Working wife :-)

[AJB Temple]

We had a slight altercation between a swooping buzzard and a dope pigeon minding it's own business last week. This was the result (I'm sparing you the gore)



I have a hurty footy so Mrs AJB T volunteered to head skyward (ladder is roped to scaffolding platform + she is insured

She fixed it.

Took snap of garden area in front of kitchen


Edit - deleted dup snap
It is getting a biggish prune currently.

I'm aware that Mike regards hook over ladders as dodgy. But this is all we had (and used the lightest ladder we have available) and it was secured to a platform so was not at risk of slippage.

 

[Woodbloke]

Kudus to Mrs AJBT; there's no way on earth I'd do that. We had a very similar issue a couple of years ago with a cracked ridge tile, but we have a tame roofer just round the corner who cemented a new one in place. Took him about 45mins, cost me £200 cash; well spent though - Rob

 

[duke]

Nice garden.

 

[AndyP]

A swooping buzzard managed to smash a ridge tile? What did it do? Push the pigeon right through it?

 

[AJB Temple]

Don't know, didn't see it. I suspect it hit a pair sitting on the ridge as all we found was a dead pigeon with it's guts ripped out, some feathers from another pigeon and two buzzard tail feathers. We have excessive pigeons frankly. There is a buzzard pair that must be roosting close to us though I am not sure exactly where as the nest I found seems to be unoccupied. I've seen them take rabbits, pigeons and one even somehow got hold of a big carp from the fishlake nearby as it dropped it near our apiary then came back and collected it. Must be a regular think as we have also had fish heads dropped. So far I have failed to get any photos of the dive or kill: it's surprisingly difficult as it is all over in an instant. One sat in a tall holm oak in our garden for about an hour this morning, doing the screaming call that they do. Close up it is quite piercing. Might have been a juvenile.

 

[Blackswanwood]

She deserves a round of applause for that definitely! Looks to be quite a steep pitch but I guess that's characteristic of Kent?

 

[AJB Temple]

Pitch is nowhere near as steep as the barn (which Mike climbed up without a ladder) but steeper than a typical modern house. She's brave actually. Much better with heights than scaredy cat me. She is also much lighter. Potential DiL was here too and she will do anything, but Mrs AJB T is a tough cookie and just got on with it. Top job. Proud of her.

 

[AndyP]

Getting up there is one thing, carrying a ridge tile and a bucket of cement at the same time makes it even harder. Not sure my MrsP would be too keen.

 

[wallace]

Did it myself recently and the sketchy part is transitioning from ladder to apex and vice versa, its quite nice straddling the roof and looking around.

 

[the bear]

Nice garden, looks like a lot of work, wish I had the time to keep something so nice.

I tend not to use a ladder to climb our roof(s), with handmade plain clay tiles I find them more likely to cause further damage. I just slide some tiles out, stand them next to the holes I've created and instead I climb up the batterns.

Mark

 

[Eric the Viking]

25+ years ago, I rigged our roof for working off a rope - what cavers know as SRT (single rope technique).

Cavers use ropes differently from climbers, and SRT rope is intentionally inelastic (as much as possible), as you use it for going places vertically, and you really don't want bouncy bouncy behaviour! So I out resin anchors on all four sides of the stacks (which are around 6x8ft), coupled with a stainless swaged safety wire. I could clip in and then work over the apex of the roof (a rope protector was non-optional!).

I found using a Petzl Stop descender gave the best ease of use (after experimentation, not an ascender!), and my caving harness, without the chest straps, was fairly comfortable. I should be clear that I don't (didn't!) climb the rope over the eaves, nor abseil down the side of the house (though tempting!), but used next door's very convenient skylight to get out on the roof. We have dormers front and back, that are close enough to the stacks to clip in, and on which you can leave kit or tools (nearly flat roofs).

Given the alternatives, such as ladders, it's extremely safe, as you literally cannot fall off, and you can move around on the roof fairly easily. I've replaced hip tiles that way, and maintained the solar panels, etc. In the absence of decent stacks, I know of people doing the same who've used the Dixon-Bate brackets on Land Rovers to anchor to, but that means a lot more rope, and would be impossible here as I can't get a vehicle close to the house.

It saved me a fortune in scaffolding, but nowadays I don't have the physical flexibility to do it really. Basic SRT kit is now around 350 quid (although you don't need all of it for this application), and 'semi-static' rope around 2.50/metre (and a rope bag is a good idea, and at least one rope protector for the ridge). But you do need proper training! I did use a safety rope, but mostly for hanging the tools onto - a bag works better than a bucket.

 

[SamQ aka Ah! Q!]

25+ years ago..... SRT (single rope technique).....

I found using a Petzl Stop descender gave the best ease of use

35 years ago in my case. Your account brought lots of memories EtV. All sorts of permutations of S.R.T. to get through Mountain Leader exams. Best one was abbing off with no hardware allowed. If you got over-excited, with said "classic rappel", you got a free vasectomy via the rope burns...

 

[AndyP]

35 years ago in my case. Your account brought lots of memories EtV. All sorts of permutations of S.R.T. to get through Mountain Leader exams. Best one was abbing off with no hardware allowed. If you got over-excited, with said "classic rappel", you got a free vasectomy via the rope burns...

Guess you’ve been watching Olympic climbing then? Awesome. Takes me back to gritstone climbing on Stanage Edge and the more local mid kent sandstone.

 

[RogerS]

Guess you’ve been watching Olympic climbing then? Awesome. Takes me back to gritstone climbing on Stanage Edge and the more local mid kent sandstone.

Yup...I've also been watching some of that. Fabulous to watch how they work out their moves. It's a proper Olympic event. Unlike that c**p break dancing ...ooops...sorry ...but Who TF cares...'breaking'. Or skateboarding FFS.

 

[SamQ aka Ah! Q!]

Guess you’ve been watching Olympic climbing then? Awesome. Takes me back to gritstone climbing on Stanage Edge and the more local mid kent sandstone.

Dropped in a bit Andy; those youngsters were impressive. Their pinch grip strength must equate to near a crocodile's jaw pressure!

I scrambled mostly, rather than pure climbing, because it was quicker, meant longer routes/further munros. We used to 'have a go' at anything up to 'severe' as a matter of course. V.S. would depend on the exposure, the party, and the experience thereof. The E grades were strictly "gear and ropes". I had two good buddies who excelled up to about E4; for me, seconding for them was hard work and bloody boring hanging about on a belay!