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UER Forum > UE Main > Freefallin'... Hellholes are Real (Viewed 137811 times)
blackhawk 

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Re: Freefallin'... Hellholes are Real
< Reply # 40 on 5/20/2016 7:23 PM >
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Posted by climb_something


The only catch: what are you using for an anchor, and how confident are you that it won't fail?

I used to do construction as well as operations and maintenance on wind turbines. We'd climb 300-350' wearing a full body harness with deployable leg straps so if you did fall and couldn't self-recover, you'd deploy the leg straps to stand in and take the weight off your thighs to prevent suspension trauma.

I can see why a climbing harness sounds like a good idea, but if you're not fully prepared to deal with the possible failure of your anchor point, or the rope getting stuck and leaving you hanging... you're still at risk of being KIA.


Indeed. Even a properly fitting and adjusted harness is uncomfortable. Nothing like crotch and thigh rot to brighten your sweaty day
You expand a lot of energy and concentration to climb properly with a harness, I like it fast and loose!

Anchor points... if you even have a suitable one.
Anchor points can fail you in a variety of ways including holding and driving you head first into steel. Harnesses can fail as can tethers and rigging.
I'd free climb a 300' straight ladder without trouble. Interlock my leg to rest at 100' intervals. Cake walk. And none of the extra weight of trash safety gear.

A good pair of boots, climbing gloves, and your head screw on straight is all you need to climb a straight steel ladder. Many think you use the rungs to climb one. You use the rungs for your feet. Hands go on the side rails and you swing a bit from side to side as you climb or descend, very ergonomic and a much better hand hold. The Greek merchant marines taught me that.



[last edit 5/20/2016 7:34 PM by blackhawk - edited 1 times]

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blackhawk 

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Re: Freefallin'... Hellholes are Real
< Reply # 41 on 5/22/2016 12:24 AM >
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One factor that can cause fatal falls that hasn't been mentioned enough are the elements.
Wind can cause a fall by its self. Never underestimate it especially when gusting. Avoid climbing during storms. When resting always interlock a leg or arm so it can support your full weight +.
You are most susceptible when standing. If on a roof or flat surface and the wind kicks up, bend at the knees and/or face plant your ass while you still can. More body area increases resistance to sliding as well as minimizing surface area exposed to wind. Get a handhold or leg hold on something solid if you can. Winds tend to peak at high tide; noon.

Here's a recent victim of 50 MPH winds ironically killed while inspecting for wind damage: http://abc7ny.com/...atal-fall/1267576/

Wear a good pair of high top laced boots suitable for climbing always. Do not wear running shoes. They don't support the foot or ankle adequately.
Bring climbing gloves; one deep gash makes climbing hard.
Avoid climbing on wet steel. This includes morning dew and fog.
Painted steel surfaces can be extremely slippery when wet.
Although rain and fog are good camo, use extreme care if you choose to climb steel in it! Not for a novice.
Never climb when there's ice.

Always be fully hydrated before a climb. Heat exhaustion or a black out can easily prove to be fatal.




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mookster 


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Re: Freefallin'... Hellholes are Real
< Reply # 42 on 5/24/2016 8:59 PM >
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This is pretty timely for me to read, as at the weekend I very nearly took the express elevator three floors down in a resort in the Catskills.

I was on the top floor of the main hotel building and really I should have known better - the building had already shown itself to have some very bad structural issues and the room I was in had the entire ceiling and insulation on the floor brought down by water damage. I was taking photos and moved further into the room and before I knew what was happening the floor completely gave way underneath me. As it gave way it angled me back slightly so more by sheer dumb luck my arse ended up perched precariously on a rotten beam with my legs free dangling into the room below. I grabbed a door handle with my left hand and tried to get some purchase with my right hand but all I succeeded in doing was putting my hand straight through the floor. So I called out for EsseXploreR to come help me in my predicament, and between us we managed to pull and slide myself out of the hole.

I was alright apart from a cut up right hand from where it had gone straight through the floor, but had I been a couple of inches further into the room I would have gone straight down with nothing to stop me.




