There is a very old toy which takes the shape of a monkey climbing a rope.
You pull repeatedly on the end of the rope and the monkey shins upwards.
Today’s invention uses this principle to allow mountain climbers or scaffolders a way to send each other tools, food, messages rapidly upwards over long vertical distances.
It would require climbers to let down a length of slack rope to which the ‘monkey’ (carrying some item) would be attached.