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 kjohnnytarr
  
Location: Columbia, Missouri
Gender: Male
Team Asbestos: CoMO
 |  |  | Crane climbing set up
< on 3/11/2007 9:06 PM >
|  | | | If you were going to climb a crane, by yourself, and you wanted to have a way to harness yourself in for safety and for resting, how would you set up your protection?
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Here's the gear available to me:
Petzl Corax harness
12 quickdraws:
3 Slings:
3 Black Diamond locking carabiners
1 Petzl Reverso belay/rappel device:
And any sort of dynamic or static rope that I want to "borrow" from work.
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I'd rather not use the rope if I can help it, esp. since I figure that surely the workers must have a simple way to clip in when they climb it, and that probably can be done with just the slings and 'biners. If I do bring the rope, I'll probably only use it for the decent.
Keep in mind, this will probably be solo, so I'll have to work it without a belay. My belay device will not allow me to self-belay, so don't bring it up.
It seemed like a good idea at the time... |
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Timothy R. Pendergast
Location: Columbia, SC
Gender: Male
| | Re: Crane climbing set up
<Reply # 1 on 3/12/2007 12:06 AM >
| | | | I have a few ideas:
-#1 bring a friend, stupid!
-#2 a chest harness of some sort, because even if the crane is straight vertical, you'll swing like crazy if you fall, and I would want the added insurance if I went upside down.
-#3 more quickdraws (or just biners), if they do have hardpoints, I would want to be clipped in every 5-8' to minimize the fall distance
-#4 more slings, just in case they don't have hardpoints to clip into, you can improvise and pray.
In my personal rigging kit, which is just for personal use NOT RESCUE and occasional lowering/hauling, I have a 200' static rope, 16 locking biners, a rescue 8, a rigging plate that I never use, 4-15' anchor slings with d rings, a dozen or so assorted slings and runners, two or three rope protectors, a pair of expedition ascenders with the foot loop thingys, four pulleys that I stole from my last job, two pairs of Ringer's gloves, two nifty full body rescue harnesses that I got from some promo guy, my rigger belt, a cool little tactical rope bag thing, and then there's my escape kit which is 50' of static line, two biners and a short runner to go around a halligan bar or something.
Please don't be stupid. It might piss me off so much that I have a seizure or something. I hate stupid people. |
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Pravus
Location: Chicago Area
Gender: Male
Now the two key words for tonight - "caution" and "flammable"...
| |  | | Re: Crane climbing set up
<Reply # 2 on 3/12/2007 2:59 AM >
| | | | To lock off onto the crane while you are climbing to rest just loop the loops of webbing around multiple point and hook into them yourself, We used stuff like that and also a pelican hook (more or less like 2 feet of webbing with biners on either end and one LARGE biner in the center, the two on the sides went to the harness and the big one clipped onto the towers..)
Another thing you could to do in case you fall is more or less get two long quickdraws and replace one of the biners with an over sized biner on each one, then clip both the small biners to your harness and always have one of the large biners clipped to 'something' and if your resting clip them both to random things..
Lemme know if any of that made sense....
Also Bring a friend, if you go alone the rope will almost be dead weight, if you bring a friend at least if someone gets hurt you will be able to clip the hurt person to you and rappel down. If you bring the rope make sure it's enough to get from the highest point to the ground with rope to spare..
Live to Serve, Serve to Live.. |
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kjohnnytarr
Location: Columbia, Missouri
Gender: Male
Team Asbestos: CoMO
| | | Re: Crane climbing set up
<Reply # 3 on 3/12/2007 3:24 AM >
| | | | Posted by Pravus
To lock off onto the crane while you are climbing to rest just loop the loops of webbing around multiple point and hook into them yourself, We used stuff like that and also a pelican hook (more or less like 2 feet of webbing with biners on either end and one LARGE biner in the center, the two on the sides went to the harness and the big one clipped onto the towers..)
Another thing you could to do in case you fall is more or less get two long quickdraws and replace one of the biners with an over sized biner on each one, then clip both the small biners to your harness and always have one of the large biners clipped to 'something' and if your resting clip them both to random things..
Lemme know if any of that made sense....
Also Bring a friend, if you go alone the rope will almost be dead weight, if you bring a friend at least if someone gets hurt you will be able to clip the hurt person to you and rappel down. If you bring the rope make sure it's enough to get from the highest point to the ground with rope to spare..
