On Sun, 10 Dec 2006 10:33:16 -0600, "BarelyAwake"
wrote:

I was considering buying a pair of ascenders instead of a bosun's chair. I
went to the local outdoor place and the sales guy said that the ascenders
are not made for descending, that I should buy a descender to get back down
the mast. Why would an ascender not be appropriate in either direction?
Maybe a mountain climber might be able to descend faster with a descender,
but I can't see why I couldn't use the ascenders to get back down. Does
anyone have recommendations on specific hardware brands?
Thanks.

I use ascendes *and* a bosun's chair. I attach the chair to the upper
ascender and it goes up with me.

You don't need descenders. You can use the ascender to descend.
Descending with ascenders is slow and just about as difficult as
ascending. Descenders make it easier and faster. Descenders are for
where you're going to descend a long way, much longer than the height
of the average mast.

The only way I can see descenders being worth it is if you have to go
up with the boat rocking in a seaway. But in those conditions, I
would never use a single rope with ascenders anyway. For that, you
want mast steps or something similar where you can concentrate on
holding on to the mast instead of operating the ascenders.

I use a length 1/2" mountain climbing rope that I got at REI, haul it
up with a halyard and use Petzl ascenders with a bosun's chair. Attach
the upper ascender to the chair, and a loop for your feet to the lower
ascender. And you can sit down while climbing and when you get to
where you want to be.

Steve