Ropeman v. A
Ropeman v. B
Ropeman v. C
Ropeman II v. A
Ropeman II v. B
Ropeman 4
Ropeman Mk. 1F
Ropeman Mk. 2F
Ropeman Mk. 3F
Ropeman Mk. 3F Prototype
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| Ropeman v. A | Ropeman v. B | Ropeman v. C |
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| Ropeman II v. A | Ropeman II v. B | Ropeman 4 |
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| Ropeman Mk. 1F | Ropeman Mk. 2F | Ropeman Mk. 3F |
[ Top
| Ropeman v. B
| Ropeman v. C
| Ropeman II v. A
| Ropeman II v. B
| Ropeman 4
]
[ Ropeman Mk. 1F
| Ropeman Mk. 2F
| Ropeman Mk. 3F
| Prototype Mk. 3F
| Return to E.C. Ascenders
]
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| Front | Rear | Open for Rigging |
I acquired one Wild Country Ropeman, Version A from Exkursion and one from J. E. Weinel, Inc., both in 1996. I acquired three more in 2017 as part of Bob Thrun’s collection.
Version A is 38 mm. tall, 53 mm. wide, 32 mm. thick, and weighs 60 g. The rope channel is 16 mm. wide. The cam radius increases from 11 to 32 mm. over an angle of 123°, giving a 26° cam angle. The tooth pattern is (Z)^10.
There are no markings on my Wild Country Ropeman, Version A.
The Ropeman is not a conventional ascender by any means, and I wouldn't consider it as the primary ascender for a caving rig. It was designed to be a lightweight ascender for emergency or occasional use. The ascender is placed on the rope by swinging the shell open, pulling the cam open with the cable, inserting the rope, closing the shell and securing it with a carabiner. The slings must be connected to this carabiner. The carabiner keeps the Ropeman from coming off the rope, but if the ascender must be removed, I recommend clipping the cable to the carabiner so that the Ropeman won't be dropped by accident.
The cam is aluminum with Z-shaped teeth. I find that the Ropeman
II cam provides more predicable operation.
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[ Top
| Ropeman v. A
| Ropeman v. C
| Ropeman II v. A
| Ropeman II v. B
| Ropeman 4
]
[ Ropeman Mk. 1F
| Ropeman Mk. 2F
| Ropeman Mk. 3F
| Prototype Mk. 3F
| Return to E.C. Ascenders
]
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| Front View | Rear View |
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| Top View | Bottom View |
I acquired this Wild Country Ropeman from Bill Liebman at the 2017 Old Timers reunion.
This version is 38 mm. tall, 54 mm. wide, 31 mm. thick, and weighs 60 g. The rope channel is 16 mm. wide. The pivot is centered 26 mm. from the inside of the rope channel. The cam radius increases from 11 to 32 mm. over an angle of 123°, giving a 26° cam angle. The tooth pattern is (Z)^10.
The front plate is stamped with "WILD COUNTRY," "Ropeman," and a Sieg Heil icon. The rear plate is stamped with "CE 96,"0120," "Ø10-11mm," "Pat. Pend.," and" and"England."
This version is identical to the preceding one except for the markings.
[ Top
| Ropeman v. A
| Ropeman v. B
| Ropeman II v. A
| Ropeman II v. B
| Ropeman 4
]
[ Ropeman Mk. 1F
| Ropeman Mk. 2F
| Ropeman Mk. 3F
| Prototype Mk. 3F
| Return to E.C. Ascenders
]
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| Front | Rear | Open for Rigging |
I acquired one Wild Country Ropeman, Version C in 2017 as part of Bob Thrun’s collection.
Version C is 38 mm. tall, 53 mm. wide, 32 mm. thick, and weighs 60 g. The rope channel is 16 mm. wide. The cam radius increases from 11 to 32 mm. over an angle of 123°, giving a 26° cam angle. The tooth pattern is (Z)^10.
The front plate is stamped with "WILD COUNTRY," "Ropeman," and a Sieg Heil icon. The rear plate is stamped with "511," 0120 CE," "Ø10-11mm," "England," and "EN 567."
Version C has the same cam design as Version A, but the shell has the design used on the Ropeman II. The difference is the small nubbin above the cam axle. I don't notice this affecting the ascender’s performance in any meaningful way.
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[ Top
| Ropeman v. A
| Ropeman v. B
| Ropeman v. C
| Ropeman II v. B
| Ropeman 4
]
[ Ropeman Mk. 1F
| Ropeman Mk. 2F
| Ropeman Mk. 3F
| Prototype Mk. 3F
| Return to E.C. Ascenders
]
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| Front View | Rear View | Top View |
Technical DetailsI acquired my Wild Country Ropeman II from Mountain Gear in 1999. I acquired another in 2017 as part of Bob Thrun’s collection.
The Wild Country Ropeman II is 38 mm. tall, 53 mm. wide, 32 mm. thick, and weighs 90 g. The rope channel is 17 mm. wide. The cam radius increases from 10 to 27 mm. over an angle of 142°, giving a 23° cam angle. The tooth pattern is (3.4)^2,(2.4)^4(2)^2.
