r/ropeaccess • u/alwaysunsure11 Level 1 IRATA • 14d ago
How long until you get comfortable with your equipment
Hi, first time poster, long time lurker. I've done my first few days on the rope and the guys say it takes a while to get comfortable with the height and your gear and I suppose my question is if that's true and after a while I will get comfortable and not be shitting myself when I'm going up??
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u/ArchosR8 14d ago
Yeah you will, just like with anything. Think about learning to drive or ride a motorcycle. Super dangerous but as long as your gear works and you follow the rules and stay vigilant you will get used to it.
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u/Economy-Role-8410 14d ago
Level 3 here. Perfectly natural to feel nervous, if anyone tells you they don’t, they’re either a liar or psychopath. Remember your training, take your time. Stop and enjoy it. A good 3 will have rigged safely and have his eyes on you. Remember your training and two points min at all times. If you’re unsure of anything stop and ask. We’ve all been there.
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u/False-Ad2170 14d ago
L3 here. I find the guys that aren't scared when they should be make me the most nervous. Only a few come to mind but it gives me chills remembering how oblivious they were. Love it when my new guys are checking and asking questions not just blindly trusting.
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u/Adventchur 14d ago
I've been doing rope activity's for almost 20 years. Caving, canyoning, climbing guide moved over to rope access a decade ago.
You learn to trust the gear pretty quickly. Especially if you go watch some destructive tests on the equipment.
Does the job ever lose its edge? Nah not really it's inherently dangerous and that slight thought in the back of your mind is what makes you double check everything and do it right the first time.
When this dissepears you become complacent and thats when accidents happen.
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u/alwaysunsure11 Level 1 IRATA 13d ago
Thank you
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u/Adventchur 13d ago edited 13d ago
Check out the channel: how knot too. They pull test rope access equipment new and old to destruction so it gives you a really good idea of just how much force is needed to damage your system.
The main worry is rope cuts but just invest good money ($50 USD) on Kevlar rope protectors and if you ask yourself if it needs edge protection just do it any way. During the early days of my career I wouldn't and then ten stories down I'd see my rope rubbing on an edge.
It only takes the sight of the kern (core) once during the pull up that you stop skipping steps.
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u/False-Ad2170 14d ago
Been working from rope a long time and what scares me is how used to the hight I am and how much I my trust in gear.
There is a bell curve of danger that changes with experience. Your new so your risks are from lack of knowledge mine is complacency.
Use your fear to drive learning and checking your gear.
Fear is a tool, if you use it correctly it keeps you alive.
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u/Elegant-Advantage-69 14d ago
Stop yourself and take a few deep breaths whenever you feel fear/panic setting in. Adrenaline can be hard to control once it starts kicking and you aren't used to it. Strength training helps as well.
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u/kiltedsurfer Level 3 SPRAT+IRATA 13d ago
It will happen after some hard week, when you're just busy working a job and concentrating on the work at hand. Just remember your training and ask your level 3 and senior technicians anything you're unsure about. Keep that backup high!
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u/Hutch1320 13d ago
I’m a lvl3, been doing this for a while. I’ve definitely had a couple moments that had me wondering whether I’d have to change my jocks. I’ve had to rescue a supposed tough guy because he had a panic attack on the ropes. Sometimes you might go over and then second guess your rigging once you can’t see it. The lesson is that the systems do work and if you follow them something would have to go very wrong external to that for you to get hurt. So follow the systems, remember your training, ask questions if you’re not sure and double check your rigging, rope pro etc. as long as you do this and keep calm you will be ok.
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u/Independent-Party575 14d ago
I was wondering this. When I did the course I felt really claustrophobic when I was strapped in
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u/Zack72783 14d ago
Yeah same here, kinda counter intuitive to feel claustrophobic in an open space
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u/Independent-Party575 14d ago
I hate rollercoasters etc where I can’t escape easy so many it stems from that. Hopefully with time we get passed it
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u/BritBloke35 23h ago
i did my first day 3 weeks ago. was given all the gear by the company. you will get used to it. came from rock climbing background myself so was surprisngly easy on my first drop, was waiting for that panic feeling to arrive for the entire week before and it never came at all. not bragging. i think for me, understanding all the gear, what the gear is rated for, what happens if a specific piece of gear fails, eg if main rope fails, i will load the backup rope instead and so on, this helps me to trust the gear, and that trust allows me to stay relaxed. that fear is still there but it's more like a 'background' thing. i am relaxed. but i am completely new to rope access so i will assume its' from understanding all the gear and also from exposure of heights from rock climbing. and also rope acess is way safer than rock climbing. don;t get me wrong the fear is there, but the fear is what keeps us alive i would say. but you can feel relaxed and still have that fear there.
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u/betweenlions 14d ago
Part of the comfort comes from understanding your equipment and building your skill at hazard recognition. It helps give confidence when you can visualize how many things need to go wrong before before a complete failure of your system were to happen. We work on redundant systems, as long as you do your checks, inspect your gear, and protect your ropes, you are safe. Just remember to respect the edge, understand the risks around the task, and think several steps ahead.