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Are the tools you're talking about making anything similar to this?
Because that would be easy to make, and also fairly easy to use even if I'm by myself (which, despite conventional wisdom, I may be)
Also, if I rappel, my rope will almost certainly be short, since it will have to be doubled. I figure I'll knot the ends, rappel as far as I can, then sling myself into an anchor while I reset the rope. That should be simple, it's the ascending, especially solo, that I need to plan more.
It seemed like a good idea at the time... |
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Timothy R. Pendergast
Location: Columbia, SC
Gender: Male
| | Re: Crane climbing set up
<Reply # 4 on 3/12/2007 4:15 AM >
| | | | Do cranes even have hardpoints of some sort to hook into? I don't think they're really designed to have a provision for climbing.
Please don't be stupid. It might piss me off so much that I have a seizure or something. I hate stupid people. |
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dsankt
 
Location: live and in the fresh
| | |  | Re: Crane climbing set up
<Reply # 5 on 3/12/2007 4:28 AM >
| | | | Posted by wilkinshire
Do cranes even have hardpoints of some sort to hook into? I don't think they're really designed to have a provision for climbing.
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How do you expect the crane driver gets to the control box to operate the crane?
sleepycity.net: watch out for the third rail baby, that shit is high voltage. urbex and urban exploration photography |
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screamingwatts
| | Re: Crane climbing set up
<Reply # 6 on 3/12/2007 5:50 AM >
| | | | when i'm climbin cranes (which will actually be my next "mission") i use an industrial/rescue fall protection harness, pretty much exactly the same is this one: http://www.myshopk.../ER-EAGLETOWER.jpg
and a shock lanyard for connecting to the beams, etc :
http://www.snughar..._image.php/pID/630
I really need to get a heavy industrial carbiner or something to lock onto the ladder rungs though...
sometimes its also good to have some extra stuff to tie down your camera with...it can get windy up there.
[last edit 3/12/2007 5:57 AM by screamingwatts - edited 1 times]
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Pravus
Location: Chicago Area
Gender: Male
Now the two key words for tonight - "caution" and "flammable"...
| | | | Re: Crane climbing set up
<Reply # 7 on 3/12/2007 6:03 AM >
| | | | the three point one I was talking about was close to this one the two small ones connect to the harness and the large one connects to whatever:
for positioning lanyards we used pretty much this exact thing, just hook it to yourself, wrap the lanyard around something then hook the other side to yourself:
As for the safety we used things sorta like this although they are 'really' made for full body harnesses to connect between your shoulder blades, but they will work on a normal harness in a pinch:
As for hardpoints to connect to, well thats everything and anything the hook fits on, or that you can wrap the lanyard around....
Most of this is what we used on the job, and we had full body harnesses that had seats on them, so the setup for a sport harness will likely be slightly different...
This is the harness I think my foreman had, I had a shittier one but same basic idea:
Live to Serve, Serve to Live.. |
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dsankt
Location: live and in the fresh
| | | | Re: Crane climbing set up
<Reply # 8 on 3/12/2007 4:33 PM >
| | | | I appreciate the safety of all the above, but don't you find that it slows you down too much? The first 4-5 stories of the crane are the most visible and need to be passed quickly if there are people around.
I've climbed a bunch of cranes (pics if anyone cares) and never found the need for safety equipment - except right near the top if there is external climbing to be done. In that case I can see their benefit, otherwise why lug all that extra weight that slow you down through the most visible section of the crane. Obviously you could rig up once you get past that initial sketchy section...
sleepycity.net: watch out for the third rail baby, that shit is high voltage. urbex and urban exploration photography |
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blacklines
Location: the red stick.
Gender: Male
| | Re: Crane climbing set up
<Reply # 9 on 3/12/2007 9:01 PM >
| | | | Ive not climbed cranes, but I have been climbing trad for the last 10 or so years... The one thing that sort of makes me go "what?" in this thread was the OP's idea of rapping off the crane at all... Its a somewhat well known fact that most climbing accidents happen on the descent (for a variety of reasons, youre tired, rapelling off the end of the rope is easy when youre excited, tired, nervous, thinking about dinner... etc.) and the general wisdom that Ive heard is to avoid rapping of a climb if you can walk off it (or in this case, safely down climb, as cranes are designed to accomodate this (I would expect)... Just my two cents.
blacklines
PS: if youre one of these nutjob adrenaline junkies that rappels for the hell of it.... whatever, try not to die.