The front plate is stamped with "WILD COUNTRY," "Ropeman," and a Sieg
Heil icon. The outside of the rear plate is stamped with "CE96," 0120," "Ø8.5-11mm," and "England." The inside of the rear plate is stamped "922."
The
Ropeman II cam is made out of stainless steel. Instead of the
Z-teeth found on the Ropeman, it has conical teeth on a curved
contact face. These seem to function fairly well, at least for
an ascender of this size.
The Ropeman II weighs 50 percent more than the Ropeman, but is still considerably lighter than typical eccentric cam ascenders.
The Ropeman is a nice idea, but I’d normally save weight and
use an RBS or helical knot instead.
After all, this isn't the ascender I’d have with me if I expected
to need an ascender, and why would I be carrying it otherwise?
It’s a niche piece, if you have the niche.
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[ Top
| Ropeman v. A
| Ropeman v. B
| Ropeman v. C
| Ropeman II v. A
| Ropeman 4
]
[ Ropeman Mk. 1F
| Ropeman Mk. 2F
| Ropeman Mk. 3F
| Prototype Mk. 3F
| Return to E.C. Ascenders
]
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| Front | Rear | Open for Rigging |
I acquired my Wild Country Ropeman II from Mountain Gear in 1999. I acquired another in 2017 as part of Bob Thrun’s collection.
The Wild Country Ropeman II is 38 mm. tall, 53 mm. wide, 32 mm. thick, and weighs 90 g. The rope channel is 17 mm. wide. The cam radius increases from 10 to 27 mm. over an angle of 142°, giving a 23° cam angle. The tooth pattern is (3.4)^2,(2.4)^4(2)^2.
The front plate is stamped with "WILD COUNTRY," "Ropeman," and a Sieg Heil icon. The outside of the rear plate is stamped with "CE96," 0120," "Ø8.5-11mm," and "England." The inside of the rear plate is stamped "905."
The only difference between this version and the preceding one is that the shell is gold anodized in this version.
[ Top
| Ropeman v. A
| Ropeman v. B
| Ropeman v. C
| Ropeman II v. A
| Ropeman II v. B
]
[ Ropeman Mk. 1F
| Ropeman Mk. 2F
| Ropeman Mk. 3F
| Prototype Mk. 3F
| Return to E.C. Ascenders
]
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| Front View | Rear View | Top View |
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| Front View: Open for Rigging | Rear View: Open for Rigging |
I acquired my Wild Country Ropeman 4 from Amazon.com in 2024.
The Wild Country Ropeman 4 is 36 mm. tall, 68 mm. wide, 28 mm. thick, and weighs 72 g. The shell is forged from aluminum alloy and then anodized. The rear shell has a raised bollard with a central carabiner hole riveted in place. This acts as an anvil opposing the cam. The front plate has a milled slot on the inside that surrounds a bollard flange when the ascender is closed. The rope channel is 15 mm. wide.
The cam is milled from stainless steel. The cam axle is centered 25 mm. from the inside of the rope channel. The cam radius, measured from the axle axis, increases from 14 to 27 mm. over an angle of 109°, giving a 19° cam angle. The tooth pattern is (Z)^11. The keeper is made from 1.5 mm. stainless steel cable.
The front plate is printed with "ROPEMAN 4," the Wild Country logo, "WILD COUNTRY," and "01A1223." The rear is printed with "EN12842B:2006," "•10≤Ø≤13mm," the UKCA mark, "8503," "CE," "2008", "UIAA," "EN567," "8≤Ø≤13mm," a rigging illustration, "max 120Kg," and a book-with-an-"i" icon.
The Ropeman 4, like the Mark 3F, resembles the Kong Duck and operates on a similar principle. Unlike the Mark 3F, I can rig the Ropeman 4 with one hand, although it is awkward to do so. Only the top few teeth engage when I use 11 mm. rope, and the z-shaped teeth slip under unfavorable conditions.
[ Top
| Ropeman v. A
| Ropeman v. B
| Ropeman v. C
| Ropeman II v. A
| Ropeman II v. B
| Ropeman 4
]
[ Ropeman Mk. 2F
| Ropeman Mk. 3F
| Prototype Mk. 3F
| Return to E.C. Ascenders
]
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| Front View | Rear View | Top View |
I acquired my Wild Country Ropeman Mk. 1F from Backcountry Gear in 2012. I acquired another pair in 2017 as part of Bob Thrun’s collection.
The Wild Country Ropeman Mk. 1F is 54 mm. tall, 37 mm. wide, 32 mm. thick, and weighs 63 g. The shell is forged from aluminum alloy and then anodized. The cam is anodized aluminum. The rope channel is 16 mm. wide. The cam radius increases from 12 to 29 mm. over an angle of 119°, giving a 23° cam angle. The tooth pattern is (Z)^10.
The front plate is printed with "ROPE MAN," a Reading is Dangerous icon, "MMA," and a Sieg Heil icon. The rear plate is printed with a Sieg Heil icon, "WILD COUNTRY," the Wild Country logo, "EN567," "Ø10-13mm," and "0120CE."
