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 White Rabbit
   
Women's Advocate
Location: Missouri
Gender: Male
 |  |  | Re: Crane Climbing
<Reply # 20 on 12/4/2004 5:27 PM >
|  | | | Maybe it's cause the highest building within a 200 mile radius of me is 22 floors, but I haven't seen a crane like the one you guys describe. The ones I see, nobody works up at the top or whatever. It's just a machine on backhoe tracks, with a long (maybe five stories) square metal cage thing running all the way up to the pulley. You could climb those, I guess, but it'd be like climbing inside a ladder...
Anyone got a pic of the cranes you guys are talking about?
Underground Ozarks http://www.undergroundozarks.com
Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Kansas |
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Servo
| | Re: Crane Climbing
<Reply # 21 on 12/4/2004 7:49 PM >
| | | | Lousy picture I found on GIS:
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White Rabbit
Women's Advocate
Location: Missouri
Gender: Male
| | | Re: Crane Climbing
<Reply # 22 on 12/4/2004 8:19 PM >
| | | | Oh, yeah, I know what you're talking about now. I've seen those on TV, but I've never seen one this area as far as I can remember. Must be because our buildings don't get that big.
Underground Ozarks http://www.undergroundozarks.com
Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Kansas |
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WuffyFluff
  
Location: Large Crossing, Colorado
Gender: Male
Time is Not to be Wasted, But Used - WuffyFluff
| | | Re: Crane Climbing
<Reply # 23 on 12/4/2004 8:24 PM >
| | | | Either that or its because you live in hillbilly central, you greenfoodcoloringandvinegar-shooting prick..WB ;)
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White Rabbit
Women's Advocate
Location: Missouri
Gender: Male
| | | Re: Crane Climbing
<Reply # 24 on 12/4/2004 9:06 PM >
| | | | Posted by WuffyFluff
Either that or its because you live in hillbilly central, you greenfoodcoloringandvinegar-shooting prick..WB ;)
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That probably doesn't help, yeah 
Underground Ozarks http://www.undergroundozarks.com
Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Kansas |
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Sinister Crayon
   
Location: Colorado
Gender: Male
| | Re: Crane Climbing
<Reply # 25 on 12/7/2004 1:34 AM >
| | | | I climb the cranes at DU (Denver University) all the time because they are almost always building something new.
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dsankt
Location: live and in the fresh
| |  | | Re: Crane Climbing
<Reply # 26 on 12/10/2004 11:53 AM >
| | | | 
Ah, where to start... crane climbing stands apart from all the other urbex I do. There is so much more to it than the just climb, getting to the crane is half the adventure. Some construction sites have 24hr security, others are wide open. Sometimes you need the infiltration skills - walking through a brightly lit construction site, looking to all the world like you belong there. Other times it's slipping over fences when noone is looking and scurrying between shadows and equipment.
The first crane I did (late 2001) scared the shit out of me. At first I was sure everyone could see us because I could sure see them. It was here I first realised that people don't look up. Once you're above 2-3 stories very few people notice; especially people driving. They have too much to worry about at ground level. The value of relative brightness really hit home as well, people on well lit sidewalks/footpaths don't have vision adjusted well enough to spot you on a crane, even though you can make the crane out really well. This crane was relatively boring, it was in the middle of a giant empty block of land.
A year later the above mentioned block of land was well on the way to being a sport stadium. The view from one of the construction cranes while they workers were welding up some of the roof supports:
(thumbs open to full size)
Despite it being so easy we didn't climb cranes for a while, I'm not sure why we took time off. Anyways a new one popped up mid 2002 which spurred on so many crane missions. Access was easy and the inner CBD views were pretty impressive. Its nice to be level with the buildings. We did this crane so many times that seeing it go was really sad. I've never bonded with a huge chunk of metal lattice work before!
The crane missions happened non-stop for a year or so, I took complete newbies on crane missions with a confidence that surprises me now. I don't know how they would have reacted if the worst happened and I wouldn't want to feel responisble for them getting caught. We climbed cranes to watch fireworks, to take photos and just for something to do. Why climb cranes? Because they're there.
Early 2003 we really hit the crane jackpot. One small crane was used to access a construction site which led to another one. It was ~30 stories tall and provided great photos opporunities of the CBD. It was pretty sweet, with no noticeable security and no effort made to keep people out. It was solo-able and I got some of my favourite photos sitting up there alone watching the little cars and people below. I found the elation, the risk and the strangeness of the whole experience evokes a strange sense of immortality, an indestructible feeling. Plus its a massive ego boost to think you've done what 95% of the population couldn't or wouldn't.
