SEE PHOTOS OF ARIZONA VORTEX: STANDARD SETUP - PAGE #1 or ADVANCED SETUP - PAGE #2

Designed by Reed Thorne of Ropes That Rescue and Rock Thompson of Rock Exotica

Read History of ARIZONA VORTEX Development

ARIZONA VORTEX
Version 2.0 through Version 2.6

WHAT IS THE ARIZONA VORTEX?

The ARIZONA VORTEX (or AZV) is so named from its development in the rugged highlands of northern Arizona’s Oak Creek Canyon through the rigging and rescue school, Ropes That Rescue. Reed Thorne, the school’s owner developed the AZV with the help of Rock Thompson at Rock Exotica, in Utah. The AZV was created from years of trial and error and of having worked with crude but functional lashed wood frames at RTR. It represents the essence of at-the-edge frames which no standard tripod can match today.

The ARIZONA VORTEX is manufactured from T-6 aluminum by Thompson Manufacturing Inc. (Rock Exotica) in Clearfield, Utah and is one of the most versatile and state of the art artificial high directional (AHD) available to rescue and rope access in industry. With training from Ropes That Rescue (the "Arizona" designer), you may use this frame in a variety of ways and in any number of environments from industry to wilderness. It is ideal for confined space rescue, mine rescue, cliff rescue and industrial rescue. It is also well suited to bridge inspectors, rope access, the construction trades and the movie industry.

SEE PHOTOS OF ARIZONA VORTEX: (all photos are copyrighted)

STANDARD SETUP OF THE AZV - PAGE #1

ADVANCED SETUP OF THE AZV - PAGE #2

To view MANY MORE PHOTOS of the ARIZONA VORTEX in Ropes That Rescue workshops arouind the world, go to our CAMERA SPOTLIGHT and TRAINING VENUES. Click on each venue.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON:

PURCHASING THE AZV AND ASSESSORIES FROM RTR
RTR OPEN ENROLLMENT TRAINING ON THE AZV
RTR COMING TO YOUR LOCATION AND TRAINING YOUR AGENCY, PLEASE CONTACT US HERE

THE ARIZONA VORTEX

ARIZONA VORTEX

Photo by Rock Exotica
ARIZONA VORTEX

Photo by Rock Exotica
CMC Rescue full Arizona Vortex Kit
CMC Rescue full Arizona Vortex Kit:
1. Head assembly (Blue A frame joiner & orange gin pole head)
2. 4 ea. 1/2" head quick pins
3. 1 extra 1.5" pulley sheave for head
4. 7 ea. outer legs (grey powder coated)
5. 3 ea. inner legs (silver anodeized)
6. 11 ea. 3/8" quick pins (for legs and feet)
7. 3 ea. Raptor Feet
8. 3 ea. Omni Feet
9. 4 ea. leg bags
10. 2 ea. foot pouches (3 Raptor and 3 Omni)
11. 1 head bag
12. 1 pin bag
Military/Police

Arizona Vortex "Stealth" version anodized black version available from CMC Rescue and Rock Exotica.
OMNI Foot
Raptor Foot
Standard Arizona Vortex Kit

STANDARD KIT: 1 orange gin pole head, 1 blue A frame joiner (both form the head), 3 inner legs (adjustable-anodized silver), 7 outer legs (grey), 4 1/2" pins for head, 11 3/8" pins for legs and feet, one 1.5" sheave for head, 3 Raptor feet, 3 Omni feet. Bag set and instruction manual. Hobble straps (3) are avaialble with CMC kit only. Shoulder carry pack style bags available from CMC only.
Rock Exotica Bag Set

Complete Arizona Vortex bag set from Rock Exotica: 3 outer leg bags (grey), 1 inner leg bag (blck), 1 foot bag (for both the 3 Raptor feet and the 3 Omni Feet) and the Head bag (with pin bag). Photos from Rock Exotica. No shoulder carry (pack style) for these bags is available.
CMC Rescue AZV Leg Bags

CMC Rescue leg bags are all the same, unlike the Rock Exotica Bags which have a seaprate shorter bag (black) for the AZV inner legs. All CMC bags can accomodate the Sedona Shoulder Harness as well.
CMC Rescue "Sedona Shoulder Harness"

Turn your Arizona Vortex leg bags from CMC Rescue into back packs for the long carry into the wilderness! "Sedona Shoulder Harness" sold separately for CMC Rescue AZ Vortex leg bags.

Note: Not available from Rock Exotica at this time.
CMC Rescue "Sedona Shoulder Harness"

Turn your Arizona Vortex leg bags from CMC Rescue into back packs for the long carry into the wilderness! "Sedona Shoulder Harness" sold separately for CMC Rescue AZ Vortex leg bags.

