Mast-climbers: take 8 mins to watch something that'll put your task in perspective...

[Greenheart]

I've no head for heights, so the armrests of my chair will forever bear the imprints of my tension while watching this.

If you have work to do at your masthead, most likely you'll be clipped on; these guys 'freeclimb'...and it's a long way down!

 

[prv]

Saw that a couple of years ago

http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?256928-Ever-been-scared-climbing-the-mast

Pete

 

[Rossynant]

The highest ever radio mast was time ago in Poland, in Gąbin. Record holder until Dubai tower erected lately. Just imagine the climb...
Actually there was a lift to get up. Still took half an hour to get there. But sometimes they did climb up.
It fell down when they made some error while replacing supporting wires. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped..._radio_mast1.png/1024px-Gabin_radio_mast1.png
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warsaw_radio_mast

 

[TQA]

Spare a thought for Jeanne Socrates who has just had her roller furling jam and is facing climbing her mast by herself.

BTW she is 102 days into a single handed circumnavigation sans engine AND she is 70 years old. Respect!

 

[single]

I could do the inside bit but no way the last freeclimb bit! Wouldn't fancy a shock up there are anything going wrong.
Why is his mates face blurred out?

 

[Zen Zero]

Going up's ok for me. It's coming back down again ... !

 

[Scotty_Tradewind]

It made my 'sphericals' rise just watching it!

 

[capnsensible]

When I see that clip I always wonder about possible conversations at the top.

'Pass us the 10 mil spanner, mate'

'Thought you had it, oh, must be in the back of the, er, truck........'

 

[BAtoo]

+1

No way could I even contemplate that.

 

[dancingsolo]

there is not enough money in the world to make me do that

 

[Rowana]

Never been that high, but I don't think it would bother me too much.

When I started offshore in 1975, the cranes all had floodlights along the jib. There were only 2 of us who would ever climb out to change the bulbs. Once a year we had to go up the flare stack during a shutdown to do the maintenance. Vertical ladder all the way.

Luckily, I'm not bothered with heights.

 

[Greenheart]

I'm sorry, I hadn't realised the film had been seen here before I joined.

I always think of how physically easy the climbing involved, is...if those same little steel steps took you from your patio to your conservatory roof for gutter-clearing, it wouldn't justify a moment's thought. And likewise, it's no deadlier hundreds of feet up, than thirty or forty might be for a domestic window cleaner...

...we're apt to lose focus on the near-at-hand, exactly when it's most important not to! Hence people freeze up, I suppose.