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View Full Version : free climb vs hitch hiking



snakeman
08-06-2007, 07:09 PM
just trying to see how many daily climbers hitch hike as apposed to free climb. for the utility i work for, we had to free climb 40 ft (so approx 35 ft once its in the ground) and circle the top belted in with no hands. hitch hiking is definetly safer its just a bit more tiresome to me. personally i feel climbing anything over a 40ft shld be hitch hiked for safety. even up at 40 feet, if you get away from the pole, that much of a fall can be unforgiving. i have heard alot of people who hitch hike up to an obstacle, and then use a retractable lanyard to double safety over the obstacle. that away the retractable lanyard isnt in your way like carrying up another safety. any other thoughts on this. its kind of funny. some of the oldtimers will poke a little at you for hitch hiking (all in good humor) and a number of them ive seen do it themselves. 20+ years working off the pole can wear on the knees a little i guess.:D


Safety first. Don't argue.

Hemingray Insulators
08-06-2007, 09:34 PM
Hitch hiking absolutely sucks. the only time i'll hitchhike is if theres ice on the pole or some other reason i think its safer. if you cutout hitch hiking you know with out a doubt your goin all the way down.............or at least to the next object below you. at least if you cutout free climbing your natural reaction is to grab the pole and stop your fall. i've only ever cutout once before (so far), and it was about 40' up. i grabed that pole and i only went down about 5feet. i gaffed back in and continued my decent.
just my $0.02

Little
08-06-2007, 11:30 PM
I'll never forget that pole top rescue video I saw on YouTube..

Canadian, I think, so hitchhiking only, couldn't unbelt.

Took 5 min or so to get the guy down, and that was with no obstacles in the way.

I'd rather be comfortable free climbing, thanks.

If you _ever_ see me tying a tag line to a rescue dummy's feet, so ground help can pull him out of the way & let me hitchhike past, please just take my hooks from me when I get to the ground, and don't give 'em back.

Mike-E
08-07-2007, 02:51 PM
I don't climb as much as other people might, but when you need to get past phone and cable and then secondary and transformers, you can spend 20 minutes bucking and un-bucking or you can just do like what has been done for one hundred years and free climb it in one minute.

markwho
08-09-2007, 11:50 PM
I don't do a whole lot of climbing and am not in the best shape. I usually free climb to the first obstacle then hike the rest. I used a double safety only once on a 80 footer, had to climb over 69 kv bells and taps on a d.e.. I used 2 different belts a leather and a nylon, Did not want to get them mixed up! I am not used to climbing at these heights either. I am not sure but osha may have some ruling on this, it may be that you have to climb belted and use a retractable safety, like I said I am not positive of this.

Mark

damn_encode
08-10-2007, 12:27 AM
If I need to hitchhike or free climb it doesn’t matter to me, Whatever I need to do to get the job done safely and quickly. I think apprentices should learn both ways and then decide. In the end I don’t think It really matters. Just being comfortable & confident working in your tools is probably the most important thing.

snakeman
08-10-2007, 07:52 PM
ive seen people double with two leathers, but thats a nice idea with the leather and nylon- i like the retactable since its out of the way- 40 ftrs are most common for us to deal with- thats is what i feel most comfortable free climbing- after that it just feels better to hitch hike- all though the way we do it is not leaning back slappin the belt up the pole, but rather belt in and kick it up with your knee or lift it with one of your hands as if you were free climbing- never done an 80 footer yet- you better believe i'll be belted off on the way up.:D whenever i have to second guess myself, all i have to do is think of my daughter. that gets me safe.:rolleyes:

PK270
08-10-2007, 08:20 PM
I am proficient climber and love to climb, I used to love to free climb. I have worked with companies that you had to hitch, ran my belt a little long and held it in one hand, similiar to free climbing. Where I am at now you have to have a body harness with a safety to the structure, pain at first but now it is second nature.

Practice, be comfortable to the point that you are not thinking about the climbing aspect and it becomes more natural. As far as belted off and cutting out?? I have a different opinion as Hemy, no offense. My natural reaction is to push away from the pole or kinda lean back to regain the proper angle. Lose angle and get to close to the pole - that is when you get into trouble.

bashlin
08-10-2007, 09:28 PM
i free climb up to the top, it's easier to get over cable and neutral or whatever else is in the way..once i'm at the top, and finish my work, i usually belt climb down to the first obstacal and then remove my belt and come down..don't know why i do this, it's usually only 1-2 feet, it just seems better to me to set my decent up..once i take my belt off to get by the neutral or KVA, i try not to put it back on the pole again..JMO..

WAlinehand1970
08-10-2007, 09:43 PM
I cut out and came down 40 ft before getting a gaff back in on a new Black Jack 2 years ago. I put my lower right leg halfway up the back of my hamstring. My skid saved my life. If I had been free climbing, I would have fell on top of a chain link fence.
I dont let my apprentices free climb. they need to work on belting and un-belting anyway.
I dont free climb very much, any more. Unless, like everybody else said, there is a bunch of shit on the pole.

