Abstract: Rope climbing apparatus comprises a support, a length of rope and a rope accumulator supported by the support for storing a variable length of rope. The accumulator includes a dancer trolley and means for force-loading the dancer trolley to a maximum storage position. A segment of rope is presented to a user of the apparatus so that he can draw rope from the accumulator. Variable drag mechanism supported by the support feeds rope pulled by the user back to the accumulator to replenish the accumulator. The drag mechanism inhibits the feeding of rope to the accumulator unless the rope is pulled with a force sufficient to overcome the force-loading on the accumulator dancer trolley and move the dancer from its maximum storage position. The drag mechanism also controls the rate at which rope is fed to the accumulator in accordance with the magnitude of the accumulator force-loading.

Abstract: Rope climbing apparatus comprises a support, a length of rope and a rope accumulator supported by the support for storing a variable length of rope. The accumulator includes a dancer and means for force-loading the dancer to a maximum storage position. A segment of rope is presented to a user of the apparatus so that he can draw rope from the accumulator. Variable drag mechanism supported by the support feeds rope pulled by the user back to the accumulator to replenish the accumulator. The drag mechanism inhibits the feeding of rope to the accumulator unless the rope is pulled with a force sufficient to overcome the force-loading on the accumulator dancer and move the dancer from its maximum storage position. The drag mechanism also controls the rate at which rope is fed to the accumulator in accordance with the magnitude of the accumulator dancer force loading.