[TowerTalk] Climbing

Tue Sep 30 09:50:48 EDT 2014

I used to climb when I was younger.  I have decided after reading all this,that if I ever decided to go full tower and could afford it, it
will be a tiltover :)   Cheers.

Scotty W7PSK

On Monday, September 29, 2014 11:48 PM, Roger (K8RI) on TT <K8RI-on-TowerTalk at tm.net> wrote:

On 9/29/2014 11:10 PM, Jim Thomson wrote:

Jim makes some excellence points:

The point to remember is that at best, "Climbing is dangerous". That 
many, or most of us have climbed for years without injury does not make 
it safe.

Safety gear can not protect a climber from injury from every possible 
mistake. The primary goal of fall arrest gear is to save your life 
and/or minimize injury, not to completely eliminate injury!

If a climber falls, even wearing the best of available equipment, they 
are likely to get injured. "Fall arrest still brings you to an abrupt 
stop that is going to hurt even if you don't hit the tower with body 
parts., or take a bite out of a cross brace removing a few teeth in the 
process. Unlike many with the views of fall arrest, the fall to the end 
usually still offers very little time to react. It does slow the fall, 
but by how much varies and there may be very little time to react.

Falling backwards can cause serious injury. Depending on the anchor 
point and muscle development it might break a climber's back, although 
I'd personally think a broken neck would be more likely.

Never, ever think all that gear is going to keep you from getting hurt. 
It may, but if it does, that's pure luck. Plan for the worst and hope 
for the best.

New climbers! NEVER FORGET "Tower climbing is one of the most dangerous 
jobs around. Before you start, you need to be in good physical shape. 
Like illness, a body in good physical shape and good health, resists 
injury better than an out of shape, unhealthy body and recovers much 
faster. Weight training, even toning is a good idea. Moreso for the week 
end climber than the guy who spends hours a day "up there". I was riding 
bike @ 20 MPH for 10 miles when over 60 and 2 years AFTER having a heart 
attack.. Over weight means you should reconsider climbing or at least 
use caution.

Never climb alone. Always have a "Go-Fer" on the ground. Preferably one 
who can climb. It's tempting to make a short climb, but many unexpected 
things can happen. Strokes and heart attacks do not always give 
warnings. I've had both and I exercised regularly and tried to watch 
what I eat. Turns out I have A-Fib caused by a "slightly" enlarged 
Atrial chamber So slight it was not recognized for several years. Two 
strokes and a heart attack with no warning symptoms.

After the first stroke my arteries were clean. 3 or 4 years later the 
main artery that feeds the heart muscle was over 98% blocked. (They call 
that the widow maker) Why the rapid change? Who knows? It turns out I'm 
allergic to Statins (anti cholesterol drugs) A reaction to them is 
painful and that's putting it mildly.

The point is, no matter how good you feel and how good a shape you are 
in, you never know what will happen from moment to moment.

For those getting ready to climb while still young and immortal, resist 
the urge and seek instruction.

Like flying, climbing is very unforgiving of mistakes.

73

Roger (K8RI)

> Date: Mon, 29 Sep 2014 10:45:55 -0400
> From: "Wilson" <infomet at embarqmail.com>
> To: "towertalk" <towertalk at contesting.com>
> Subject: [TowerTalk] Climbing
>
> Isn?t this topic about done?
>
> But a new question:  I?ve never climbed much and never used a harness at all, but I have one now and will use it.
> But isn?t the dorsal attachment of the fall arrest lanyard asking for trouble?
> It seems to me that the usual lanyards are too long and that with the dorsal attachment they are very likely to snap tight and slam one?s face into the tower when the big stop occurs at the end of the fall?
> It looks like a ventral attachment would be much less likely to produce secondary pain/injury, especially if one wore a helmet?
>
> Really, our towers and high work are pretty benign, as far as stress and danger go.  The Russian kid did fine, but they weren?t even under sail!
> For perspective, ask how many of us could survive this:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUhKBZb7A7c\
> And for some instructive detail and depth, this is worth some time:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7Q_SfMvSMw
> OSHA would have put the sailing ships out of business, if their economics had not!
>
> If I ever have a tall tower, it will have the safety cable system, which I think is far superior to all that hooking and unhooking!
> But I?m likely too old and lazy...
>
> 73,
> Wilson
> W4BOH
>
> ##  yes, you will get  your face and body slammed into the tower.   What freaks me out are those corner climbing steel pegs you see on bigger towers.
> You fall..and you get slammed into the tower....and a steel peg could easily end up in your face or eye..or both.
>
> ## No excuse for not installing the ..375 inch 7 strand ehs  galvanized steel cable from top to bottom of any tower.  Piece of cake to install.
> Just like a guy wire hanging down the side of a tower.  Use several cable clamps or 2-3  nicropress crimps  or  a pre-form dead end to terminate
> the .275 inch cable.  usual deal is to use  the usual huge shackle or 1 inch bolt  at the top.... or 2 for redundancy.  I have yet to see any of those safety cable assy’s
> made from SS.    Then a simple turnbuckle and spring at the base to keep a bit of tension on the .375 inch cable.
>
> ## That simple safety cable system can easily be installed  on any tower, guyed or freestanding.... and even a rotating  tower.    The problem is when
> tic rings are used.  Even then the safety cable can be installed  between tic rings....starting and stopping at each ring.   2 lanyards used  to get over the ring,
> then use the safety device to lock back into the next  .375 inch safety cable.
>
> ## Our local pro installer has used both the safety cable system and also the  Trylon safety rail system on  various commercial towers. He tells me he like
> the tylon rail system better.  The rail system is also used on stuff like concrete water towers etc, etc.
>
> ##  The cost of a simple safety cable system is peanuts.   You wont shear a 1 inch bolt any time soon, nor a .375 inch cable.    1 inch bolts are rated at
> 20 k pounds...and ,375 inch cable is rated at 15,400 lbs.
>
> ##   You don’t want to be on top of a trylon tower or any other tower that uses angle steel for diagonal bracing..... in the rain.   They are like greased lightning,
> and extremely dangerous.
>
> ##  You don’t want to be up a tower when u get stung in the face or hands.... or cut urself, or get ur fingers pinched, smacked by a piece of steel, or boom, etc.
> Ever install a 120 lb tic ring..in pieces... no fun.
>
> ## Commercial towers around here all use safety cables.... so should you.  WCB makes em install em.... no free climbing allowed.  Huge  fines, folks terminated,
> etc.   Now if hams want to cheap out..go for it.  One piece of .375 inch  ehs cable  running up the side of a tower cost dick.   The device used to slide up and down the
> cable is a few bucks..who cares.
>
> ##  The easiest way to get hams to install the safety cable is simple.  I wont climb up a fellow hams tower  without one.   Get the safety cable installed..or get somebody else to
> climb the tower.
>
> end of story............... Jim   VE7RF
>
>
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>
>
>
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-- 

73

Roger (K8RI)

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