P
Philplop
Guest
Guest
After an intruiging "I know what I want to do for my birthday" text from Well Wasp, a plan was hatched to climb this 200ft chimney.
Arriving at 4pm, realising that the ladder was quite a bit higher than we recalled, with a carefully placed log and a handy piece of rope, I began.
Balanced on the end of the sleeper, clutching the rope, and wondering why I felt much higher than it looked from the ground, I lifted my feet, swang outwards and...
A pigeon egg fell from the top of the ladder, smashing lovely smelly slop all over my shoulders and chest. I'd like to thank Well Wasp for helping me in this, my darkest moment, by laughing uncontrollably. After a quick wipe down with some newspaper remnants I tried again. Successful, and far less messy. I reached the first level by 4:20.
My only companion for the next 35 minutes was half a dead pigeon, whilst Well Wasp overcame his fear of heights to make the grab for the bottom rung.
Soon we were both up, and a leisurly 20 minute climb to the top up 10 or so cramped ladders and we were there.
Well Wasp was first to surface, with exclamations of " ****! ****! ****! This is high. ****! " He does well for someone who's scared of heights I suppose.
Anyway, photo's were taken, phonecalls made, sandwiches and cake eaten, and we were almost done...
"What you doing up there?", "You'll kill yourself you idiots!". A fire in the distance. We'd been spotted by a gang of chavs. Packing away our stuff, the calls were closer. "We've moved you ladder you ****s!", "You can't get down!"
I thought things were going too smoothly. After a very quiet and dark descent, we arrived on the bottom level, the voices seemed distant, we made a break for it. A quick slide down the rope and a fast walk back to the car and we were on our way home at 7pm.
The ending was far from pleasant, but didn't detract too much from the views and the experience (and my expertly baked cake
), but for me, the main thing is being able to point and say "I did that". 
Well Wasp cowering from the scary highness.
The Steetley Site
Down
And again
Headland Beach
View across town
Arriving at 4pm, realising that the ladder was quite a bit higher than we recalled, with a carefully placed log and a handy piece of rope, I began.
Balanced on the end of the sleeper, clutching the rope, and wondering why I felt much higher than it looked from the ground, I lifted my feet, swang outwards and...
A pigeon egg fell from the top of the ladder, smashing lovely smelly slop all over my shoulders and chest. I'd like to thank Well Wasp for helping me in this, my darkest moment, by laughing uncontrollably. After a quick wipe down with some newspaper remnants I tried again. Successful, and far less messy. I reached the first level by 4:20.
My only companion for the next 35 minutes was half a dead pigeon, whilst Well Wasp overcame his fear of heights to make the grab for the bottom rung.
Soon we were both up, and a leisurly 20 minute climb to the top up 10 or so cramped ladders and we were there.
Well Wasp was first to surface, with exclamations of " ****! ****! ****! This is high. ****! " He does well for someone who's scared of heights I suppose.
Anyway, photo's were taken, phonecalls made, sandwiches and cake eaten, and we were almost done...
"What you doing up there?", "You'll kill yourself you idiots!". A fire in the distance. We'd been spotted by a gang of chavs. Packing away our stuff, the calls were closer. "We've moved you ladder you ****s!", "You can't get down!"
I thought things were going too smoothly. After a very quiet and dark descent, we arrived on the bottom level, the voices seemed distant, we made a break for it. A quick slide down the rope and a fast walk back to the car and we were on our way home at 7pm.
The ending was far from pleasant, but didn't detract too much from the views and the experience (and my expertly baked cake
), but for me, the main thing is being able to point and say "I did that". Well Wasp cowering from the scary highness.
The Steetley Site
Down
And again
Headland Beach
View across town
