Ascenders and Cams
Below is a series of links to all the publically available research on the behavior of ascenders and cams we have found to date (we exclude papers with analyses and other citations because there are so many!). We have made an attempt to find as much as we could, but it is a work in progress. If you know of any additional testing we are missing, please bring it to our attention (contact us)!
Published Research:
Unpublished Research:
Videos of Testing:
Also of Interest:
Published Research:
- Antonini, Giuseppe, Piazza, Oskar, 2014, Cadere sugli attrezzi: cosa succede? il Soccorso Alpino, April 2014:20-23 (Document in Italian, drop tests with a variety of hardware)
- Barns, Matthew, 1997, The Coefficient of Friction of Three Common Ascenders, Nylon Highway 42:6-12
- Beverly, Marc, Attaway, Stephen, 2005, Hang 'E, High: How Far Can You Trust Your Belay Device? Proceedings of the International Technical Rescue Symposium 2005 (Reprinted in: Beverly, Marc, Attaway, Stephen, 2006. Hang 'Em High: How Far Can You trust Your Belay Device, Nylon Highway 51:21 pages) (Also posted on the Mountain Rescue Association grant archive page here) (Cinch, Jaws, Shunt, Matrix, Tibloc, Ascender, Grigri, Reverso, Pro Traxion, Ropeman, ATC)
- Born, Russ, 2000, Still in Search of a Reliable Belay, Proceedings of the International Technical Rescue Symposium 2000
- Coles, John, 2012, CRE: Compatibility of Toothed Ascenders..., Arborist News 21(1):47
- Davison, Don, 1975, Beyond the 7th Tooth: Into the Twilight Zone with Gibbs Ascenders, Nylon Highway 4:11-12
- Dill, John, 1991, Are You Really On Belay? Nylon Highway 32:1-4 (Tied off rope, Munter Hitch, Sticht Plate, CMI Rescue Belay, Figure 8, Antz, Gibbs Ascender, Rescucender) (Reprinted from Response Magazine, Summer 1990)
- Dill, John, 1991, Are you Really on Belay? Part II, Nylon Highway 32:18-22 (Reprinted from Response Magazine, Fall 1990) (In section on Mariner's hitch)
- Drummond, I., 1968, An Incident and Some Tests Concerning Sampson Rope For Prusiking, NSS News 26(8):114-116
- Frank, J.A., 1998. CMC Rope Rescue Manual, Third Edition, CMC Rescue Inc., Santa Barbara, California (Appendix E, p. 194-195)
- Holan, Jan, Beason, Steve, 2002, Rope Access Equipment Testing: The back-up safety system, Proceedings of the International Technical Rescue Symposium 2002 (Petzl Shunt, Petzl Rescucender, PMI Progressor, MIO Rope Grab, PMI Arrestor, Troll/Yates Rocker)
- Holan, Jan, Beason, Steve, 2003, Rope Access Equipment Testing: Part II, Proceedings of the International Technical Rescue Symposium 2003 (Petzl shunt, Rescucender, PMI Progressor, Bibbs Ascender, Prusik loop, MIO Rope Grap, PMI Arestor, Troll/Yates Rocker, Tractel Stopfor D)
- Huttner, Andrew, 1973, Gibbs Ascender - Static Line Belay System is Hazardous, Speleo Digest 1973:232-233
- Kane, Brian, 2011, Compatibility of Toothed Ascenders with Arborist Climbing Ropes, Arborist News 20(5):20-21
- Kane, Brian, Reiland, Mark, 2011, Applied Research for Climbing and Rigging: Single Rope Technique, Tree Care Industry 22(9):42-45
- Lefler, Miles, 2012, Author Response: Compatibility of Toothed Ascenders... Arborist News 21(1):47-48
- Macgregor, Kirk, 1979, Sawed-off Gibbs Ascenders, Bulletin of the National Speleological Society 41(4):119 (abstract only)
- Macgregor, Kirk, 1979, Flaring Pin Holes in Gibbs Cams, Bulletin of the National Speleological Society 41(4):119 (abstract only)
- Martin, bill, Limbert, David, 1969, Vertical Caving And The New Cam Ascender, NSS News 27(2):28-31
- Mortimer, Roger, 2015, Mud Changes the Performance of 3 Rope Grabs, Proceedings of the International Technical Rescue Symposium 2015
- Pinchak, Alfred, Gibbs, Charles, 1972, A rope Ascender Field Test, Climbing Magazine May-June 1972:21-24
- Possich, Joel, Limagne, Remy, Mulot, Jose, Maurice, Alain, Vasse, Laurent, Holvoet, Jean-Pierre, Caillault, Serge, Sanson, Eric, 1998, Degagement d'equipier : "le coupe de corde" (2), Spelunca 71, 8 pages
- Reed, Shaun, 2014, Drop Testing of Rope Access Backup Devices, Proceedings of the International Technical Rescue Symposium 2014
- Tomer, D. W., 1968, Sampson and Ascenders, NSS News 26(12):191
