[eye30]

World record breaking tightrope walker Nik Wallenda wowed onlookers as he climbed 200ft for his latest stunt - without a safety harness.

The famed daredevil completed a high-wire walk over a busy road in his hometown in Florida.

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/nik-wallenda-daredevils-no-harness-stunt-010601643.html

[AlanHo]

I can't watch it - it would give me the colly wobbles.

50 years ago, as Maintenance Manager at a large aluminium works, I had to climb up a 50 metre steel chimney stack to approve a rather expensive repair to the steel capping on top of the stack which was breaking away due to corroded rivets. It was a vertical steel ladder with safety hoops.  It was a case of "don't look down" - just climb up for a quick shufty and get back down again as fast as possible because ladders were not my favourite thing.

I was unaware that Joe the steeplejack was following me up the ladder until I reached the top when he suddenly appeared, as he climbed over my shoulder outside the safety hoops, to stand on the top of the stack. The rim was about 30 cms wide and 2 metres diameter. He then proceeded to walk around the top of the stack - bending down as he went round to waggle the capping to demonstrate how loose it was. It was a breezy day - I was aware he had just got back from the pub - and his coat was blowing at an angle of 45° in the wind. I was totally terrified.

He then walked round to me and said OK Alan we can go down now and he waited for me to descend. But there was a problem - I was frozen stiff in fright and could not move. My hands were clamped around the top rung and I just could not move them.  He spent some time trying to calm me down - failed - so he climbed back over my shoulder on the outside of the safety hoops and got back on the ladder underneath me. Again he tried to cajole me to start to climb down - but again I was rigid with fear. To help he grabbed one of my ankles and tried to pull it down to the next rung. This definitely didn't help.  After a few minutes he told me to hang on while he went down for a safety harness - he didn't need to tell me to hang on believe me - my life at that point was dedicated to hanging on. After a few minutes he reappeared up the ladder and fitted me with a safety harness which he attached to a safety hoop to enable me to climb down a few rungs at a time whilst he moved the harness attachment from hoop to hoop.  It must have taken me about 20 minutes to get back to terra firma.

That experience has left me with a fear of ladders. Also, to watch someone risk their lives at height - like in this video - is a total no-no for me.

[eye30]

I used to like watching the Fred Dibnah series.

He liked a few pints at lunchtime before going up the ladders. 
No harness, no hoops etc.



With today's H&S he would never be allowed near a ladder after even a sip of beer.

[Dazzler]

Thanks Lester ..

Fascinating stuff.. Never seen or heard of him before 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Dibnah

[Phil №❶]

I can't watch it - it would give me the colly wobbles.

50 years ago, as Maintenance Manager at a large aluminium works, I had to climb up a 50 metre steel chimney stack to approve a rather expensive repair to the steel capping on top of the stack which was breaking away due to corroded rivets. It was a vertical steel ladder with safety hoops.  It was a case of "don't look down" - just climb up for a quick shufty and get back down again as fast as possible because ladders were not my favourite thing.

I was unaware that Joe the steeplejack was following me up the ladder until I reached the top when he suddenly appeared, as he climbed over my shoulder outside the safety hoops, to stand on the top of the stack. The rim was about 30 cms wide and 2 metres diameter. He then proceeded to walk around the top of the stack - bending down as he went round to waggle the capping to demonstrate how loose it was. It was a breezy day - I was aware he had just got back from the pub - and his coat was blowing at an angle of 45° in the wind. I was totally terrified.

He then walked round to me and said OK Alan we can go down now and he waited for me to descend. But there was a problem - I was frozen stiff in fright and could not move. My hands were clamped around the top rung and I just could not move them.  He spent some time trying to calm me down - failed - so he climbed back over my shoulder on the outside of the safety hoops and got back on the ladder underneath me. Again he tried to cajole me to start to climb down - but again I was rigid with fear. To help he grabbed one of my ankles and tried to pull it down to the next rung. This definitely didn't help.  After a few minutes he told me to hang on while he went down for a safety harness - he didn't need to tell me to hang on believe me - my life at that point was dedicated to hanging on. After a few minutes he reappeared up the ladder and fitted me with a safety harness which he attached to a safety hoop to enable me to climb down a few rungs at a time whilst he moved the harness attachment from hoop to hoop.  It must have taken me about 20 minutes to get back to terra firma.

That experience has left me with a fear of ladders. Also, to watch someone risk their lives at height - like in this video - is a total no-no for me.

I sympathise with you Alan, I've done loops, spins & rolls with a mate in planes, but no good with things connected to the ground. There's a show on TV where a guy does various dangerous occupations for a day. The 1st show was building and topping a 2063 foot TV tower somewhere in USA, new bits were ferried up by helicopter. Gave me vertigo just watching it, but I couldn't look away.

I can tell you, NOTHING would have got me up that ladder you climbed.

Thanks for sharing that personal experience 

Don't watch this if you can't stand heights.

[Dazzler]

I completely missed your post Alan.. I am normally good with heights provided the ladder or whatever I am on feels rock solid BUT sometimes my knee plays up and that happened once when I was near the top of a high ladder and I did panic for a while about getting back down  (obviously I made it eventually)

Trish had to coax me down with food (well not really but it makes a good story) 

[Doggie 1]

Reading and watching all this stuff makes me feel like I'm going to fall off my office chair.   
Do you remember this photo of the workers who were building New York's skyscrapers, sitting having lunch with no safety harnesses etc?
They lost a few workers apparently during the builds.

[Dazzler]

Wow.. That's an awesome photo thanks Dave 

[Doggie 1]

Work was so scare that men would line up for hours hoping to get a job so they were prepared to do anything to put food on the table.
Great H & S though. 

[2i30s]

Reading and watching all this stuff makes me feel like I'm going to fall off my office chair.   
Do you remember this photo of the workers who were building New York's skyscrapers, sitting having lunch with no safety harnesses etc?
They lost a few workers apparently during the builds.

i recently went for my working at heights ticket and that pic was in the entry area of the training centre. 

[Doggie 1]

Makes me nervous just looking at it.