Yes, I have ascended this way as well as long as your feet can get contact with the wall.
Catching is easier than lowering as it is a lock-off in the devices highest friction geometry.
Lowering has less mechanical advantage and modulating a high force is harder than a low one.
Same as abseiling, there is no way I can go down by sliding my hand on the brake rope, it just burns, I go hand over hand.
Locking off is easy though. |