Note: Not available from Rock Exotica at this time.
CMC Rescue

The CMC Sedona Shoulder Harness quickly attaches to the leg bags with heavy duty Velcro double back flaps which will inure you can carry the heaviest loads without worry.
CMC Rescue AZV Head Bag - Front

This Arizona Vortex CMC Rescue head bag has a carry handle or a shoulder back pack system.

Note: Not available on Rock Exotica head bag at this time.
CMC Rescue AZV Head Bag - Rear

This Arizona Vortex CMC Rescue head bag has a carry handle or a shoulder back pack system.

Note: Not available on Rock Exotica head bag at this time.
CMC Rescue AZV Head Bag - Inside
CMC Rescue AZV Hobble Straps - Omni Foot

Special Arizona Vortex leg hobble straps made by CMC from hardened steel and special material for strength. These are not your typical hardware tie down straps! The hooks simply hook around the small part above the ball socket in the Omni Foot.

Note: Not available from Rock Exotica at this time.
CMC Rescue AZV Hobble Straps - Raptor Foot

Special Arizona Vortex leg hobble straps made by CMC from hardened steel and special material for strength. These are not your typical hardware tie down straps! The hooks simply hook into the holes of the Raptor Foot on each leg.

Note: Not available from Rock Exotica at this time.
Arizona Vortex Head Sheave

This extra 1.5" diameter rope sheave will fit onto the 1/2" pins in the Arizona Vortex blue A frame joiner to reduce the gain of a pulley. One of these comes included with each AZV kit.
CMC Rescue AZV Foot Bags

Each set of 3 Raptor Feet and 3 Omni Feet have their own long carry pouch. This poiych has a loop so it can be hung up. The 2 pouches fit inside the leg bags of your choice.

Note: Rock Exotica does not have this foot pouch system available at this time.
Get QUOTE for AZV!

Get Quote for Arizona Vortex from Ropes That Rescue with training! Click HERE
Rock Exotica AZORP (Blue outer)
AZORP (Orange inner)
Rock Exotica AZORP (Top view)
Rock Exotica AZORP (Side view)
CMC Rescue AZORP with Carry Sack

Available with CMC Rescue AZORP Only
CMC Rescue AZORP (blue outer)
CMC Rescue AZORP (orange inner)
CMC Rescue AZORP 1
CMC Rescue AZORP 2
AZ Vortex Leg Bumper Mount

AZ Vortex Leg Bumper Mount made by Skyhook® only. See use at "Capstan Winch Stands"
AZ Vortex Leg Bumper Mount

AZ Vortex Leg Bumper Mount made by Skyhook® only. See use at "Capstan Winch Stands"
Get QUOTE for AZV!

Get Quote for Arizona Vortex from Ropes That Rescue with training! Click HERE
Get QUOTE for AZV!

Get Quote for Arizona Vortex from Ropes That Rescue with training! Click HERE

Historical development of ARIZONA VORTEX

Phelps Dodge Morenci

The general concept of the ARIZONA VORTEX was developed in the desert-alpine mountains of northern Arizona from expertise gained during the improvised rigging of wood timber frame "artificial" high directionals constructed for vertical rescue work (see right). This initial work was accomplished during Ropes That Rescue seminars since the late 80's under the direction of Reed Thorne. The first metal AZV prototype design was an "easel-style A frame" welded together from heavy steel square tubing and plate at the Arizona Phelps Dodge Morenci copper mine fab shop in a 1996 RTR mine rescue program from plans scribbled out on a pizza restaurant table napkin. Needless to say, it was very heavy and cumbersome to deal with, but the concept was there.

Left: AZV prototype #2 being demonstrated during the TSRW (Team Skills Rescue Workshop) at Harpers Ferry, WV at Maryland Heights in 1998.
Upper right: Improvised timber frame SA Frame at Phelps Dodge Morenci copper mine in southern Arizona. Click on photos to enlarge. Lower right: Wren Industries AZV v.1.0 being used by LA County Fire during highline at costal beach. Photo courtesy Mike Layhee, LACFD

It was soon thereafter that an aluminum model (prototype #2, see left) was manufactured by Wren Industries from more elaborate plans drawn by Thorne. This lightweight prototypes was tested in four 7 day Ropes That Rescue rigging seminars before the third prototype (AZV v.1.0) was made by Wren. In this design, all legs would fit together by welded couplings without any telescoping capability. In v.1.0, all adjustment in the final height and positioning of the AZV head was done by extending the legs past the head. Problems occurred with this v.1.0 non-telescoping design because many times in confined locations, particularly in industry, these legs were unable to be positioned. A new foot design, dubbed the "Raptor" because of it's shape, was developed for v.1.0 to help direct downward forces in soft soil like that which would be common in a mine or wilderness area. Version 1.0 has been used in several RTR open & contract seminars around the world. It is through the practical use of AZV v.1.0 during these seminars that much needed knowledge regarding improvements to design were ultimately had. This knowledge has lead to the improvements found in AZV v.2.0.