- Walker, DJ, McCullar, Russell, 2014, Slow Pull Testing of Progress Capture Devices, Proceedings of the International Technical Rescue Symposium 2014 (Reprinted in: Walker, DJ, McCullar, Russell, 2014, Slow Pull Testing of Progress Capture Devices, Nylon Highway 59: 16 pages) (Rescucender, SMC Grip, Petzl Basic)
- Walters, Larry, 2016, Belay Testing on the Petzl I'D and the ASAP, Proceedings of the International Technical Rescue Symposium 2016 - Link will be updated when papers posted on the ITRS webpage
Unpublished Research:
- Bressan, Giuliano, Unknown Date, Progressione di conserva della cordata: Impiego dei vari tipi di corda, problematiche e suggerimenti
- Francesco, Salvatori, 2013, Test bloccanti diversi, in particolare Body Futura Kong e Maniglia Futura Kong, (Page in Italian) (Tested Petzl Croll, Tibloc, Kong Futura, Cyrano Repetto)
- Francesco, Salvatori, 2013, Nuovi test a trazione lenta su n. 4 esemplari di Croll 2013 (Page in Italian)
- Francesco, Salvatori, 2013, Considerazioni sul Croll Modello 2013 espresso dal Gruppo Lavoro Materiali della Scuola Nazionale di Speleologica del CAI durante l'Assemblea Ordinaria di Costacciaro (19 Maggio 2013) (Document in Italian)
- Francesco, Salvatori, Marco, Menichetti, Sergio, Celesti, Luca, Ponderini, Domenico, Bocchio, 2011, Effetti Delle Sollecitazioni Statiche E Dinamiche Sul Comportamento Del Bloccante Ventrale Applicoato Su Corda Speleo in Diverse Condizioni D'uso (Document in Italian)
- Lyon Equipment Limited, 2001, Industrial rope access - Investigation into items of personal protective equipment, Contract Research Report 364/2001
- Moyer, Tom, 2000, Pull-Testing at the MRA Intermountain Recert
- Petzl, Unknown Date, Tests on the micro traxion with dyneema cord of diameter less than 8 mm
- Petzl, Unknown Date, Installing a life-line
- Petzl, Unknown Date, Appendix 5: Analysis of Solutions Observed in the Field - Use of a Single Ascender with Knots in the Rope.
- Petzl, Unknown Date, Rope Rescue: ASAP and Accompanied Descent
- Petzl, Unknown Date, Rope Rescue: ASAP Performance on a Taut Rope
- Petzl, Unknown Date, Details on Using the ASAP When it is Attached to the Harness Without an Energy Absorber (EN 353-2 Usage)
- Petzl, Unknown Date, Ascending the Rope in Self-Rescue: take Care When Approaching the Anchor
- Petzl, Unknown Date, Rad Line: Small Diameter Hyperstatic Cord
- Prattley, Grant, Main, Lindsay, Welsh, Andrew, 2001, Rope Grab Test Report
- Prattley, Grant, 2014, Rigging Myths and other things rope
- Richard Delaney, 2014, Members: Rope grabs and slip value, Rope grabs: when will they slip? (Requires a membership to Ropelab to access)
- Richard Delaney, 2016, Members: Falling on teeth. (Requires a membership to Ropelab to access)
- Rigging for Rescue, 1999, Slow-Pull Failure Tests, Petzl Tibloc and both Wild Country Ropeman versions
- Sheehan, Alan, 2004, Load Testing, NSW SES Vertical Rescue Professional Development Workshop, Wellington NSW, August 14, 2004 (Prusiks, figure 8 and figure 9 knots, old webbing sling, ascenders on a rope, munter hitch, klemheist-webbing and cord, double fisherman's, bowline, prusik made of webbing, girth hitch in webbing, Stevedore's hitch, Portuguese bowline, buntline hitch, clove hitch, Alpine clutch)
- Trihey, Lucas, 2006, Vertical Rescue Training Workshop Report: Equipment Testing
- Unknown Author, Unknown Date, Swiftwater Rope Testing -Prussics & Petzl Tiblock (Tiblocks)
- Unknown Author, Unknown Date, Prova T-Bloc Petzl (Page in Italian) (Pulled Tiblocks on rope, and another two ascenders)
- Unknown Author, Unknown Date, Prove Usura Corde Speleo (Page in Italian) (Broke used caving ropes with ascenders)
- Unknown Author, Unknown Date, Test blokantu Petzl Tibloc (Page in Czech, describes test with a tibloc)
- Unknown Author, 2009, Random Rope and System Testing
- Unknown Author, 2013, Nuovi dati sperimentali e considerazioni a conferma di quanto accertato dal Gruppo di Lavoro Materiali dell Scuola Nazionale di Speleologia sulle caratteristiche del bloccante ventral Croll Petzl modello 2013 (Document in Italian)
- Vickers, Pete, 2006, Belay & Brake Device Loading Evaluation
