Treetools have sold the ART Cocoon for some time now. It's the pulley used on the the New Zealand made DB Tree Rope Saver and it is popular with climbers planning to build their own rope saver systems. The only downside is the price!
Some climbers have found a more economic solution: the ART Link 1 pulley off the original rope guide from ART. Unlike the ART Cocoon the Link 1 has not been available in New Zealand as a spare part, so the only way to get hold of one was to find someone who had retired their ART Rope Guide and pirate the pulley for yourself.
All that is about to change! Treetools will have most of the 'parts' used in the ART Rope Guides available for sale soon.Now you can refurbish your old ART unit or invest in the parts and add them to your own custom built system.The Link pulley does not share the 'ergonomic' shape of the Cocoon but it works perfectly with the large ART ring (also available soon) and is a veryuseful pulley in any system.
Treetools have seen various uses for the ART Link 1 pulley but perhaps the best is a new rope tool from DB Tree.
Drew has spliced the large ART ring (rated to 28 kN with a 75mm diameter) into a footlock strop and the Link pulley is attached via a 22 kN rated 300mmAspiring sling (similar to the DB Tree Rope Saver) making the unit into an adjustable rope saver.
Now you can footlock up your access line, find a suitable anchor point and use the footlock strop as a rope saver - two tools in one and less weight tocarry into the tree - brilliant!
