly to the closed position, the pivot for wear and free movement, and the safety catch for correct operation. Examine the frame for cracking, particularly around the attachment hole and the handle junction, since aluminium cracks where steel would bend. Any device that has taken a shock load should be withdrawn.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Do I need both left and right?
Not necessarily. The common arrangement is one handled ascender plus a ventral rope clamp, which lets you climb using one hand on the handle. Some technicians prefer two handles for particular work. Buy the hand that matches your dominant side first.
Q: Why the different colours?
Black for left, green for right. Reaching into a bag at height, colour is far quicker than working out which way round a device is shaped, and it stops the wrong one being clipped on.
Q: Can an ascender arrest a fall?
No, and this is important. Under shock loading a cam can damage or sever the rope sheath. Ascenders are for progression on a rope, and fall protection comes from an independent back-up device on a separate safety line.
Q: What else do I need to climb a rope?
A ventral rope clamp, a foot loop, an EN 813 harness and a back-up device on a separate line. The handle on its own is one component of four or five.
