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I'm posting this primarily cos i think it's funny (in hindsight) and perhaps secondarily because there might be a lesson in it somewhere (but I doubt it).
There's a landmark building near where I live. It's been derelict for quite some time now and ever since i started BASE i always felt it was a jump i should do.
This episode occurred during my third jump at this place.
The site this building stands in is large, spread over many acres and has on-site security at the vehicle access gate in the east. The first time we ever jumped it, we had to wait for a security guard to finish doing his rounds with a torch along the perimeter fence.
The exit point is 170ft AGL and is a ledge about 2 feet wide formed by a step out in the building. The ledge itself has a parapet wall approximately 5 or 6 inches high, so it's actually more of a parapet step. To access this ledge you have to enter the building, find the internal staircase, climb it to about 100ft then open a door onto a lower roof. On this lower roof is a scaffold mast erected for restoration work which you then climb to about 190ft. From here you descend a ladder into a pit at 170ft. This pit is enclosed on all sides by a 20ft wall. Here you can kit up. (imagine it like an empty box. You climb down into it from the north side by scaffold and have to exit by climbing back up at the south side of it) It is in this pit that you find a very substantial structure to tie off to as an anchor point. For this you require rope. Enough rope to secure around the structure, then up 20ft of wall and then back down 20ft of wall to the ledge on the other side. I had brought a climbing rope with me for this purpose. Once kitted up and happy with the rope anchor point, you borrow the ladder from the scaffold on the north side of the pit and transfer it to the wall on the south side. You climb up the ladder and sit atop the wall, then pull the ladder up and lower it down the other side onto the ledge you exit from. As the ledge isn't too wide, the angle of the ladder is fairly steep and requires one jumper to hold it at the top whilst the first climbs down to the ledge. The one on the ledge then steadies it at the base whilst the remianing jumper(s) on top of the wall climb down to join him on the exit point.
The reason we don't exit from the top of the wall (although it is possible) is because of the way the building progressively steps out fom the top.
The big fear during all this is the ladder toppling backwards whilst you're on it, putting you into unexpected freefall at 180ish feet facing the building.
Once on the ledge, you then lower the ladder down gently and lay it flat on the ledge at your feet. This way you don't leave a ladder up for all to see and give away how and where we are jumping from. The downside of course is that the workers will be short of a ladder on the north side of the pit, but they still have the scaffold frame to climb down into the pit should they need to do so and will soon replace it.
On this particular jump we had decided for numerous reasons to PCA the first jumper and static line the second two. I was going to be the last off.
On reaching the ledge we discovered the ladder from our first jump (over 2 years before) was still lying undiscovered. It was now joined by this newer second ladder. Richard was to go first and Dan was to PCA him. As there wasn't much room to move on the ledge, Dan was to tie off to the rope hanging over the wall and jump and then I would tie off and follow him.
Rich stepped up and jumped. Dan released the PC and off flew Rich, no worries. Dan turned, wished me a good one and stepped up onto the parapet wall. I glanced to check the rope and pc were clear and wished him a good one back. He exited.
What followed seemed to happen in slow motion. He fell away from the ledge, the pins popped and he then achieved line stretch. As expected the rope straightened under tension and a millisecond later the familiar explosive bang as the breakcord failed. All good. Except something i hadn't anticipated happened. Upon the failure of the breakcord, the tension in the system suddenly released, and the now stretched elastic rope lashed back towards the anchor point like a whip. Instantly i could see the flaw in the plan. The rope snaked past me and disappeared up over the wall 20ft above my head. It had gone, and with it, my tie off point.
I was now in a dilemma. I was 170ft up on a 2ft wide ledge with a 20ft wall behind me and with nothing even remotely secure to tie off to. I had the ladders at my feet but not only did i not relish the prospect of trying to elevate one on my own with such limited room to manouvre and remain balanced, but even if successful i'd equally be unhappy about climbing up it with nobody securing it at the top or bottom. I imagined how NickDG might write this one up on his list should the ladder topple backwards with me on it. Would i make the list or would i make the jumpers who die outside the sport list. That hardly seemed fair.
Freefalling this height was not an option for me either. Others might, but not me. I weigh 220lbs at least and have a big ass canopy to add into the equation. The heavier wad of material, the heavier body it's trying to decellerate and the longer suspension lines puts me a lot lower on these jumps and from previous experience freefalling 200ft and the 2 seconds canopy ride i got, i set my freefall hard-deck a lot higher than 170ft.
In addition I was up against the clock. Two canopies had banged open and if security was even vaguely vigilant they would already have been alerted to our presence. I had to come up with a plan and fast. I could see the other 2 on the ground looking up and thinking
"what the feck is he doing? Get off there and let's get out of here"
My mind was racing but the options were all pretty sketchy. Remain on the ledge and get caught (eventually), freefall (nope), or lift the ladder and try not to topple it as i climbed back over the wall.
I went for a different option entirely.
I took my bridle and pilot chute and tied off to one of the rungs of the old ladder as it lay flat on the ledge. I then shunted it up as tight as i could to the parapet step. Taking the second ladder i laid it on top and wedged that in as securely as i could. I figured that with a strong push outwards,the force would pull the ladder into the parapet and not be enough to lift it and flip it over the lip. I did some tests and although the ladder did drag and move on the ledge, i was vaguely confident the breakcord would do it's job and then fail prior to yanking the ladder over the edge with me. I stopped thinking about it any more, stood up, checked for a clear routing and exited. The canopy opened and i winced, half expecting a ladder to come crashing down through my canopy at any moment.
It didn't and i landed without incident. We got our gear together and rushed to the perimeter fence, with me explaining the delay as we went. We all popped over the fence onto the main road, exactly at the precise moment a police patrol car drove past. We hurried over the road but it was too late. His brake lights were on and he'd turned and was heading back our way.
Well after we had convinced them we hadn't left anyone dead at the bottom of the building they told us to "feck off" and left it at that. After all, the building wasn't in use and no crime had been committed.
Was an eventful little jump that and the first time i've ever seriously worried that i might be hit under canopy by a 20ft ladder and if there is a lesson to be learned, i guess it's make sure your anchor point doesn't feck off and leave you stranded on a ledge looking like a pussy too scared to jump and a dummy to boot.
ian
hilarious!! ... now that it's over...
(well to the real storry anyway 
)
