Re: [SBCmac] Ascending 500ft on a climbing rope...
Story time all
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Ok… I’m going to try and not write a book here, but it’s kind of a long story… So for the sake of not writing a book, I do have to leave out minor details…
Location, a city far, far away
… Building, a sweet 500 footer
…
So I work and live downtown… And so, there’s this building that I have been dieing to jump since I moved downtown. And not to mention, I work in the building across from it; so I see it every day from my office.
I was first teased with the possibility of jumping this building when I started working in the building across from it, over a year ago. I had become friends with one of the security guards and he said that he could get me on the roof of the building that I wanted to jump. Shortly after he told me that he would help me out, he was fired for being late to work. So my poor heart was crushed
…
So just when I was finally getting over my trauma from my heart being crushed a year ago, I was blessed with another unique situation… Anyway, earlier in the evening, I went to dinner with a friend and had quite a bit to drink… So after getting home, I decided to go for a walk and grab some grub. First I needed to swing by my bank’s ATM to check my balance; the nearest ATM was near my work… As I was approaching the building that I work in, I looked at the building that I wanted to jump and noticed that the window washer people had left their ropes hanging from the roof and tied to the rail in the courtyard on the second floor. So obviously, the main problem was that they didn’t come to the sidewalk level. And not to mention, I was pretty buzzed and knew I would have to be 100% physically in order to accomplish ascending 500ft on a rope. Not only that, but I have never ascended anything higher than 50ft. So I decided to walk away from the opportunity, even though it was very hard to do.
The next day rolls around and I had noticed that the window washer people had left the ropes down again. So during my lunch break, I decided to go on a recon mission. I did everything, located security, located cameras, and even walked up to the ropes to verify that my ascenders would fit the rope that was attempting to ascend. After all that was done, I came up with a plan for everything, including how to get into the courtyard at night, which basically meant climbing the fence at the top of the stars that lead to the courtyard. The only issue with the courtyard plan was that I was in direct visibility of the restaurant that was at the base of the building. So naturally, I decided to have dinner at the restaurant that evening to find out what time they closed. With all that done, I went home and prepared my gear for the climb. A few hours later, I was all set to go and started to watch the weather. So of course I turned on the TV and watched news to get local weather. And this is when my heart was crushed a second time… The weather person had said that the city was expecting wind gusts that were going to reach up to 70mph… I was sooooo pissed… I still woke up several times in the evening and checked the winds, and of course the weather person was right
…
The third day, I got to work and the winds had totally calmed down… So naturally I looked outside at the ropes. And to even worsen my disappointment, I saw the window washer people finishing up the windows. Even though I was convinced that they would finish that day, I continued to watch in hope that they wouldn’t finish. So the end of day rolls around and sure as shit, they left the ropes down again. At this point, I had done all the prep work for this jump and I was not going to let this last opportunity slip through my fingers… So I coordinate with Dexter, KMonster, and my girlfriend on the fact that I was going to go for it… The only problem was that again the forecast predicted that the winds would increase through the night…
On the third night, the night of the jump, Dexter, KMonster, and my girlfriend, returned to the restaurant to do more recon on what you can see from the restaurant. Once satisfied with all the prep done for the jump, it was time for me to go home and gear up. The plan was to gear up a 100% prior to even getting on site. My only goal was to get to the ropes, not matter if I was seen later in the climb. I knew that since I was 100% geared up, whether I got in trouble or not, I would be jumping…
So now I’m geared up and our crew is driving to the building… We get there and we immediately start walking to the building, the crew serving two purposes, distraction and filming. I hop the fence and hide to wait to see if I was seen… The coast was clear and I walk straight to the ropes and attach my ascenders… Within a minute or two, I was chugging up the rope, with the thought in mind, “Let the game begin”…
So now I’m on the rope, and the first 120 feet I had to move quickly because of the way the building is shaped; everyone and their mother can see me in the first 120ft. So I hall ass and make the first 120ft in good time. The rest of the way I’m hidden by the building but talk about a long haul… All in all, I make great time the rest of the 380ft, but as I’m ascending the winds start significantly increasing and its dumping rain. Again, I knew that the weather was possibly going to go to shit, so I didn’t even let it affect my mindset. On these types of jumps, you’ve got what you got and you know that there is no going back down, unless you want to turn yourself in. Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t die instead of getting caught… I just believe that on jumps like this, you end up accepting less than perfect conditions because of the nature of the jump.
