Kicked out at 10 feet-with major consequences

[oldirty]

Wow, 5 or more years ago I owned a company that wrecked out older analogy cable lines, and we never used the lanyard until we were in position. We climbed 40 poles or more a day for weeks and months. I'm not saying it is safe, but I wouldn't know how to climb a pole with a strap, LOL, we just never did it.

Most of us got to the point were we would/could run or jog from one pole to the next and never break stride and "run" right up the pole to change traps or drop the old line.

Except for a few out of shape company lineman, I don't think I have ever witnessed a lineman climb a pole with the strap.

Interesting,

Sam

not for nothing but i dont think that climbing a pole has a damn thing to do with tree work or climbing a tree for that matter.

other than going up and down there is almost no other similarity.

personally though if i were to be climbing a telephone pole i would still want to be tied in one way or the other. thats just me though

 

[tree md]

Not gonna say I have never free climbed because it would be a lie. It used to be standard practice for me to climb the spar and get into the first major fork without tieing in. Indeed, I have been known to climb to the top before tieing in when I was young. I stopped that practice in my mid 20's when a friend of mine fell 10' while climbing a spar without his lanyard and was paralyzed at 22 years old.

 

[ropensaddle]

I thought free climbing was safer because you always have your hands around the pole. If you cut out, you can hug the pole while burning it, whilst trying to cut back in. The belt climbing they teach now, your hands are holding your belt and it's harder to get your hooks back in. This is just an oppinnion I share with some of the other lineman I work with. We hav'nt had any falls in months, so it must be working

Sorry if I ventured off topic from the original post ripplerider, I hope you have a full recovery sooner than expected

I would rather fall than hug a pole while burning it, splinters with
wolmanizing suck and infect. I would use a strap and would not care
who thought it chicken, better a live chicken than a dead duck!

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

I don't climb a lot of poles, but when I do I take an extra wrap on the pole with my lanyard. Poles are smooth and if you gaff out, you just slide down the pole.
I worked with a guy who saw me do this and he was amazed. See, he came from a cable TV installation background and never saw an extra wrap taken on a lanyard, but he did see a lot of injuries from guys sliding down poles.
Most of these guys are self taught, monkey see, monkey do.