Ascender device on a loaded line?

Can an ascender device, like an ASCENSION, rig easily to a loaded rope? Loaded rope in a overhang scenario is what I’m thinking.

Yes. If you want to go down a loaded rope you will require a Taz Lov, however. 

Ricky Harline wrote:

Yes. If you want to go down a loaded rope you will require a Taz Lov, however. 

Thanks, I have a Taz Lov but found myself in a scenario where setting up a prusik to unload a backup microtraxion was harder than I would like when solo. 

Gnumb Zkull wrote:

Thanks, I have a Taz Lov but found myself in a scenario where setting up a prusik to unload a backup microtraxion was harder than I would like when solo. 

I prefer 2 lines in those situations, one to rap and one to climb. Just easier transitions. 

Dr Logic wrote:

I prefer 2 lines in those situations, one to rap and one to climb. Just easier transitions. 

Unless you're at a hands-free stance, you're still going to have to unweight the device you're hanging on to remove it.  A slack second line doesn't help much with that.

My 2 cents to OP and others - anyone climbing solo should probably know at least 3 different ways to unweight a device.

Gunkiemike wrote:

Unless you're at a hands-free stance, you're still going to have to unweight the device you're hanging on to remove it.  A slack second line doesn't help much with that.

My 2 cents to OP and others - anyone climbing solo should probably know at least 3 different ways to unweight a device.

Lemme think since I just was in this situation on Christmas,

1. Put a prussik above the device/s, attach a double length sling to it, step in the sling so the prussik takes the weight. Remove the device/s but make sure to have something else you can rap and progress capture with attached before you touch that prussik again. 
2. Clip a bolt or a piece, go in direct, unweight the device/s and remove
3. If one of the strands is loose and not weighted and you're carrying a Grigri or other auto locking device, attach it high on the loose strand, pull out as much slack as possible and transfer weight to other strand/Grigri. May require a prussik and foot loop above the Grigri in order to move your weight high enough on the other strand to where you can unweight/remove tension on the original loaded strand. This is pretty similar to 1 though. 

Basically you need to move your weight above the progress capture device in order to create any type of slack in that loaded strand before you can free the device. The how depends on what's within reach, what's on your harness, and if both strands or just one is currently loaded before you initiate shenanigans. 

Cosmic Hotdog wrote:

Lemme think since I just was in this situation on Christmas,

1. Put a prussik above the device/s, attach a double length sling to it, step in the sling so the prussik takes the weight. Remove the device/s but make sure to have something else you can rap and progress capture with attached before you touch that prussik again. 
2. Clip a bolt or a piece, go in direct, unweight the device/s and remove
3. If one of the strands is loose and not weighted and you're carrying a Grigri or other auto locking device, attach it high on the loose strand, pull out as much slack as possible and transfer weight to other strand/Grigri. May require a prussik and foot loop above the Grigri in order to move your weight high enough on the other strand to where you can unweight/remove tension on the original loaded strand. This is pretty similar to 1 though. 

Basically you need to move your weight above the progress capture device in order to create any type of slack in that loaded strand before you can free the device. The how depends on what's within reach, what's on your harness, and if both strands or just one is currently loaded before you initiate shenanigans. 

Yup I usually use #1 but I had a harness that my legs grew out of that would invert me in an overhang, making setting up the prusik harder than I would like but not impossible. The harness was probably my biggest problem in this scenario but the situation made me curious if that type ascender could replace a prusik. 

Gunkiemike wrote:

Unless you're at a hands-free stance, you're still going to have to unweight the device you're hanging on to remove it.  A slack second line doesn't help much with that.

My 2 cents to OP and others - anyone climbing solo should probably know at least 3 different ways to unweight a device.

I don't disagree for descending. But there's no need to remove a device to ascend, just descend. So no reason to unweight the line.

For descending, I just like the easier escape option if I'm not using a gri as my backup. Mostly for working a crux. But I suppose you could do the same on a single fixed line if your lower backup is a gri.  But a gri on the second line means a transition of maybe 3 seconds. No fussing with any other devices or friction hitches. 

Ascending (in context of the op's question) you just flip to jugging mode with whatever you're using, no need to unweight the lower device at all.