Although in an ideal world someone will be at hand to assist you up the mast by using the main halyard winch there may be times when you need to go up single handed. The pieces of equipment shown in this section enable you to climb and descend the mast without assistance. 1) Firstly you will need a decent harness. Some suitable climbing harness are listed in the section below (there are more to choose from in the main section of this website). The harness should be one suitable for both fall arrest and suspension, some fall arrest harness are not suitable for working in a suspended position. 2) You will need a Karabiner to EN362 to attach the I'D to your harness. There is a selection in the section below. 3) You will need an I'D. This device acts as a rope grab as you climb but can be used to descend as well without having to swop to a special descender. It will only let you descend only if you are in control of the lever, otherwise it will fail to safe and grab the rope. 4) To climb you will need an ascender with a FootPro attached. While hanging suspended by the I'D you slide the Ascension up the rope with the foot loop attached. Place your foot in the loop and straighten your leg. Then pull the slack through the I'D and hang suspended from the I'D again. Repeat until you reach the top of the mast. 5) To descend, hold the trailing rope firmly and move the lever to right angles. It will allow you to pay out the rope and descend. If you let go or panic it will grab the rope.
These items of equipment require training and practise. The user must satisfy themselves that they are competant to use the equipment.