Later some people got busted up a crane and were charged with Climbing a Structure. They copped a $60 fine and a slap on the wrist. The consequences aren't very scary, but getting caught is more about being beaten, or out ninja'd
Following the bust cranes died for a year or so, but with the crazy construction boom of late there are too many cranes to resist. The caution was largely unfounded, nothing has changed. It's still laughably easy to access the biggest of cranes. Lately we've been knocking them over like flies. One of the reasons its so easy is that you can't really lock them up. They're a giant lattice climbing frame!
Story Time!
It was 11am and we're about to notch our belts with the biggest crane we could find. In the pouring rain, with 2 on site seccas and enough people around to make us edgy we psyched up for the meanest cranes we'd ever seen. The site has 2 cranes, one either side of the building. The guards do proper rounds, though hopefully with the rain we could count on reduced frequency. The rain however posed other problems - footprints. You leave wet sneaker footprints in a construction site where everyone wears steelcap boots and the seccas will know someone is up to no good. We hopped a fence in the back corner, a bunch of trees concealing us from the survellaince cameras. We dropped over the other side and crept into the forest like maze of jacks, girders and beams.
With the rain dampening (haha) our footfalls we edged close enough to the secca hut to mark our foes and their vehicles. We silentl hoped it would be the last time we saw them. We opted to climb the crane further from the seccas though it was more visible to passing traffic. The rain took a bit of the 'general public' aspect away from the situation. People hardly look up, especially when its pouring. The last thing we needed was Joe Sixpack walking home drunk from a club, pissed that he didn't pick up and spotting us. Cue fridge magnet paranoia and BAM, the 2 ninjas of the evening are getting their tender nether regions probed to find WMDs.
We slowly skirted around the building away from the hut, in the direction of the more distant crane. With no signs of intelligent life (or seccas), we began up the crane as quickly as possible. The first 3 levels are the most visible and therefore important. A guy 15 metres away didn't spot us as he stood waiting for someone, damn we felt like true fucking ninjas.
We climbed skywards for almost half an hour, by the rain and the exertion combined I was wet right through. Somehow my camera gear managed to stay relatively dry  Up and up we went, finally reaching a point where we could cross to top of the building. We got off the crane and onto the building, level 45 all the way baby! The view was incredible (photos below), the rain giving every surface a shine and all the lights little auras. I'd always considered the buildings below us tall... not anymore. We hit the stairs for another 5 levels, coming out on top where we crossed to the crane again. We scaled the ladders to the trapdoor leading to the drivers cabin. Unsurprisingly the trapdoor was locked. The usual procedure for this situation is to climb externally. It's usually fairly easy (and not too dangerous) to reach up and pull yourself to the drivers cabin. Not dangerous in dry, calm conditions. I suspect mother nature hates me (i called her a whore once) and being the sadistic bitch we all know and love she'd probably love to exact her revenge 55 stories above the ground with an ice blast spell. That night the summit eluded us, but we would return.
We carefully climbed back onto the building for the requisite gangster shots (see below). I think we came up blurry in the shots from shivering. A portable toilet kept the cameras dry, with the door wedged open we just moved the portaloo around as we needed. After more photographic goodahness we dried out shoes enough to hit the firestairs down and not leave too much of a trail. We figured by the time we hit the sketchy levels (below 10ish) we'd be leaving no trail at all. Most of the floors were either apartments or offices, but we found plenty of maze like aircon plant rooms and button/switch/dial heaven substations scattered down the building. We left them alone of course, if we died it means we couldn't come back!
To our dismay the bottom doors of the fire escapes were locked. Luckily we found a squeezable gap to aid our escape. Thankfully we didn't come across our 'good' friends the seccas, but getting out is always less stressful than going in At 0300 we slipped over the exterior fence and disappeared into the night. 55 levels had been conquered but it left one question, where the fuck do we go from here?
more shots (inc more retarded gangster shit): http://www.dsankt.com/misc/buuus
[last edit 12/11/2004 12:25 AM by dsankt - edited 2 times]
sleepycity.net: watch out for the third rail baby, that shit is high voltage. urbex and urban exploration photography |
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Fallen_Knight
Location: vancouver BC
| | Re: Crane Climbing
<Reply # 27 on 12/11/2004 9:17 PM >
| | | | That is just amazing...
i'm guessing most of you don't bother with a harness and just go for it? i've always wanted to climb a crane like that. There are a couple up at SFU right now that would be nice to get photos of the view from up top, hmmm...
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Karnov
Location: New Brunswick
Gender: Male
| | Re: Crane Climbing
<Reply # 28 on 12/11/2004 10:05 PM >
| | | | I once tried to climb a crane. It was small, and I don't have a fear of heights...