The forged shell plates look better than the previous stamped plates, but I see no real functional advantage. The cam is the same as the Ropeman cam.
[ Top
| Ropeman v. A
| Ropeman v. B
| Ropeman v. C
| Ropeman II v. A
| Ropeman II v. B
| Ropeman 4
]
[ Ropeman Mk. 1F
| Ropeman Mk. 3F
| Prototype Mk. 3F
| Return to E.C. Ascenders
]
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| Front View | Rear View | Top View |
I acquired my Wild Country Ropeman Mk. 2F from Backcountry Gear in 2012. I acquired another pair in 2017 as part of Bob Thrun’s collection.
The Wild Country Ropeman Mk. 2F is 54 mm. tall, 37 mm. wide, 32 mm. thick, and weighs 92 g. The shell is forged from aluminum alloy and then anodized. The rope channel is 16 mm. wide. The cam radius increases from 10 to 27 mm. over an angle of 126°, giving a 25° cam angle. The tooth pattern is (3.4)^2(2.4)^4(2)^2.
The front plate is printed with "ROPE MAN 2," a Reading is Dangerous icon, "MMA," and a Sieg Heil icon. The rear plate is printed with a Sieg Heil icon, "WILD COUNTRY," the Wild Country logo, "EN567," "Ø10-13mm," and "0120CE."
[ Top
| Ropeman v. A
| Ropeman v. B
| Ropeman v. C
| Ropeman II v. A
| Ropeman II v. B
| Ropeman 4
]
[ Ropeman Mk. 1F
| Ropeman Mk. 2F
| Prototype Mk. 3F
| Return to E.C. Ascenders
]
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| Front View | Rear View | Top View |
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| Front View: Open for Rigging | Rear View: Open for Rigging |
I acquired my Wild Country Ropeman Mk. 3F from Backcountry Gear in 2012. I acquired another in 2017 as part of Bob Thrun’s collection.
The Wild Country Ropeman Mk. 3F is 63 mm. tall, 30 mm. wide, 27 mm. thick, and weighs 69 g. The shell is forged from aluminum alloy and then anodized. The rear shell has a raised boss with a central carabiner hole. This boss acts as an anvil opposing the cam. The front plate has a raised rim on the inside that fits in a depression in the boss when closed. There is enough play to lift the front plate out of the depression to open the ascender. The rope channel is 16 mm. wide.
The cam is made from stainless steel. The cam radius increases from 14 to 28 mm. over an angle of 99°, giving a 23° cam angle. The tooth pattern is (Z)^14.
The front plate is printed with "WILD COUNTRY," the Wild Country logo, "Ø9-13mm," a Sieg Heil icon, a Reading is Dangerous icon, and "MMB," The front plate is printed with "ROPEMAN 3," a Sieg Heil icon, "0120CE," and "EN567."
The Ropeman Mk. 3F resembles the Kong Duck and operates on a similar principle. I find that I need two hands to rig the Mk. 3F. Only the top few teeth engage when I use 11 mm. rope, and the z-shaped teeth slip under unfavorable conditions. The cam has finer teeth than the Mk. 1F cam, and is more susceptible to mud and snow.
[ Top
| Ropeman v. A
| Ropeman v. B
| Ropeman v. C
| Ropeman II v. A
| Ropeman II v. B
| Ropeman 4
]
[ Ropeman Mk. 1F
| Ropeman Mk. 2F
| Ropeman Mk. 3F
| Return to E.C. Ascenders
]
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| Front View | Rear View | Top View |
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| Front View: Open for Rigging | Rear View: Open for Rigging |
I acquired my Wild Country Ropeman Mk. 3F I acquired this Wild Country Ropeman Mk. 3F Prototype from Miles Bradshaw in 2023.
The Wild Country Ropeman Mk. 3F is 63 mm. tall, 30 mm. wide, 30 mm. thick, and weighs 69 g. The shell is forged from aluminum alloy. The rear shell has a raised boss with a central carabiner hole. This boss acts as an anvil opposing the cam. The front plate has a raised rim on the inside that fits in a depression in the boss when closed. There is barely enough play to pry the front plate out of the depression to open the ascender. The rope channel is 16 mm. wide.
The cam is made from aluminum alloy. The cam axle is centered 24 mm. from the inside of the rope channel. The cam radius, measured from the axle axis, increases from 14 to 28 mm. over an angle of 99°, giving a 23° cam angle. The tooth pattern is (Z)^14.
Aside from some hand-written notes made with a marker, there are no markings on this prototype.
The prototype does not have a cable keeper like the production models have.
The hand-written markings on the front say "500M," "SiC" and "WET ROPE." I presume that this prototype was used in a cam wear test on a wet rope covered with SiC abrasive, and that the wear seen occurred after 500 m. I would expect such wear from an aluminum cam.
[ Top
| Ropeman v. A
| Ropeman v. B
| Ropeman v. C
| Ropeman II v. A
| Ropeman II v. B
| Ropeman 4
]
[ Ropeman Mk. 1F
| Ropeman Mk. 2F
| Ropeman Mk. 3F
| Prototype Mk. 3F
]
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