Left side	Right side
End View	Right side: Open for Rigging

Technical Details

I acquired my Climb Tech in 2017 as part of Bob Thrun’s collection.

My Climb Tech is 93 mm. long, 78 mm. wide, 64 mm. high, and weighs 537 g.

The Climb Tech is made of stamped steel like the Komet and Miller rope grabs. It operates on the same principle as a Type 1 Lever Cam Ascender. The cam is made of 5 pieces of sheet steel riveted together, providing an unusual tooth pattern (at least for an ascender). The more interesting feature is how the frame opens to accept the rope. The frame is hinged, and a threaded knob that secures the back of the frame when it is closed. A spring-loaded lever engages a groove in the knob’s bolt, keeping it from opening. One must depress the lever to open or close the Climb Tech.

The Climb Tech has a hard plastic roller above the cam. This reduces friction in the same way as the rollers on the Komet rope grabs or the Lewis ascender. A gravity lock helps prevent closing the Presto if it is inverted.

The rear plate is stamped with an up-pointing arrow labeled "HAUT," "UP," "OBEN," and "ALTO." It is printed with the Climb TEch logo," ’ROPE:1/2"~5/8" (13mm~16mm),’ and "INSPECT BEFORE EACH USE!" The side with the lever is stamped "PRESS TO OPEN/CLOSE." The inside is stamped with an "HAUT," "UP," "OBEN," "ALTO," and an up-pointing arrow.

Comments

One of the key features of this particular rope grab is the gravity lock. The gravity lock is a lightweight steel piece that slides on the hinge pin. When the device is right-side-up, an ear clears a notch in the rear channel, allowing it to open easily. When the device is inverted, gravity pulls it out of alignment with the notch. Unfortunately, a mild shake is all one needs to realign the pin. Once again, my personal preference is to rely on doing things right rather than on gadgetry for safety. Thanks to Christer Hogne for pointing this out to me.

The Climb Tech is essentially the same as the Ace Metal Products Presto and closely resembles the Tractel Stopfor S. One key functional difference is that the Climb Tech’s closure bolt lacks the tapered end found on the Tractel Stopfor S, so one must depress the lever to close the device.