Patent ID: 7789812

Claim:
A rope climbing apparatus comprising: a frame; a seat supported by said frame and adapted to move relative to said frame from a first position to an elevated second position; a lower pulley assembly connected to said seat; an upper pulley assembly connected to said frame; a rope extending between said lower pulley assembly and said upper pulley assembly and having a rope climbing portion graspable by a user when said user is seated on said seat; said rope, said seat, said lower pulley assembly and said upper pulley assembly configured and arranged such that a downward force on said rope climbing portion of said rope causes an upward force on said seat; a seat decent control configured and arranged to control a rate of decent of said seat from said second elevated position to said first position; said seat control comprising a tube housing a piston, said piston movable within said tube between a first position and an elevated second position, and a control rope connected to said movable piston at a first end and extending from said first end down and under a control pulley connected to said seat and connecting to said frame at a second end; said control pulley, said tube, said piston and said control rope configured and arranged such that said piston moves from said first position to said elevated second position when said seat moves from said elevated second position to said first position, whereby resistance to said piston moving within said tube from said first position to said elevated second position limits said rate of descent of said seat from said second elevated position to said first position.