Smokestack climbers

[Johnyxxx]

Hello,

How does English call crazy people who are into climbing high smokestacks?

Thanks a lot.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Hello,

What do you English speakers call crazy people who are into climbing high smokestacks?

Thanks a lot.

Smokestack climbers.

You're welcome.

 

[GoesStation]

People who climb structures like that professionally (to perform maintenance, for example) are called steeplejacks. There's probably a name for daredevils who do it for fun, but I don't know what it might be.

 

[Rover_KE]

Yes, there is — and somebody will tell us soon, I'm sure. I can't remember it.

​Have you read 'The Nervous Steeplejack' by Alf Hall?

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

I Googled it before I answered. "Smokestack climber" was the only term I found. Love to know if there's another name for it.

Steeplejacks aren't recreational climbers. Smokestack climbers do it fun or publicity - Greenpeace theater, for instance. When I moved here (Augusta, Maine, USA) fifteen years ago, there was a smokestack with "No LNG" painted near the top. The owner solved it by tearing down the smokestack.

Clearly the work of a mad (or at least angry) smokestack climber.

Google it and check it out.

 

[emsr2d2]

I don't think we have a specific word in BrE for protestors who climb tall structures in order to hang banners, paint slogans or simply to hang out at the top to get some publicity.

There are people who climb very tall structures merely as a challenge (usually illegally). I think they are referred to sometimes as "extreme climbers". The people who climb very tall structures and then jump off, using a parachute to save them from a splatty end (by the way, I made up "splatty") are called "BASE jumpers". The acronym "BASE" comes from the first letter of "building, antenna, span and earth". "Span" means "bridge" and "earth" is apparently used to denote a cliff. Those are the four types of structure that BASE jumpers jump off. Quite a lot of them die - according to Wikipedia there is one fatality for every 60 jumps.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

I don't think we have a specific word in BrE for protestors who climb tall structures in order to hang banners, paint slogans or simply to hang out at the top to get some publicity.

There are people who climb very tall structures merely as a challenge (usually illegally). I think they are referred to sometimes as "extreme climbers". The people who climb very tall structures and then jump off, using a parachute to save them from a splatty end (by the way, I made up "splatty") are called "BASE jumpers". The acronym "BASE" comes from the first letter of "building, antenna, span and earth". "Span" means "bridge" and "earth" is apparently used to denote a cliff. Those are the four types of structure that BASE jumpers jump off. Quite a lot of them die - according to Wikipedia there is one fatality for every 60 jumps.

Good explanation. Thanks! Remind me to only jump 59 times!

 

[Rover_KE]

First read 'The Perils of BASE Jumping' by Faye Tality.

 

[Tdol]

Remind me to only jump 59 times!

I'll do the last one for you. :splat:

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

You're in luck. Faye Tality beat you to it!