[Towertalk] The case for a static line

[Barry Kirkwood]

The more I read on this, the better the case seems to be for having a =
fixed line up and down the tower while working at heights.
This is what arborists I have observed do as standard practice.
>From some comments received there seems to be a misunderstanding: No, I =
do not make my way up the rope with ascenders, as rock climbers might do =
when tackling an overhang, and no, I do not descend by abseiling down =
the rope.
Like this:
I wear a standard industrial harness with a fall arrest D at my back =
between my shoulders and two positioning Ds at hip level.
I first climb the tower using the two cow tail technique (use a variant =
of this when climbing trees), then attach a line to the top of the  =
tower.
This line is D12.5mm dynamic climbing rope.=20
On the line runs a Pelz ascender. A sort of ratchet which can be slid up =
the rope by one hand, but jams tight if a downward load is put on it.
Between the fall arrest D and the Ascender I attach a kevlar lanyard.
This has no stretch.
The nice feature is that the fixed line is stretchy, so if one falls one =
does a nice soft stop. Have tried it close to the ground and it works, =
and have seen movies of rock climbers being arrested from long free =
falls using similar equipment with no apparent harm.
With this system one is always hooked on and one does not have to do =
sequential clipping and unclipping when moving up and down the tower.=20
I climb up and down using the tower itself like a ladder.
Like some other commentators I have moved away from heavy industrial =
weight positioning lanyards.
The less weight on has to carry up the tower the less tired you get.
Also support comments about superiority of figure 8s over bowlines.
One can learn a lot from modern rock climbing techniques.
Also: always wear a hard hat.=20
Apart from the obvious risk from things dropping from above, beam booms =
may not be where you remembered them to be. I gave myself a mighty crack =
on my hard hat coming up under my boom one day. Would have almost =
certainly have been stunned without the hat.
Also endorse the use of small gear bags, seem better than tool belts in =
many respects.
73 and have a great festive season,
Barry

end
Barry Kirkwood PhD ZL1DD
Signal Hill Homestay
66 Cory Road
Palm Beach
Waiheke Island 1240
NEW ZEALAND
ph/fax 64-9-372-5161
www.waiheke.co.nz/signal.htm

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