- Wallace, Jacob, Unknown Date, Why You Shouldn't Use a Handle Ascender As Your Backup Device
Videos of Testing:
- Dom Vitali, 2014, Fail Testing Gibbs Ascender VS Prusik Knot (video showing testing of a gibbs ascender and prusik hitch)
- FSTC, 2008, Drop Test (slow pulled a prusik, drop tested a gibbs ascender, tandem prusik belay, munter hitch)
- Guglielmo Di Camillo, 2008, TECNICHE E MATERIALI SPELEO ALPINISTICI 3o parte (Video showing slow pull tests of a variety of pieces of equipment)
- Guglielmo Di Camillo, 2011, Tecnica e Materiali a Padova 2011 - Trazione lenta (Video 1 - Parte 2) (Video shows pull tests of a variety of pieces of equipment and knots)
- Guglielmo Di Camillo, 2011, Tecnica e Materiali a Padova 2011 - Trazione veloce (Video 2o) (Video shows pull tests of variety of pieces of equipment and knots)
- Kevin Bingham, 2012, rope wrench drop testing (Youtube Video testing friction hitches and the rope wrench)
- Kevin Bingham, 2012, Static pull tests Rope Wrench (Youtube Video slow pulling friction hitches and a rope wrench)
- Kevin Bingham, 2012, testing friction in a rope wrench
- Kevin Bingham, 2012, Is a Rope Wrench Life Support? (simulated failure of climbing hitch with Rope Wrench above)
- Kevin Bingham, 2012, new movie 005 (explains measuring the friction in a rope wrench)
- Kong, 2013, Tendon Secure Test (Youtube video showing cutting ropes of different constructions)
- Mashuk1800, 2010, Жумар.avi
- Matt Hinkle, 2011, Rope Rescue - Pull Test (Pull tested a prusik and mechanical rope grab)
- NZcaver, 2007, Petzl Rescucender and rope damage
- NZcaver, 2007, Petzl Rescucender rope damage
- NZcaver, 2007, Petzl Rescucender slip-and-grab
- NZcaver, 2007, Petzl Rescucender slipping under load
- NZcaver, 2007, Haul cam test rig
- NZcaver, 2010, Rope rescue knot failures (Slow pulled prusik, gibbs ascender, knots, sewn prusik)
- NZcaver, 2012, Breaking Gear NCRC 2012 (Rescucender)
- OTE Rescue, 2014, Rigging Myths
- Petzl Professional, 2011, Petzl - Laboratory Test Tower [EN-FR]
- Richard Delaney, 2012, Height Safety System tests
- Richard Delaney, 2012, Sterling htp 11.1mm - Petzl rescuecender
- Richard Delaney, 2012, Blue Water II+ 11.2mm - Petzl Rescuecender pull-test
- Richard Delaney, 2012, New 11mm rope with Petzl Expedition Ascender - Sheath failure @ 6.14kN
- Richard Delaney, 2012, New 11mm rope with Petzl Tibloc - sheath failure @ 9.75kN
- Richard Delaney, 2012, New 11mm rope with MicroScender - sheath failure @ 11.30kN
- Richard Delaney, 2016, Fall on teeth
- Richard Delaney, 2016, Rig for lower: Munter + ASAP drop tests
- Rope and Rescue, 2014, Handle Ascender Drop Test (Youtube Video of a drop test)
- sambarsport, 2009, zachyceni_padu_blokantem_sambar.mpg (video of drop tests of ascenders on a rope)
- Seb Reynes, 2009, Test casse Materiel (Video of dropping a load onto an ascender)
- Shaunwakelin's channel, 2012, Drop testing back up devices for rope access use (video of drop tests of Shunt, Rock Locker, Height Safety Backup, ASAP, ascender)
- Simon Page, 2012, Petzl ASAP & Absorbica Testing 30/01/2012 AID Rope Access
- Simon Page, 2012, Petzl Drop Test.wmv
- Singing Rock, 2012, Locker Dynamic Test (video of Singing Rock Locker dynamic testing and an ascender on the rope)
- tvmountain, 2012, 9190_Test cordes ancrages ENSA securite montagne alpinisme (Video in French, if anyone is willing to translate this for us, please let us know!)
- Unknown Author, Unknown Date, Gibbs Drop.mpg
- Wallace, Jacob, 2014, Handle Ascender Drop Test (Youtube video of drop test)
Also of Interest:
- Foot, Bill, Johnson, Tom, 1980, An Interview with Charles Gibbs, Nylon Highway 13:14-19
- Gibbs, Peter, 1982, A Short History of Gibbs Products, Inc., Nylon Highway 15:5-7
- Silva, Alan Grant Lance, 2004, The Development of a New Multi-Directional Fall arrest Device, Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical Engineering) Dissertation, University of Southern Queensland
- Storrick, Gary, 1988, Vertical Caving Hardware 1: Handleless Eccentric Cam Ascenders, Nylon Highway 27:16-29
- Storrick, Gary, 1989, Vertical Caving Hardware 3: Handled Eccentric Cam & Lever Cam Ascenders, Nylon Highway 29:6-22