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Guitar chord forum - chordie → Chordie's Chat Corner → Afraid of heights?
I thought this video was pretty cool. First hand look at climbing a 1,700' tower.
I've jumped out of airplanes from 3,000 to 5,000'. I used to work daily and comfortably on a scissors lift at 30'+. I've been in a crane basket aiming lights on a ball field at 120' - NO WAY I could climb a tower like this.
http://www.liveleak.com/mp53/player.swf … %26embed=1
That is totally nuts! there aint enough money in the world to make me climb 50 feet let alone 1700 these guys really earn there pay,I wondered why they dont just drop the tool kit and parachute back down? 
I don't care how high I go ........as long as I can keep one foot on the ground.
My freshman year college room-mate dropped out of college to figure out how he wanted to spend the rest of his life. He was completely fearless of heights and could climb anything - including the tile walls of the mens room! I think he must have had suction cups on his hands. Anyway, after a while he got into climbing those towers to affix antenna to them. He kept trying to come back to college, but every time he tried, they offered him another $5/hour to stay, and so he did. He did eventually make it back to college and earned not only a bachelors, but a dual masters in engineering and biochemistry. Smart dude. Still, he climbed those towers daily, carrying an antenna and a tool bag. More power to him. I'd be looking at Dirty Ed thinking he's getting just a little too high up.
Took a parachute rigging course in the Marine Corps. At the end of the course we all had to pack three parachutes. Our instructor picked the worst looking chute of the three and had us jump with it.
It seemed strange jumping out of a perfectly good airplane but once the chute opened, the rest of the ride down was enjoyable.
toots
I'm with you Ed! Many years ago loved heights but not now. Last height adventure was in a hot air
balloon ride in Oregon. BTW--glad to see you are doing well Russell, and semper fi to Toots as
I also can relate although they didn't make me jump from a perfectly good airplane. Mike
I wonder what's going through the mind of the fellow that's climbing below him.
Thanks for the link
First job I had out of the Navy was putting cell receivers up on towers in the San Diego area. I never climbed anything remotely like that, though. That's nuts!
Great vid! I'd be fine as long as I was surrounded by some structure but when he get's out in the open.... That's more than I could do I'd feel sorry for guy under me 
There are so many things wrong with that guys job!
First of all, nothing that high should ever be designed with anything on top of it that needs repair. Second, he should be issued NASA designed spiderman gloves for climbing and a small parachute. Third, wouldn't a backpack of tools work better than a 30 pond bag swinging below you? Fourth, at the top, "The Tricky Part" as it was called, when he went top unscrew his carabiner, he nonchalantly puts the back of his hand against the pole to steady himself. Fifth, what happens if he drops a tool? Sixth, what in the world is the hardhat for? Can that seriously be an OSHA regulation for that job?
That's what I got out of it. Nerves of steel have to be listed in that job description somewhere. I wonder how many people actually do that job. I think I'll withhold my resume on the grounds that I'm not crazy enough to WANT to do something like that.
WOW!!!!
Sixth, what in the world is the hardhat for? Can that seriously be an OSHA regulation for that job?
He should be glad that the FAA doesn't make him tape a beacon to the hard-hat.
That's just insane.
I have always had a healthy...respect for heights. I get vertigo in certain situations. One thing I was always able to do was climb ladders and, beleive it or not, rock climb. I think it was the three points of contact and the rope/harness thingy that made it easy for me. It was just at the top when I was off the ladder or off-rope, near the edge, that was hard for me.
About eight years ago ladders changed for me. I was at work and our Division Chief (Fire Department) decided we need lights at our station. It was a two-man station so it was me and the Captain doing it. Our ladders have butt spurs not rubber pads on the "feet" or butt of the ladder. The spurs are metal and do not grip well on concrete, blacktop, etc... thus we foot the ladder when we go up one.
As the firefighter I was on the ladder and my Captain was footing it....Until he walked away (!!!!!!!) as I was climbing it. I got to the peak of the roof ( about 15' up) and the ladder started to slide backwards from the bottom. I tried to scramble up onto the roof but no go. I was going for a ride...whoopeee. I spread my feet on the rung until each foot was at a rail and decided that as the ladder was just about to hit I would stand up and flex my knees in hopes to lessen the impact.
Time truly does slow down in situations such as this. I had time to think of all the patients I had run on that fell from lesser hieghts and had to go to trauma centers. I thought about how two fractured ankles would feel. I thought about the effects of a serious head injury and how much stupider I would be. I thought that I would, at that moment, love to have my hands wrapped, unlovingly and rather firmly, around my Captain's throat. All that and more in about two seconds.
Just before the ladder hit I stood up and flexed. I twisted an ankle upon impact and fell on my behind. I jumped up and my first thoughts were: " I hope no one saw me looking stupid..." No one did. I found out that I yelled a not so nice word as I fell as the Captain came running out. I picke dup the ladder, brought it into the bay abnd threw it to the back of the bay,( I could not replicate that feat even now if I tried.) I told the Captain that Xmas lights were not on the schedule until I was safe at home.
I have issues on ladders now...Could not fathom climbing that tower.
I too don't like heights! Fell off a balcony as a child.... but took up rock climbing as a young adult. We climbed just about every pitch in Joshua Tree National Monument.
BUT I wouldn't do that job for any wage! A base jumping chute should be a part of the safety harness. If it was a rock climbing exercise, the guy below would be locked on and handling your belay, so if you took a peel you would only fall a reasonable distance.
Doug
My 5 year old was thinking the same thing I was... darn, he's gotta be tired by the time he gets to the top... how does he climb alllll the way back down!
crazy!
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