Personally, I don't like going up a ladder to clean the house gutters, so this video blew me away. The first couple minutes inside the structure are o.k. - reminded me of walking up a forestry service fire tower. But then he goes outside. And after that, it gets worse. And still worse.
Did you pass the test? Then try this amateur video of insane Russian students climbing a similar tower with no safety equipment. I won't tell you what happens at the end...
That's intense! (Especially the Russians.)
ReplyDeleteNothing latent about my acrophobia, the first video of the pole climbing tech freaks me out more then the Russian youths climbing out on the beam.
ReplyDeleteHoly crap. I can't believe the pro was climbing without safety lines.
ReplyDeleteAnd yeah, that had me really, really tense just watching. But I actually love heights. If I can convince my mind and body that there's no real danger, it's fantastic.
Two that stand out in my memory were climbing up a small rock ledge that was supposed to be a wall in the viewing area at the Grand Canyon - similar height, although much more solid and not a sheer dropoff. Gorgeous view. I couldn't walk within six feet of the edge, I scooted three more on my butt and stayed put.
The other was perching in the door of an airplane just before jumping out. I wish I could have just hung out there. (Free fall does not agree with me. I've never been so motion sick in my life.)
But there's still a very intense 'holy cow that is NOT safe' reaction to those videos. I'll bet those towers sway if it's at all windy - that would do me in for sure.
Scary as hell...one thing I've found about traveling outside the US is how protected we are in the US, from harming ourselves. Go to the Pyramids outside Cairo, you want to climb them, pretty easy to get past guards and do it--local boys get drunk and climb and some die cuz the big stones are slick. Go to Tikal in Guatemala, very easy to fall. No rails, no one advising to stay behind this line. It's like that all over the world.
ReplyDeleteI got giddy just looking at the videos and couldn't finish either one. Hope I don't fall getting out of my chair this morning!
ReplyDeleteThe first video moved here
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCYZZPwJr_c
Thank you so much for the heads-up, Mark. I also used this opportunity to embed a wider version of the video(s), now that my blog has a bigger central column.
DeleteI found myself very tense, rocking back and forth looking at the screen. I actually became dizzy as well and that was just with the first 2 minutes of the first video....I turned it off!
ReplyDelete