At least I didn't before I was about halfway up. Heights are different on a crane. Anyone else ever notice this? Cliffs and buildings are fine, but when I looked down from that crane I almost spontaneously vanished from existence I was so scared. I think I was about 30 meters up; I found it really hard to judge.
Anyone ever fallen from cranes or other *really* high places?
Ab asino lanam |
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Fallen_Knight
Location: vancouver BC
| | Re: Crane Climbing
<Reply # 29 on 12/11/2004 10:51 PM >
| | | | Posted by Karnov
Anyone ever fallen from cranes or other *really* high places?
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I think most people who've fallen from a really high place by accident are no longer around to say anything
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dsankt
Location: live and in the fresh
| | | | Re: Crane Climbing
<Reply # 30 on 12/11/2004 11:29 PM >
| | | | Posted by Fallen_Knight
That is just amazing...
i'm guessing most of you don't bother with a harness and just go for it? i've always wanted to climb a crane like that. There are a couple up at SFU right now that would be nice to get photos of the view from up top, hmmm...
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(Referring to the above diagram)
Like Servo said, all the way to point a is staggered ladders. They just alternate the alignment of the modular sections. In my experience they are usually uncaged but still relatively safe. I wouldn't bother with harness etc for this, it will slow you down too much (especially if you have to evacuate quickly!).
Just above point a is a trapdoor that leads to the drivers compartment and the tower area d at the back. If you're extremely lucky the trapdoor will be unlocked, but you've more chance of finding a harem a pixies willing to fly you to the top. The good news is that on ~50% of the cranes I've climbed there has been a gap above the bearing swivel thingo to contort through. You'll get very dirty, however this is a safer alternative to the following...
If the trapdoor is locked, there is no gap and the pixies have taken the night off your remaining option is the external climb. Climb outside of point a, reach up to point b, then climb up to c. Physically it's very easy to do, mentally its a bit tougher. Here a harness and safety gear do make sense. It is greasy up there, so if you slip a harness will probably save your life!
One last thing to consider with going from a -> b, the cranes are not locked in place when empty. They are free to swivel in the wind, moving like a weathervane to face into the wind. They can spin surprisingly quickly, so be careful. You can see the swivel in Kowalski's shot below,
(click to open)
dsankt
sleepycity.net: watch out for the third rail baby, that shit is high voltage. urbex and urban exploration photography |
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Gringo Loco
Location: Kansas City, MO
Gender: Male
| |  | | | Re: Crane Climbing
<Reply # 31 on 4/23/2005 8:08 AM >
| | | | Now you've done it, you've got me in the mood for climbing a crane. I just need someone to do it with me.
"TubGirl is hot."
I want to be addressed as Sir Gringo DeathTruck the First. |
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duffgirl
Location: New York/Albany
Gender: Female
| | Re: Crane Climbing
<Reply # 32 on 4/23/2005 10:13 AM >
| | | | I climbed a pretty sweet crane on my birthday almost a month ago.....it was my most extreme birthday yet!!! We climbed the crane at a construction site at my friend's school in Troy, NY, and we could see the towers of my school in Albany. The view was so awesome, but it was extra cold since we had to go at night. The best part was that the operating booth was unlocked at the top!!! There's actually a really terrible picture of me sitting in the operator's chair.
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Archer
Location: Toronto, ON
Gender: Male
Imperator Sagittario
| | | Re: Crane Climbing
<Reply # 33 on 4/24/2005 4:19 AM >
| | | | Posted by KansasCity
Now you've done it, you've got me in the mood for climbing a crane. I just need someone to do it with me.
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Same here. Wanna go find a crane and scale it now.
Abandoned UE - http://www.abandonedue.com
"We live in a twilight world... and there are no friends at dusk." |
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Servo
| | Re: Crane Climbing
<Reply # 34 on 4/24/2005 4:41 AM >
| | | | Just make sure you understand the hazards before you go.
Tower cranes are allowed to weathervane; on windy nights they'll turn into the wind. Take care when going through the turntable bearing (the round part that connects the deck to the tower that holds it up), because if the crane gets swinging well it could potentially crush you.
There are railings and metal grating on the deck, but there are still opportunities to fall through holes in railing or grates. So take it easy and watch your step.
If you are climbing the variety that uses ladders instead of stairs, I highly recommend a pair of gloves as the metal will make your hands raw very quickly without them. Big backpacks are also to be avoided so you can fit into the ladder cage.
Also, this is the one time I would advocate wearing all black, since as Kowalski pointed out earlier in this thread, it's pretty hard to see you inside the superstructure of the crane on a dark night if you do.
And finally, make sure to leave no trace of your having been there.
