Mountaineering Equipment

DESCENDERS
3-36. One piece of equipment used for generations as a descender is the carabiner. A figure eight is another
useful piece of equipment that can be used with a carabiner for descending (Figure 3-21).
Note: All belay devices can also be used as descending devices.

Figure 3-21. Figure-eights.

ASCENDERS
3-37. Ascenders may be used in other applications such as personal safety cams or hauling line cams. All
modern ascenders work on the principle of using a cam-like device to allow movement in one direction.
Ascenders are primarily made of metal alloys and come in a variety of sizes (Figure 3-22). For difficult
vertical terrain, two ascenders work best. For lower angle movement, one ascender is sufficient. Most
manufacturers make ascenders as a right and left-handed pair.

Figure 3-22. Ascenders.

26 July 2012

TC 3-97.61

3-19