ISC Chipmunk Flex Tether with Apex Rope Wrench

This ISC Chipmunk flex tether with Apex rope wrench pairs a rope wrench with ISC's flexible Chipmunk tether, the combination many climbers use to run a friction hitch on a stationary rope. The wrench adds the friction a hitch alone cannot give on a single line, and the tether keeps it aligned.

How the combo works

On a stationary rope, a friction hitch alone does not hold or descend smoothly because the rope does not double back on itself. A rope wrench solves that. The rope runs through the wrench above the hitch, adding friction, and the hitch does the gripping and tending. The flexible tether links the wrench to the hitch and keeps the two aligned as you move around the canopy.

Buying the wrench and tether together saves piecing it together and keeps the setup the way ISC tested it. Compare other SRS climbing devices if you prefer a mechanical device.

Many climbers like a wrench setup because it keeps the familiar feel of a hitch while working on a single rope. You can descend smoothly, stop anywhere and advance with a hitch tender, which makes long limb walks and redirects more manageable than on a doubled line.

Setup and inspection

Use rope diameters and hitch cord ISC lists for the wrench, and build the system exactly as the instructions show, with approved connectors. Test the setup on the ground and at low height before climbing. Before each climb, check the wrench for grooves and sharp edges, and the tether for cuts, fuzzing and stiffness.

Life-support gear must meet the applicable standard, be used per the manufacturer's instructions and ANSI Z133, and be inspected before every climb. Get trained before you rely on it aloft.