[last edit 4/24/2005 4:44 AM by Servo - edited 2 times]
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GreyDeath
Location: Ontario
Gender: Male
The Darkness is coming...
| |  | Re: Crane Climbing
<Reply # 35 on 4/24/2005 8:05 AM >
| | | | Never done it... Sounds like fun though. And now I'd love to do it. =]
Just wish there was a crane in my area... =[
-Me!
Im not stupid, Im Canadian! |
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tnarduzzi
Location: Nevernever, LD, Canada
Gender: Male
| | Re: Crane Climbing
<Reply # 36 on 4/24/2005 11:48 PM >
| | | | As far as safety equipment goes, if you feel the need to wear it, I would recommend:
- A Construction Harness: http://www.higherpowersupplies.com/page/HPS/PROD/SA-H/GFP-01145
- A Y-Lanyard: http://www.higherpowersupplies.com/page/HPS/PROD/SA-L/GFP-01231
The harness, well it does as most harnesses do, but the Y-Lanyard is a way to ensure that 100% of the time you are fastened to the crane, even when changing positions. I wouldnt say that these are needed unless you are planning on climbing the exterior of the crane.
If you want to go for the social engineering tactic, trow on a pair of dirty jeans (dark denim for stealth factor), and a flannel shirt over a black tee. Along with props such as work boots/gloves, and a ID card. You would have to find a pretty anal cop to bust you, and while on the crane the dark tee and dark jeans will conceal you. As for a ID card, it doesn't matter really what it looks like as long as its professional, think a cop actually knows/cares what a real PCL id card looks like.
A couple of minutes in Photoshop can produce a card like this:
(If you want the hi-res .psd file, PM me.)
[last edit 4/24/2005 11:58 PM by tnarduzzi - edited 1 times]
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clark
Location: Illinois
Gender: Male
| | | | Re: Crane Climbing
<Reply # 37 on 4/25/2005 3:03 AM >
| | | | Posted by kowalski
I have, on a busy campus at night. It was incredible, and I had no problems doing it.
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i've been meaning to climb a crane in a similar situation, but have just never gotten around to it. building's starting to take shape though, i'd better get on it!
/Brendan |
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MrMusik
Location: Meridian, MS
Gender: Male
| | | | Re: Crane Climbing
<Reply # 38 on 4/25/2005 3:51 AM >
| | | | Yeah, you all have done it to me as well... now I have a bug up my arse to go crane climbing. I have this thing with enjoying heights, and I know what the others are saying about people not looking up and the awesome feeling that it creates to be up there looking down on everything around.
"She ain't no Cinderella when she's gettin' undressed, 'cause she rocks it like the naughty Wicked Witch of the West!" -Nickelback -Shakin' Hands-
"What makes bad kids bad? What makes them do the things they do? BOOZE, BABES, & BAD GUYS!" -Scum of the Earth -I Am The Scum- |
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Jesus Jones
This member has been banned. See the banlist for more information.
Location: back in Belleville
Gender: Male
1973-2005
| | | Re: Crane Climbing
<Reply # 39 on 4/25/2005 9:54 PM >
|  | | | Posted by Travis202
As far as safety equipment goes, if you feel the need to wear it, I would recommend:
- A Construction Harness: http://www.higherpowersupplies.com/page/HPS/PROD/SA-H/GFP-01145
- A Y-Lanyard: http://www.higherpowersupplies.com/page/HPS/PROD/SA-L/GFP-01231
The harness, well it does as most harnesses do, but the Y-Lanyard is a way to ensure that 100% of the time you are fastened to the crane, even when changing positions. I wouldnt say that these are needed unless you are planning on climbing the exterior of the crane.
If you want to go for the social engineering tactic, trow on a pair of dirty jeans (dark denim for stealth factor), and a flannel shirt over a black tee. Along with props such as work boots/gloves, and a ID card. You would have to find a pretty anal cop to bust you, and while on the crane the dark tee and dark jeans will conceal you. As for a ID card, it doesn't matter really what it looks like as long as its professional, think a cop actually knows/cares what a real PCL id card looks like.
A couple of minutes in Photoshop can produce a card like this:
(If you want the hi-res .psd file, PM me.)
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Cops DO watch TV, so dont bother using the pic that Travis has provided, for the guy in the pic has a TV show.
[11:23:20] * nightbird looks at jj's crotch in amazement
[19:48:06] <Freak> YOUR TOAD A SPLODE
[22:04:21] <keti> in fact, im rather robotic Virginity does not collect intrest. -Andrea [15:44:19] <Kellogs> i'm part of a complete breakfast you know =P wait...that sounds so wrong |
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