ascendeur

Etymology

Borrowed from French ascendeur.

noun

1. A metal grip that attaches to a rope sling and can be tightened to hold a climber or loosened to allow the climber to move.
   It was the first time that I had used any type of ascendeur on a climb and only did so then because I remembered my exhausted state on Sabre, when I had scratched around on the end of the rope after de-pegging a pitch. 1969, New Zealand Alpine Journal - Volume 23, page 156
   Willig's foot rested in the sling; when he applied his weight, the ascendeur locked in place and supported him; when he shifted his weight to his other foot, the device unlocked so that he could slide it up the track by its handle. 1992, Above and beyond, page 57
   These have evolved into rope access techniques which allow workmen to work on high structures without scaffolding. The methods involved are fail safe, operated by the person climbing the mast, and make it impossible to swing out more than a couple of feet from the mast. It means wearing a climbing harness and using ascendeurs. 2013, Alastair Buchan, The Atlantic Sailor's Handbook, page 71