New Kid on the Block: Rope Runner Vertec

If you did not have the opportunity to attend TCI Expo 24’ in Baltimore, Maryland, you did happen to miss out on some of the new innovative gear that is to be released in the coming months. But not to worry, we’re here to fill you in on one of the newest tree climbing gear releases, which happens to be the Rope Runner VERTEC!

The Rope Runner Vertec is the third generation in the Runner family (CMI, Notch Pro, and Notch Vertec). This tree climbing device was a well-kept secret up until a few weeks prior to the Tree Care Industry Expo, when we received an email stating a new Rope Runner was available for pre-order and as you can only imagine the excitement I felt, which could be compared to that of a child on early Christmas morning as gazing upon presents under the Christmas tree!

I did receive a Rope Runner Vertec early in order to familiarize myself with the body of the climbing device and the functionality of it. Granted, I only had a few climbs on it when it was taken to the TCI Expo, but I had been able to play around with it enough to learn the do’s and don’ts. Now that the expo has since passed, I’ve been working with it quite extensively and have gained the experience necessary to comfortably give my honest review.

Vertec and Pro, what’s different?

Let’s take care of this right off rip! The body of the Rope Runner Vertec and the Rope Runner Pro still have the same profile, but the Vertec does have slightly thicker plates at certain points along the body. The spine on the Vertec is girthier and the spring controlling the bird must also be different, given that the bird springs back a bit quicker which makes for less “autopilot” mode; those that know, KNOW. Located at the friction body, the Rope Runner Pro has a pulley versus the Rope Runner Vertec, which now contains a bollard.

Onto the main differences that every Rope Runner fan will thoroughly appreciate; no more slic pins; nowhere on the Vertec will you find a slic pin! This removes the finger cutting and the tedious task of “ok, press once, then press again”. Instead, the new action to open the lever and the bird are double lock gate lock buttons; this was done to keep the device in compliance with needing dual actions to open the gate. The bottom bollard too requires double actions to open the gate, however it differs slightly in actions; it still has a single lock button, and the other action is a slide style button. Switching over to this also eliminates the possibility of dropping gear while aloft, where there is still a slight possibility of equipment coming apart on the Pro model.

Now, for the piece that will cause joy in your heart - no longer requiring a tool to adjust friction settings! Gone are the days of scrummaging through your tool box for that pesky Allen key and worrying if the bolt will strip out. There are seven different friction settings (two more than the Pro) allowing the user to find that “sweet spot” and giving the user an even wider selection of tree climbing ropes!

My Quick Review

At a glance, the Rope Runner Vertec’s glossy blue combined with the black spine and friction body is a very attractive, and eye-catching device. Holding both versions (Rope Runner Pro and Vertec) in hand; the Vertec feels slightly heavier (not by much), but it could be due to the robust look of the Vertec.

As previously mentioned, tool free friction adjustment is one of its best features and one I truly believe many tree climbers will enjoy, especially if you are like me and enjoy experimenting with new ropes. To adjust friction, the gate at the Bird must be open, leaving the friction bollard exposed. This specific bollard also requires two separate actions to adjust friction. I enjoy the friction bollard not coming loose during rope installation, but I am not too fond of the internal dial that must be rotated in order to pull the bollard that adjusts friction levels. The internal dial can prove to be a thorn in my side when wearing gloves. Side note: inside the internal dial, there is a screw – keep your eye on it! The screw will loosen over time, it has happened to me already.

As I climb with it, the side plates feel no different than that of the Rope Runner Pro, aside from the fact that the slic pins have been removed and replaced with dual button locks on the gate. This is by far my favorite feature! Don’t get it twisted, I still enjoy climbing on my Rope Runner Pro, but it has given me my fair share of cuts along my finger due to the slic pin rotating as the rope travels through the Bird.

With the slic pins out of the equation, rope installation is quick and effortless! What I’ve found to work best; open all the gates, align and capture the rope with the Bottom Bollard, followed by the Lever, and finally ending with the Bird. By doing it this way, it allows for both the gates at the friction body to be closed simultaneously and thus speeding up the installation portion.

The Bird on the Rope Runner Vertec does contain a feature that gives the user a better descent experience, a built in 4SRT Bird Flap! For those that aren’t aware of what a Bird Flap is, the original design of the CMI Rope Runner had rough edges which made collapsing the Bird a somewhat uncomfortable feel. So, at the time, 4SRT designed a small plate (Bird Flap) that would attach to the Bird and give the user a comfortable descending experience.

As I attempted to jump from one limb to another, I experienced added friction unlike the Pro model, which led me to come down and further observe the unit. I had failed to compare the pulley attachment of the Pro to that of the Vertec and to my dismay, it was a tad shorter in length. Quickly, I attributed the added friction to the shorter length of the fixed bollard as the rope is pressed harder onto the friction body. However, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, and I’ll explain why; more friction at the body provides a smoother release at the Bird. Whereas the Rope Runner Pro, if weighted heavily, the user would experience a jolt upon releasing the Bird.

I did come to find an “inconsistency”, if you will, with this device – slack tending. The Rope Runner Vertec seems to favor ropes of 11mm – 11.7mm, anything over that and you might find unwanted resistance during slack tending. This is due to the shorter length of the bottom bollard, and the friction body being about 1/8 of an inch longer. The findings came after pairing the device with an 11.9mm rope. As I walked back from a limb, I had generated the smallest amount of slack and as I tended, I noticed it became rather difficult to slack tend. Again, I repelled to the ground and looked closer; the carabiner at the attachment point was colliding with the bump of the friction body, and would prevent the attachment point to flow easily, thus pressing the rope even harder to the body. However, I did experiment with an 11.5mm Yale Blue 32 and an 11.7mm rope, and voilà, no more inconsistencies!

Overall, the Rope Runner Vertec is a solid mechanical tree climbing device that allows the user to climb in both MRS or SRS (SRT). I do enjoy climbing with it enough where I can overlook the slack tending inconsistency, and I’ll just pair a smaller diameter rope with it.