OLE' SORE KNEES
08-10-2007, 09:50 PM
It's all personal preferance..................I used to run up the pole freeclimbing without regard to a fall on high-line poles, father time has a way of changing you, I do nothing but hitch-hike today .One day I had a real close call almost falling over 80 feet up unbuckeled, every since I have been using my safety belt..............it used to my worst enemy, but now it is my best friend..............alot of guys (including me in the past) are'nt comfortable with it, that's why they don't like it............get used to it for a longer career........take care...................

Ole' Sore Knees (still climbing)

Swollen Tongue
08-13-2007, 09:16 PM
If it a good pole and not too congested with conduit, phone cable tv etc... I'll usually free climb. If it is cluttered I feel a little better hitching.The few times I have cut out while free climbing (lucky I wasn't but 10-15 feet up, I was on the ground quicker than a cat can lick it ass. The times I've cut out hitchen, my chin was the first thing to hit the pole, but always seemed to get back in the pole pretty quick. I always hitch those skinny ass light poles 30 class 6's. Like working off the end of a damn fishin pole.

compression
08-28-2007, 11:57 AM
Usually free climb dist. poles until I get above all the junk. If there's very little room to gaff like between pipes or u-guards I'll throw the skid around but keep it pretty loose. So its still like free climbing with a little safety, just in case a twist of the belt causes my boot to rub and kick the gaff out. When I get in that no footing situation I need to swing around and stick the other side of the pole my skid is there already to go. Those slide buckle skids are the Shit too!

Usually free climb trans. poles until I get to the x braces or crossarm. I need a breather by the time I reach either of those anyway.

WCLR
08-28-2007, 05:22 PM
Free climb is the way to go. But get used to hitch-hiking, alot of companies are making in mandatory.

Outlaw Lineman
08-29-2007, 01:43 AM
It don't much fu(king matter how you get there...just be able to do your job when you do.

seanm402
11-22-2007, 10:37 PM
I personally hitch hike more than free climb, especially on the very wide poles. I just feel safer doing it that way. I don't think it takes that much longer to get up the pole hitch hiking verses free climbing unless there is a bunch of objects on the pole, then I would probably free climb. I don't think it really matters how you get there if you don't know how to do the work when you are up there. I know a lot of guys that say if you don't free climb your a pussy, but I see them hitch hiking just as much as everyone else. I don't think hitch hiking makes you any less of a man. All that matters is that you are safe, comfortable, and enjoy what you are doing. Plus I think it is just a good way for the older guys to harass you a bit.

Genoin NW
11-23-2007, 01:29 PM
I have worked for companies that didn't care if you free climbed or belt climbed and I worked for a utility that required without exception that you belt climbed. In that past 31 years of climbing I still prefer free climbing and teach it to apprentices. But... as we age we tend to loose a bit of strength and find that it is now easier and more comfortable to belt climb clean poles and leave the free climbing to the congested poles.
It is only a matter of time before we all have to two belt anything above the ground due to OSHA. When that happens and they take my choice away... I retire!
Free climbing builds skills that are neccessary for climbing. It teaches confidence! There will be a situation when it has to be used and one needs to learn how to do it.
Carry on brothers and work safely and teach safety.

dooghi
11-25-2007, 10:35 AM
I used to free climb almost always. But as they say ya get a little older then you have to adjust.My wrist and fingers are not what they used to be and sometimes it is just more comfortable to hitch. Of course I just grab the sides of the pole stap and I flip it up as I walk up the pole. Never stop just get in the rythm and go. Most of the stuff we climb is 35 and 40 distribution stuff, not always a lot of junk on the wood. We are rural and do not have to deal with under build and the like. Do what you are comfortable with.

RWD
11-25-2007, 07:38 PM
I do both, mostly it depends on what I feel like that day. If I climb a bunch of poles in a day by the end of the day I hitchhike up but usually freestyle down. It's all what your comfortable with. As for cutting out ... I've cut out both freestyl and with a belt. Really don't matter. With a belt on your hook ussually winds up about shoulder hight cause only one hook resets. free style both hooks ussually rest at the same time.

RWD

PA BEN
11-25-2007, 08:17 PM
I'm 48 and use a bucket most of the time. I was up a back country 60 ft'er last week. I did hitch hike the pole. Just because it was an old pole and wet. Most of the guys I work with hitch hike, when I first came here we had pole top rescue and I free climbed to the dummy. I got alot of crap from one lineman about it. He said I was trying to be cool. I told him to kiss my A$$ because that the way I climb. Now days I do it or not depends on the day I'm having.;)

Ski_Digger
12-11-2007, 11:51 PM
In school learning to climb rember----- are they new poles? Most are. On the job they can be 50 to 70yrs old. That is a lot different to climb. I went from trans. pole in school the last week to class 7 and 45+ yrs on the job, my feet almost were all the way around the pole. Don't be afraid to use the strap, I do all my climbing now with it. It is just as fast. And yes you will cut out some day we all do. Good Luck.