THE CMI "EXPEDITION" ASCENDER By Jay Kennedy, NSS 18198     While attending the 1998 NSS Convention in Sewanee, Tennessee I was paging through a vendor catalog and noticed that Colorado Mountain Industries (CMI) was marketing a new ascender, reminiscent of the old Clog ascenders. After returning home I called CMI and they were kind enough to send me a pair for test and evaluation. I had used the Clog in the 1970's and was curious how these new "Expedition" ascenders would compare with them. The ascenders arrived promptly and I opened the box, curious about CMI's latest ascenders. My first impression was "my gosh, these things are HUGE!" Actually, they are not significantly heavier than other current ascenders (500gm for the pair, versus 556gm for Jumars and 400gm for Petzl Ascensions) nor appreciably bulkier. It is readily apparent these ascenders are targeted more for the big-wall and alpine mountaineering markets than cavers, as the grips are generously sized for a mitten-clad hand (while I tested them during the winter my Army arctic mittens easily passed through the handles). Perhaps because of the anticipated use by mitten-clad mountaineers, CMI has again located the safety levers above the plastic handgrips as they did with earlier models of the Ultrascender. This is my biggest gripe with these ascenders; it is difficult to open the cam with one hand to attach to the rope. Clog's handled ascenders had the same safety mechanism. Removal is simple: depress the safety lever, cant the ascender body so that the rope presses against the cam and slide the ascender forward and off the rope. Eventually I was able to train my thumbs to pull down the cam by using the circular molding on the cam while simultaneously pressing the safety lever down with the index finger of the same hand— this is still a tough ascender to operate one handed so I don't anticipate using it as a quick-attach safety (QAS). Further perusal showed the CMI's to be of extruded aluminum alloy construction , painted with a tough black epoxy paint and outfitted with large plastic handgrips attached by countersunk allen-head screws. There is a single attachment hole at the top (above the cam) and two holes in the handle base. These are quite large and readily accepted my largest carabiner , an SMC steel rescue "D". The cam design is identical to the other CMI ascenders currently marketed (guaranteed for life) and is secured to the alloy body with a steel pin and snap ring. As on their other ascenders, the snap ring is prone to rusting. One of the cams showed coarse file marks on the curvature behind the hinge pin, as though ground down to fit the channel housing. Overall I thought the ascenders to be sturdy, if somewhat bulky, and decided to head to my local cliff for some practice. Normally I use a Frog system with Petzl ascenders so it was a simple matter to substitute the left hand Expedition ascender for my left hand Petzl Ascension. The ascender slid easily up the rope and I was delighted to find down-climbing greatly easier than with the Petzl, due to the CMI's straight teeth not snagging the rope sheath. I did several cycles on the fifty foot cliff and deemed the CMI's trustworthy enough to take underground the next weekend. On my caving trip I did several trips up a soaking-wet 10mm polyester rope into the Attic section of Spring Valley Caverns (Minnesota). The ascender worked well and I was able to open the cam with my wet suit gloved fingers without significant difficulty. I decided to use the CMI as my regular foot ascender in my Frog rig and continue testing on a cross-country trip interviewing for residency training. In Pig Hole Cave (Virginia) the ascender was a solid performer on Don Anderson's stiff 11mm PMI rope. The large handle made gripping the ascender very easy, as I steady myself with my left hand during the "kick the heels under the butt" phase of Frog climbing. In New Mexico's El Malpais I used the rig on a trash-removal trip to Double Sinks. The basalt chewed the paint a little while crawling about the cave but the ascender was a good performer on the 8mm Bluewater II rope used for rigging. I returned home to Minnesota in time for winter. Local trips to the riverside cliff where I practice now included deliberately icing ropes in an attempt to get the ascender to slip. Now I converted to a Texas system, using the right hand ascender for my seat and rigging a pair of foot loops to the left hand ascender. I also clipped a cowstail for safety into the top attachment hole of the lower ascender, in case the top CMI came off rope. The bulkiness was overlooked in favor of the ease with which my mittened hands could manipulate the ascenders. I also did a couple caving trips to the Attic with this rig. Eventually I returned to my old Frog system with the Petzl ascenders. Although sturdy, the CMI Expeditions are just a bit much for my normal caving and I dislike the hassle involved in getting them on rope one-handed. The black paint is considerably scratched and chipped, the lower attachment holes are worn from maillons and carabiners; the cam pivot spring pins are rusty and the plastic handgrips are beaten from wearing the ascenders while crawling over mud and rock. I've debated what to do with the ascenders and for the moment have placed them in my rescue pack since my group uses 13.5mm rope . While I did not test the ascenders in the mountaineering/big wall environment for which they appear to be designed I found them adequte for caving use. Literature included with the Expedition ascenders claims 4000lbs breaking strength and states they are sold "as a tool for ascending vertical or near vertical ropes of 8.5mm to 16mm, and fixed ropes of 5mm to 8mm in diameter." There are the usual precautions about death or serious injury. Inside the folder is a four-part figure showing how to attach the ascender to a vertical rope as well as care instructions and advice on removal from service. French and German instructions complement the English text. PROS: Beefy, grips well on icy ropes, multiple tie-in points, comfortable grips. CONS: Bulky (as opposed to beefy?), price ($110/pr), safety difficult to use one-handed. SUMMARY: A robust device conjuring images of the old Clog ascenders, probably better left to big-wall climbers and winter mountaineers. Functions well on a variety of rope sizes so may be of benefit to rescue groups using large-diameter ropes.   Return to the Top of the Page Return to the Nylon Highway Page Copyright © 2000-2001 Vertical Section of the NSS, Inc. - All Rights Reserved.