PAID TO CLIMB? HECK YES!

By Joel Schwarcz, Lead Rope Access/Fall Protection Training Instructor

Enjoy going rock climbing with nothing but 300 feet of air beneath you, a light breeze blowing through your hair, descending a rope, listening to your favorite tunes, and working as a part of a tight-knit team?

Rope access could be the career you’ve been dreaming of,  get paid to climb! It’s basically like being a pro-climber. Rope access technicians get to travel the world climbing all kinds of structures that would make most people’s knees shake just thinking about it.  Rappel out of a wind turbine in Wyoming.  Climb to the top a bridge tower over the Mississippi River. Traverse the face of a dam in the Alaskan wilderness.  Rope access work has taken me to each one of these fantastic places in my ten-year career spidering around on a rope.   I’ve had the opportunity to learn some incredibly cool skills along the way, including; visual bridge & dam inspection techniques, fiberglass repair, ultrasonic material testing, and radiographic inspection.

However, it’s not all fun & games. Choosing to join the ranks of Rope Access should not be taken lightly. This career can be hard on the body; you have to be quick, observant and adaptable to any change in your environment.  Imagine 12 straight hours suspended in a harness with the weather in the single digits plus wind chill.  Trundling debris off of a dam’s gates for so long you can’t lift your arms at the end of the day or wearing a full Tyvek suit & full-face respirator inside of a swelteringly hot confined space.  Sometimes a little type III fun is required to earn your payday!

Not deterred? If you think you have what it takes, I would love to have you on my team. Taking a SPRAT or IRATA training course is your first step. It will teach you the skills needed to climb a rope.  Such as: ascending, rope-to-rope transfers, re-anchors, aid climbing, hauling, tensioned traverse lines, and rescue.  Prove you can work safely, earn your SPRAT or IRATA certification and get paid to climb!

If this career path interests you, you’re in luck! We currently have an open position below!

If you’re interested in this course call one of our training advisors at 800.755.8455 to learn more!