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Timothy R. Pendergast
Location: Columbia, SC
Gender: Male
| | Re: Crane climbing set up
<Reply # 10 on 3/12/2007 9:50 PM >
| | | | Ahhh, I was thinking of the kind of cranes that have treads like a bulldozer and then a long boom. I thought you were trying to climb up the boom, not up to the operators compartment.
Please don't be stupid. It might piss me off so much that I have a seizure or something. I hate stupid people. |
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kjohnnytarr
Location: Columbia, Missouri
Gender: Male
Team Asbestos: CoMO
| | | Re: Crane climbing set up
<Reply # 11 on 3/13/2007 1:01 AM >
| | | | Posted by blacklines
Ive not climbed cranes, but I have been climbing trad for the last 10 or so years... The one thing that sort of makes me go "what?" in this thread was the OP's idea of rapping off the crane at all... Its a somewhat well known fact that most climbing accidents happen on the descent (for a variety of reasons, youre tired, rapelling off the end of the rope is easy when youre excited, tired, nervous, thinking about dinner... etc.) and the general wisdom that Ive heard is to avoid rapping of a climb if you can walk off it (or in this case, safely down climb, as cranes are designed to accomodate this (I would expect)... Just my two cents.
blacklines
PS: if youre one of these nutjob adrenaline junkies that rappels for the hell of it.... whatever, try not to die.
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It's all good man. I climb, I've heard the stats on rappeling accidents. I knot my ends. 'Nuff said.
It seemed like a good idea at the time... |
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Pravus
Location: Chicago Area
Gender: Male
Now the two key words for tonight - "caution" and "flammable"...
| | | | Re: Crane climbing set up
<Reply # 12 on 3/13/2007 2:35 AM >
| | | | Posted by dsankt
I appreciate the safety of all the above, but don't you find that it slows you down too much? The first 4-5 stories of the crane are the most visible and need to be passed quickly if there are people around.
I've climbed a bunch of cranes (pics if anyone cares) and never found the need for safety equipment - except right near the top if there is external climbing to be done. In that case I can see their benefit, otherwise why lug all that extra weight that slow you down through the most visible section of the crane. Obviously you could rig up once you get past that initial sketchy section...
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I don't begin to say the setup I said was the best, just what we used when I worked up in towers.. we'd lug it because we would be up in the tower for 6-8 hours, maybe more.. We would also need to hang places not really totally accessible otherwise.. I recommended that stuff because I know it works and I have used it, I will always recommend what I know over what I 'think' may work.. And yes the setups we used were not all that light, we had alot of climbing and positioning gear on us, on top of tools and equipment needed up there..
Live to Serve, Serve to Live.. |
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Timothy R. Pendergast
Location: Columbia, SC
Gender: Male
| | Re: Crane climbing set up
<Reply # 13 on 3/13/2007 5:21 AM >
| | | | If you rap off in the dark, I demand that you attach all sorts of glowsticks and strobe lights to yourself and go as fast as safely possible....and catch it on video for me.
If not for me, do it for Emmit Fitzhume and Austin Millbarge.
Please don't be stupid. It might piss me off so much that I have a seizure or something. I hate stupid people. |
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blackhawk
This member has been banned. See the banlist for more information.
Location: Mission Control
UER newbie
| | | Re: Crane climbing set up
<Reply # 14 on 3/13/2007 9:33 AM >
| | | | Posted by dsankt
I appreciate the safety of all the above, but don't you find that it slows you down too much? The first 4-5 stories of the crane are the most visible and need to be passed quickly if there are people around.
I've climbed a bunch of cranes (pics if anyone cares) and never found the need for safety equipment - except right near the top if there is external climbing to be done. In that case I can see their benefit, otherwise why lug all that extra weight that slow you down through the most visible section of the crane. Obviously you could rig up once you get past that initial sketchy section...
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Absolutely right. The harness can also catch on objects while climbing or descending too. Insurance issues are a big reason you don't see more free climbers today commercially. Resting is easy, even on an uncaged ladder; simply lock-in with knee through the rung. Given the choice I never wear a harness on structural steel.