Piecat 


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Re: Freefallin'... Hellholes are Real
< Reply # 43 on 5/25/2016 12:51 PM >
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Posted by mookster
This is pretty timely for me to read, as at the weekend I very nearly took the express elevator three floors down in a resort in the Catskills.

I was on the top floor of the main hotel building and really I should have known better - the building had already shown itself to have some very bad structural issues and the room I was in had the entire ceiling and insulation on the floor brought down by water damage. I was taking photos and moved further into the room and before I knew what was happening the floor completely gave way underneath me. As it gave way it angled me back slightly so more by sheer dumb luck my arse ended up perched precariously on a rotten beam with my legs free dangling into the room below. I grabbed a door handle with my left hand and tried to get some purchase with my right hand but all I succeeded in doing was putting my hand straight through the floor. So I called out for EsseXploreR to come help me in my predicament, and between us we managed to pull and slide myself out of the hole.

I was alright apart from a cut up right hand from where it had gone straight through the floor, but had I been a couple of inches further into the room I would have gone straight down with nothing to stop me.


Damn, glad you're okay!




TheSwanStation 


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Re: Freefallin'... Hellholes are Real
< Reply # 44 on 5/26/2016 8:43 PM >
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Posted by mookster
This is pretty timely for me to read, as at the weekend I very nearly took the express elevator three floors down in a resort in the Catskills.

I was on the top floor of the main hotel building and really I should have known better - the building had already shown itself to have some very bad structural issues and the room I was in had the entire ceiling and insulation on the floor brought down by water damage. I was taking photos and moved further into the room and before I knew what was happening the floor completely gave way underneath me. As it gave way it angled me back slightly so more by sheer dumb luck my arse ended up perched precariously on a rotten beam with my legs free dangling into the room below. I grabbed a door handle with my left hand and tried to get some purchase with my right hand but all I succeeded in doing was putting my hand straight through the floor. So I called out for EsseXploreR to come help me in my predicament, and between us we managed to pull and slide myself out of the hole.

I was alright apart from a cut up right hand from where it had gone straight through the floor, but had I been a couple of inches further into the room I would have gone straight down with nothing to stop me.


If this is the resort I'm thinking of, and I imagine it is, I have likely been on that same floor, if not in the same room. There are a few spots in that place that I have felt pretty sketched out about.



[last edit 5/26/2016 8:43 PM by TheSwanStation - edited 1 times]

mookster 


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Re: Freefallin'... Hellholes are Real
< Reply # 45 on 5/26/2016 9:26 PM >
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Posted by TheSwanStation


If this is the resort I'm thinking of, and I imagine it is, I have likely been on that same floor, if not in the same room. There are a few spots in that place that I have felt pretty sketched out about.


I don't think it is - this one appears to have gone largely ignored by people, because to be honest it's not the best out there and is by no means the biggest but it was in very close proximity to other things we were doing. Personally I had never seen photos of it online before so it was a real adventure for me.




Brooks 


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Re: Freefallin'... Hellholes are Real
< Reply # 46 on 5/26/2016 9:43 PM >
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One day about 5 years ago me and a few explorers were in one of the Mass hospitals with all wooden floors. Been thru the place prob twenty times, but this time one friend went thru a floor up to his armpits. We ended up pulling him back up. The floor looked completely solid but underneath the top board it was all rot. About 15 minutes later I fell about 6 feet thru a floor and landed doing a split on a beam below the floor with a 2 story fall under me. had to climb back out thru the hole I made. I was so happy to have a bruised groin and not be impaled on the floors that had fallen thru in the past at the bottom of the room pit.




blackhawk 

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Re: Freefallin'... Hellholes are Real
< Reply # 47 on 5/26/2016 11:27 PM >
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Posted by Brooks
One day about 5 years ago me and a few explorers were in one of the Mass hospitals with all wooden floors. Been thru the place prob twenty times, but this time one friend went thru a floor up to his armpits. We ended up pulling him back up. The floor looked completely solid but underneath the top board it was all rot. About 15 minutes later I fell about 6 feet thru a floor and landed doing a split on a beam below the floor with a 2 story fall under me. had to climb back out thru the hole I made. I was so happy to have a bruised groin and not be impaled on the floors that had fallen thru in the past at the bottom of the room pit.


