Anyone who wants to become an IFMGA mountain guide has to put up with a lot. Three years of training test your head and body – and burn through plenty of gear. Šimon Janošec has taken it on – and the Rab Ascendor climbing pack has to keep up with him.
"As part of the training, we learn to routinely carry things that most people leave at the bottom when they go climbing," Šimon points out – nobody other than future guides would probably haul a two-person Zdarsky bivvy sack up a 140-metre route on the south-facing walls of Arco. "So my pack is usually pretty loaded. And apart from the fact that loads of stuff fits in it nicely, I also like that despite its light alpine-pack vibe, it carries well even when it's crammed full of kit."
Šimon tested the Rab Ascendor 27 with a zipped top opening. At this volume (27 litres) it weighs 729 grams. It also comes in 35-litre (1.22 kg) and 45-litre (1.33 kg) versions – both with a removable lid with pockets.
The first real test? For both Šimon and Rab's Ascendor? A course in first aid, rope rescue and short-roping in the Vysočina highlands. Lots of stress – above all. "Whether I'd built the anchor properly. Whether I was climbing too slowly. Whether I was placing too much protection, or too little. And whether Zoban's wink meant 'good', meant I'd totally messed it up, or he'd just blinked."
With these techniques, the pack is basically in constant use. It has to work well – and stay out of the way. Šimon takes the opportunity to highlight the roomy U-shaped zipped main opening. "It's easy to stack the rope in it when short-roping (a technique using a short length of rope – ed.). And thanks to the zip, you can easily pull rope out when you need to lengthen it."
Rab Ascendor is built as a 100% functional pack for winter and summer mountain walls. It has an integrated RECCO® avalanche system and a haul loop for clipping it to an anchor so you can rummage through it comfortably.
The same feature proved its worth on another guide course in Arco. "That big opening into the main compartment gives you a unique chance to dig around in the pack as much as you need. Like when you're looking for a snack bar that's slipped to the bottom."
Still, fourteen days of multi-pitch climbing on sharp Italian limestone cut to the quick. No mercy. And Šimon's verdict? "Holds up to scraping in corners, fits the back well even on harder multi-pitches (up to 6c) and also works when you're flying along easier terrain – on a ridge or a via ferrata."
With tough 210D Robic Ripstop Nylon fabric and an abrasion-resistant Trishield Dura Coating, the Rab Ascendor pack is resistant to tearing and moisture. All the zips can be operated even in thick gloves.
The truth is that once the mountains become your daily bread and your gear is constantly grinding against rock, your demands shift. "I'm not exactly a gram-counter," Šimon admits; he appreciates more that he can pull the back panel out of the pack and "scrunch" it into a big bag. "Which is handy when you're heading deeper into the mountains and need to carry a heap of kit in."
Rab, however, went all the way with the simplicity and durability of the Ascendor. And that's where Šimon would dial it back a little. "The pockets work, and I really like the ice axe holders. But I'd appreciate some kind of helmet net on the pack," says Šimon – that's the one thing he misses.
The internal back stiffener can be removed and the pack folded and "scrunched" into a travel bag or haul bag, for example. The soft hip belt can be removed too – so it doesn't get in the way when climbing in a harness.
He wouldn't be a proper climber if he didn't think about where the rope goes on the pack. "The buckles on the top straps are a great detail," Šimon points out about the load-lifter straps used to adjust the pack's position on your back. "You can clip a rope or even a hoodie under them. And you know you won't lose it somewhere."
And a little gem you might not even think about in the shop? "I like the back length and that the pack doesn't get in the way when I tip my head back to look for where to climb next," Šimon concludes.
The Rab Ascendor lets you attach ice axes, skis and a rope. The Headlocker system lets you quickly secure your ice axes. Loops on the front are handy for karabiners or a helmet. And the side compression straps – as well as stabilising the load – also let you carry skis.