So in my mind, as I’m chugging up the rope, I was thinking of my first BASE wing suit jump… Both this climb and the one I did on my first wing suit jump, I told myself that even if I can’t jump, the journey itself was amazing. Trust me, dangling from a rope at 400+ feet and looking at all the buildings around me and looking at the ships in the Bay was just amazing… I then thought of my best friend that died on one of our wing suit jumps… I thought of the day before he died and thought about the mountain that we climbed the day prior to his death. All I could think about is how epic that day was and how epic the scenery was around me while I was dangling from that rope… So that’s when I knew that I was going to name this jump after my friend, the name of the object is his initials... I miss my bro and as I looked around I gained even more peace from his passing because of the epic journeys we as BASE jumpers are so lucky to experience…
So back to the climb, sorry for straying… So now I finally make it to the top of the rope, just wasted… At the top of the rope I realize that the corner of the building was going to block my ascenders and prevent me from getting on top of the building. So I have climbed 500ft and can’t get on top of the building… I tried everything and at this point I have no strength to muscle it… So this is where I have to pull a miracle out of my ass… My miracle was my only option; my only option was to cut the rope that was dangling below me… It was something that I feel really bad for needing to do but I knew there were no other options… So I pull my pocket knife out and cut away the rope below me, so at last I could climb onto the rooftop.
Now on the rooftop, I radio to the crew and let them know that because of weather conditions I was not going to hang out long… I realized that I didn’t want to stash all my climbing gear in my jacket, so Dexter gives me the idea to hook the climbing equipment to the other rope and send it down. Dexter’s idea worked out perfect; I was able to retrieve the gear after the jump
…
So now it’s time to exit… I decided to exit on the NW corner of the building… By this time the wind is so strong that it could blow me off of exit point… So I climb up to the corner and start my count… I got to two and just said “Fuck it, I need to get off this bitch before I’m blown off”. Huck and I’m off and deploy roughly 2seconds in… Boom, my canopy explodes open and right away I’m flying by the seat of my pants to keep my ass alive… I stay within the pocket that I knew was relatively safe, avoiding the south side of the building because of turbulence and rotars… And after some aggressive canopy flying I land on the street below… I land pretty hard but get up quickly and gather my shit… And low and behold, a taxi pulls up an asks me if I want a ride, I of course say “Sure, get me the hell out of here
…”. And off I went in the taxi… So I have to say thanks to the Taxi driver too, what an amazing person…
So that’s it folks… That’s my story
… This was without a doubt, the most amazing jump that I have ever been on… Will I ever do something like this again, probably not, but damb it you’ve sometimes have to step on the outside of the envelope to see what’s on the inside of the envelope…
Again, I love BASE jumping and the people that I have been so lucky to share BASE journeys with…
Love you BASE brothers and sister
…
P.S. I am going to try and find a way to pay for the rope… I just can’t let that go… This jump won’t be complete for me until I find a way to pay for that rope!
Also, I was going to proof read and edit this post, but I’m going to leave it in it’s raw form… So sorry if it doesn’t read right in some areas
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You left the ascenders where? 
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... The harness doesn't distribute the weight, you basically end up having the great majority of the pressure pushing against your groin. I was in pain within the first 100ft of the climb and remaind sore for at least 3+ days after the climb. I had even pinched a nerve and lost feeling in the outside of my right foot for a good day and a half. Fun... Fun... Fun... 
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Next 800-1000ft were jugged on prussiks. . .