You know its bad when a blown crotch is the better alternative
Meh, I rather be lucky than good!

You are seeing story after story from experienced explorers, many who are careful, fall into this trap. I've laid down tables and pieces of wood to bridge gaps and soft floors, even this is asking for it. Whole floors can and do collapse.

Every foot counts; anything you can do to slow your descent may save your ass or your life.
Falls generally start becoming fatal in the 20-30+ foot free fall range if landing of a hard surface. This is barring impalement or a head injury which are not unheard of.
-And- just because you survive a fall doesn't mean you'll be intact... broken bones, torn tendons/ligaments and severe spinal cord injuries aren't uncommon.




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Explorer Zero 


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Re: Freefallin'... Hellholes are Real
< Reply # 48 on 5/26/2016 11:40 PM >
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More of a booby trap than a Hell hole, this one was intentionally chopped into a good floor to injure trespassers It was dark when I snapped this pic ran the gamma up so it can be seen I was nearly a victim. Its in the DB under Garland Texas Bush House.








blackhawk 

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Re: Freefallin'... Hellholes are Real
< Reply # 49 on 5/27/2016 6:31 PM >
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Posted by 2Xplorations
More of a booby trap than a Hell hole, this one was intentionally chopped into a good floor to injure trespassers It was dark when I snapped this pic ran the gamma up so it can be seen I was nearly a victim. Its in the DB under Garland Texas Bush House.


388313.jpg (21 kb, 430x600)
click to view






Exploring in the dark(no flashlight) is just asking for it.
Once making a get away running across a golf coarse on a pitch black night I ran into one of the few wood park seats there. Literally flipped over it. My shins hurt so bad it was 5 minutes until I could stumble away.
Speed and darkness don't mix...




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Kaysic 


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Re: Freefallin'... Hellholes are Real
< Reply # 50 on 7/19/2016 3:29 AM >
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My closest run-in with a hellhole is secondhand, but still terrifying. It was an asbestos-condemned school with a caretaker house attached, both abandoned and left rotting for about 20 years by the time I got there. The school was interesting enough, and I wanted to check out the second floor of the (much older) caretaker home. Problem was, the stairs were gone - some poor bastard fell right through the staircase to the second floor and smashed through the basement stairs below that. It was either a person who fell through, or someone just happened to leave a bloody, ripped-up shirt at the bottom of the hole for shits and giggles.

Regardless, that place did provide a good lesson - besides the staircase, the building seemed completely stable; not a lot of outward signs of decay or anything. Getting a good look inside the stairs, though? Termites.



[last edit 7/19/2016 3:32 AM by Kaysic - edited 1 times]

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blackhawk 

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Re: Freefallin'... Hellholes are Real
< Reply # 51 on 7/25/2016 12:41 AM >
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Hellholes 101 - Grates

I instinctively have never trusted any type of grate even on the sidewalk of well walked streets.
Metal corrodes as do anchor points. A mispositioned grate can flip on you and leave you in a free fall.
Debris can make this and other flaws hard or impossible to spot.

Missing grate or floor sections are another trap in themselves.
In the Blue Room of a Nike Missile Master one of the removable floor panels was missing granting access to the sub level below. I almost didn't notice it as the room has no ambient light.
Only the perpetual habit of shining my flashlight down before walking saved me. I was literally inches from a 4 foot plunge into a hellhole with all kinds of angle iron and concrete below to break the fall. *big gulp* That was too close.
Anytime you suspect a sublevel is present exercise extra caution especially in military complexes. Easily access is sometimes all too easy.

