First Impressions
The Jack is a new compact descender that has been released by Singing Rock and has just become available in the UK. I ordered mine through Abaris, but other retailers may also stock them by the time you are reading this. I picked this up as it carries the necessary EN standards and approvals that would potentially make it appropriate for use not only as a compact rope access descender, but also as a challenger to the Petzl RIG for use by Vertical Cave and Mine Leaders in the LCMLA scheme. I’ve not yet had the chance to properly test it out underground, but I have been able to jump on the IRATA training structure at SpanSet and give it a test flight on some Teufelberger 10.5mm low stretch rope. This short article is just my initial thoughts and observations and I’ll write a follow-up when I have had a chance to use it more thoroughly.
Straight out of the (entirely recyclable) packaging my first thoughts were that this felt much smaller than the Petzl RIG v2 that I regularly use. Placing the two devices side by side, the Jack is around 20mm shorter in the body and slightly slimmer, which makes it feel more compact than the RIG. The depth is the same but the Jack’s handle parks in the upper position, so the device is taller than the RIG so it is not true to say it is a smaller device overall, even if the body is smaller. The rope can be loaded into the Jack without removing it from the carabiner, making it drop proof in use. The side plate unlocks by sliding a recessed plastic catch upwards, and then the plate must be moved downwards to bring the carabiner out of a hooked area and into the opening slot (just like a RIG or Stop). This means accidental opening while the device is loaded is not possible. Inside there is a solid feeling stainless steel cam. The cam sits naturally in the open position thanks to a small magnet. There is a large press point on the back of the cam for thumbing slack to pay out rope when there is no load on the rope. Having witnessed the top a RIG cam get knocked and release a rope (Near Miss – April 2022 – Pete Knight’s Blog), I had my reservations about this large release button on the Jack. The handle is ample size without be unnecessarily large. It parks at about the 2 o’clock position, and this is the ‘locked’ state and the storage state. When pulled, the handle travels all the way around to the left side of the device, first opening the cam around 11 o’clock and then meeting its stop at 9 o’clock. It feels more like the operation of a 2019 Petzl Stop handle because of the kink in the Jack’s handle, but users of RIGs will feel right at home with it too.
The Jack carries 3 different EN standards. It has the EN341 rescue descender one, and the more relevant rope access descender (EN 12841/C) and the belay device standard EN 15151-1 Type 6. The Singing Rock user instructions for the Jack, which contain all the necessary details on its approved uses can be found on the SR product page on their website, or downloaded from here.
As a belay device it is classed as a manually assisted locking device, approved for both belaying and abseiling on ropes between 9.3-11mm. That lower range puts things like the 9mm Gleistein Geostatic NE and Petzl’s Push low stretch ropes out of scope for work, but with most VC&M leaders using 10mm or above that won’t be a problem for normal group use. There is no specific weight range for use with the EN 15151-1 standard, and the user needs to ensure the device is compatible with their intended rope and loads, however the standard does require testing that it can hold at least 2kN for 60 seconds when statically loaded across the approved rope range. Edelrid have a really handy summary of the EN 15151-1 standard, which can be read here.
I have been inspecting work at height equipment at SpanSet this week, and took the chance to briefly hop on the ropes at their Middlewich IRATA training centre and give the Jack a quick test. I ascended 5m up using the Jack and a footloop, before abseiling back down again a couple of times. This was using a 10.5mm low stretch rope. On ascent, the slack pulls through the device easily and upwards progress is as straightforward as it would be with something like the RIG or ID. Not the most efficient climbing method of course, but taking in slack and raising yourself to pass rebelays or get high on Y-hangs with a descender is an important part of the device’s use. Descending felt smooth and was easy to control without a breaking carabiner on the dry ropes. I’d need to see how it copes on wet or muddy caving ropes another time. I was backed up with a Petzl ASAP, so I also took the chance to see if I could get the Jack to disengage by pressing, and then striking, the little cam release button. With my weight on the device, even hitting the button very hard with the back of my hand did not cause the cam to move and their was no downward progress at all. It appears that with the device properly weighted, the cam cannot be opened by the button, but it is still likely to be a risk when unweighting it or if it clashes with other devices in a hauling or rescue system. That’s something I’ll need to do some further testing on.
One thing I noticed about the construction of the Jack which might cause issues for dirty work is the inside of the side plate release catch. On the RIG, the side plate has a groove which slots over a large pin on the side of the cam. On the Jack this slot is underneath the plastic external body of the side plate. Any mud accrued on the RIG is pushed out when locking the side plate, but the Jack has essentially got a pocket. I worry that this might become filled with mud and then potentially affect the operation of the opening catch or lead to wear on the plastic components. The operation of the catch is smooth and secure, but only testing in muddy caving conditions will show if the ingress of muck into this mechanism is a problem for the device. I’ll follow this short post up when I get the chance to take it caving.
My first impressions of the Jack are that it is a well-built device and it has all the functionality that regular RIG users will be familiar with. I was able to get on the ropes and use it for up and down progressions straight away and found it comfortable and intuitive. The handle parking in the upwards position might be annoying when carried on the harness, and we’ll have to see how it holds out in caving use, but overall, I’m happy with the device and look forward to putting some miles on it over the coming months. Watch this space for an update in the new year.