Dsankt is right; the weight will slow you down in addition to what I mentioned. You can fall with a harness on too. You need to stay focused; keep it simply. Good boots, and don't climb when the steel is wet!
Just when I thought I was out... they pulled me back in.
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dsankt
Location: live and in the fresh
| | | | Re: Crane climbing set up
<Reply # 15 on 3/13/2007 7:39 PM >
| | | | Posted by blacklines
...
Its a somewhat well known fact that most climbing accidents happen on the descent (for a variety of reasons, youre tired, rapelling off the end of the rope is easy when youre excited, tired, nervous, thinking about dinner... etc.)
PS: if youre one of these nutjob adrenaline junkies that rappels for the hell of it.... whatever, try not to die.
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One method to avoid rapping off the end is to tie a big loop figure 8 / bowline in the end of the rope. If by accident you rappel hard into the knot, you stand in the bottom loop, slide up your descender, lock it off and attach your ascenders/jugs.
Oi! What's wrong with rappelling for the hell of it, it's FUN!
sleepycity.net: watch out for the third rail baby, that shit is high voltage. urbex and urban exploration photography |
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dsankt
Location: live and in the fresh
| | | | Re: Crane climbing set up
<Reply # 16 on 3/13/2007 7:46 PM >
| | | | Posted by Pravus
I don't begin to say the setup I said was the best, just what we used when I worked up in towers.. we'd lug it because we would be up in the tower for 6-8 hours, maybe more.. We would also need to hang places not really totally accessible otherwise.. I recommended that stuff because I know it works and I have used it, I will always recommend what I know over what I 'think' may work.. And yes the setups we used were not all that light, we had alot of climbing and positioning gear on us, on top of tools and equipment needed up there..
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I understand your situation, if I spent that much time in conditions like you describe I'd be tied on as well - no doubt about it. I'm happy to play the odds for the 20 hours I might spent at heights like that in a year. In a work situation you're spending upwards of a 1000 hours up there per year it's a no brainer to take the safety way more seriously.
sleepycity.net: watch out for the third rail baby, that shit is high voltage. urbex and urban exploration photography |
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blacklines
Location: the red stick.
Gender: Male
| | Re: Crane climbing set up
<Reply # 17 on 3/13/2007 9:23 PM >
| | | | and if youre particularly nervous about the rappel, tie a prussik from a legloop on your harness to the robe (above your descender.... sorry, i had to add it :-p) , Ive used this when at the end of a hard multi pitch climb and im tired, its dark, and weather conditions are getting sketchy--it can slow you down a bit, but its nice insurance.
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kowalski
| | Re: Crane climbing set up
<Reply # 18 on 3/14/2007 12:35 AM >
| | | | I understand that some people (dsankt, etc.) have climbed the exteriors of a tower in order to circumvent a locked hatch on the crane pivot. But are there really cranes around that don't have ladders at all? Maybe we're just spoiled here in Toronto, but every crane here has caged ladders with bountiful platforms all the way up, except right at the top when you're getting into the gearing and the ladders become uncaged but shorter.
Climbing cranes here, I've never felt myself in a situation where I was actually at a risk point that required any additional gear. I guess though if you were dealing with just one long stage ladder, especially an open one, you'd want to be able to clip in partway up to rest. I've just never seen a crane this poorly equipped (and I've been up some pretty ghetto ones in my time). So what craning circumstances are we actually talking about here?
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Pravus
Location: Chicago Area
Gender: Male
Now the two key words for tonight - "caution" and "flammable"...
| | | | Re: Crane climbing set up
<Reply # 19 on 3/14/2007 1:45 AM >
| | | | One note about rappelling from high places (150'+) While it is INSANELY fun the weight of the rope somewhat locks the fig 8 up.. From most of the towers I have been up in I had to feed the rope into the 8 for at least half the tower.. However I also had the 8 doubled for friction due to the weight of the harness the tools and sometimes buckets of crap hanging off me, also I would highly recommend the "DBI/SALA Fisk Descender" it works VERY nicely and is maybe the most secure 8 with a lockoff ability.. Although you can lock off the EMS 8s with the horns the fisk is just better in every way, it also costs a bit more (around $150ish)..
http://storrick.cn...Pages/Horn353.html
Live to Serve, Serve to Live.. |
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