Beth Steel was notorious for damaged, missing or rusted through grates and plates. Solid footing can end with your next step at any time. Exploring in the dark especially with no light is a death wish waiting to happen. Always poi t your light directly where you plan to step... every time.

Even in active facilities grating kills:
http://www.dailyma...e-sewage-tank.html

It's not unheard of for people to fall through missing or damaged grates, manholes and doors on city streets. They are even more hazardous in abandoned complexes and sometimes completely covered by debris or vegetation.
Rust never sleeps...




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Leo Neblung 


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Re: Freefallin'... Hellholes are Real
< Reply # 52 on 8/2/2016 10:35 PM >
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Geez I'm glad I keep reading these posts, id rather learn from others mistakes than my own... so far I have only stepped on a few nails and had a stair give away under my weight and I'm hoping it doesn't get a whole lot worse than that




Celat Lux 


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Re: Freefallin'... Hellholes are Real
< Reply # 53 on 8/26/2016 5:15 PM >
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One time me and some friends were filming a movie in an old abandoned house in the woods. There was a scene where I was suppose to just run through the main floor like I was in a hurry. Sure enough I get to the middle of the room and BOOM! The floor gives out and I literally just disappear through the floor!

It wasn't a bad fall and I only got a little scratched up. We got the whole scene on film and it was actually pretty hilarious because I wasn't that hurt... Thank God it was nothing serious, I learned a valuable lesson about making sure every step must be accounted for




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Re: Freefallin'... Hellholes are Real
< Reply # 54 on 9/20/2016 3:09 PM >
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blackhawk 

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Re: Freefallin'... Hellholes are Real
< Reply # 55 on 9/20/2016 4:27 PM >
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Posted by 2Xplorations
From the south forum: http://www.uer.ca/...=1&threadid=123875


Add this story of the one that got away!
Fell 100 feet and not only survived but is expected to make a full recovery. A 60 mph landing... wow.
http://wspa.com/20...pposed-to-be-dead/

NEVER expect a safety harness to save you.
Falling in never an option.

However some have survived very long free falls with no parachute, some with only scratches to spite falling -thousands- of feet.




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NeuroticMatt 


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Re: Freefallin'... Hellholes are Real
< Reply # 56 on 9/21/2016 1:47 AM >
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Posted by 2Xplorations
From the south forum: http://www.uer.ca/...=1&threadid=123875


This thread in the South forum? I click and it says I do not have permission to view. Noticed that the South forum shows new posts on the title screen but nothing shows when I open the board?




blackhawk 

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Re: Freefallin'... Hellholes are Real
< Reply # 57 on 9/21/2016 2:02 AM >
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Posted by NeuroticMatt


This thread in the South forum? I click and it says I do not have permission to view. Noticed that the South forum shows new posts on the title screen but nothing shows when I open the board?


I can see it... you are not a FM.
The thread is not viewable as it's not marked public veiwable. Yes, well...




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blackhawk 

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Re: Freefallin'... Hellholes are Real
< Reply # 58 on 9/21/2016 2:51 AM >
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Posted by blackhawk


Add this story of the one that got away!
Fell 100 feet and not only survived but is expected to make a full recovery. A 60 mph landing... wow.
http://wspa.com/20...pposed-to-be-dead/

NEVER expect a safety harness to save you.
Falling in never an option.

However some have survived very long free falls with no parachute, some with only scratches to spite falling -thousands- of feet.



Back on topic...

If you're exploring inside structures have at least one good flashlight, preferably two. If your going where you know it's dark, have 3 and spare batteries.
A smart phone is not a flashlight.

Roaming around in dim light is a great way to find a hellhole the hard way.
Can't help but wonder if low interior light conditions contributed to this most recent silo death.




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Explorer Zero 


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Re: Freefallin'... Hellholes are Real
< Reply # 59 on 9/21/2016 9:36 AM >
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Posted by NeuroticMatt


This thread in the South forum? I click and it says I do not have permission to view. Noticed that the South forum shows new posts on the title screen but nothing shows when I open the board?


here is the link http://www.kwtx.co...ilo-393997881.html




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