Question - Chimney climb Kent

[obscurity]

East Kent Waste Recovery Facility - WikiWaste

 

[Scoobysrt]

you wouldn’t happen to know another way of finding chimneys?

I'm not a chimney climber, infact the last one I did do put me off forever when the ladder snapped off below me and I had to call a mate to bring a 3 tier ladder to get me down an hour later.

However, I would think the best way would be to go to an area and look up, you can see them all over the place. Go somewhere industrial and drive round until you see one that fits your criteria.
Personally it would need to be tall enough for the effort and give views worthwhile and certainly one not in use.

 

[f3l1x]

I'm not a chimney climber, infact the last one I did do put me off forever when the ladder snapped off below me and I had to call a mate to bring a 3 tier ladder to get me down an hour later.

However, I would think the best way would be to go to an area and look up, you can see them all over the place. Go somewhere industrial and drive round until you see one that fits your criteria.
Personally it would need to be tall enough for the effort and give views worthwhile and certainly one not in use.

Thanks for the tips

 

[f3l1x]

Ffs this is properly live and to the best of my knowledge still used for the incineration of waste pharmaceutical products. Those chims are often running. You should worry about the hazardous shit you'd inhale and the heat given off from them rather than security. Common sense should tell you it's a stupid idea. Also you'll get no view other than over the science park so what is the point?
I'd recommend speaking to come locals about the state of play here. Not a forum of people who have mostly never even been to or heard of sandwich in kent.

Appreciate it but I think all views are nice when you’re that high up there would be a lot more to see than just the industrial park, also as far as I know they only burn wood through the main chimney which of course even then you don’t want to breath in but I’m fairly sure it’s not chemicals. The question feature is there for a reason and I’ve got some helpful advice from experienced people so while many of the people in this forum have never even been to sandwich alot of them will know about active chimneys. Appreciate the advice though

 

[OysterJam]

Appreciate it but I think all views are nice when you’re that high up there would be a lot more to see than just the industrial park, also as far as I know they only burn wood through the main chimney which of course even then you don’t want to breath in but I’m fairly sure it’s not chemicals. The question feature is there for a reason and I’ve got some helpful advice from experienced people so while many of the people in this forum have never even been to sandwich alot of them will know about active chimneys. Appreciate the advice though

I don't know anything about this business park or what they're burning / what's coming out of those chimneys but keep in mind even if it is just wood, it could be wood with metal attached (nails / hinges etc.) or, more seriously, significant amounts of toxic paint on that wood.

Interesting to read this thread though, as someone who is looking for things to climb to eliminate my fear of heights it's good to learn the basic lessons and potential consequences from more experienced people.

 

[f3l1x]

I don't know anything about this business park or what they're burning / what's coming out of those chimneys but keep in mind even if it is just wood, it could be wood with metal attached (nails / hinges etc.) or, more seriously, significant amounts of toxic paint on that wood.

Interesting to read this thread though, as someone who is looking for things to climb to eliminate my fear of heights it's good to learn the basic lessons and potential consequences from more experienced people.

Yeah glad it was helpful while I’ve climbed a couple tall things before I was just looking for some advice on the consequences and risks but you never know it’s a big forum someone might have climbed this exact chimney before so it’s worth adding it in! I am 90% sure it is just wood no nails no coatings as I believe it’s a sustainable power farm which burns wood from sustainable tree growth, I’ve watched a couple videos about the specific plant and from what I can tell it actually is just wood being burnt but you never know for sure.

 

[OysterJam]

Yeah glad it was helpful while I’ve climbed a couple tall things before I was just looking for some advice on the consequences and risks but you never know it’s a big forum someone might have climbed this exact chimney before so it’s worth adding it in! I am 90% sure it is just wood no nails no coatings as I believe it’s a sustainable power farm which burns wood from sustainable tree growth, I’ve watched a couple videos about the specific plant and from what I can tell it actually is just wood being burnt but you never know for sure.

Fair enough, sounds like a cool place regardless of if it's climbable or not!

Good luck in your search mate.

 

[The Lone Ranger]

I don't know anything about this business park or what they're burning / what's coming out of those chimneys but keep in mind even if it is just wood, it could be wood with metal attached (nails / hinges etc.) or, more seriously, significant amounts of toxic paint on that wood.

Interesting to read this thread though, as someone who is looking for things to climb to eliminate my fear of heights it's good to learn the basic lessons and potential consequences from more experienced people.

I may have climbed the odd chimney in the past, both for work and play. If you are using a permanent access system (ladders and platforms) the thing to bear in mind is they are not used very often so things like gratings being unattached, ladder rungs and handrails corroded through and fixings to the chimney itself may have failed.
The obvious thing is you will stand out like a sore thumb while ascending the structure unless it has internal access.
The flue gasses can be an issue, but usually just on the downstream side of the prevailing wind, and even then only in the upper few meters. Also if you are daft enough to put your head over the top. I have had my head over the top on power station chimneys on the upwind side, both on coal and gas power stations. Glass works there is al sorts coming out the chimney at very high temperatures, again have worked at the top of these while they were on line, fair enough we had a gas meter and knew when it was too hot, the wooden ladders or scaffold boards would start charring and smoking.
Like any high structure the main hazard would be a fall from height, permanent access is infrequently used and also exposed to the elements, both the weather and any corrosive material in the flue gasses.

You can't beat watching the world from a high vantage point, a couple of photos from the same chimney. A 650ft coal power station, working in the flue gasses, but they had been put through a FGD (flue gas desulphuration plant, so were essentially just warm steam, plus the view from the top.

 

[OysterJam]

I may have climbed the odd chimney in the past, both for work and play. If you are using a permanent access system (ladders and platforms) the thing to bear in mind is they are not used very often so things like gratings being unattached, ladder rungs and handrails corroded through and fixings to the chimney itself may have failed.
The obvious thing is you will stand out like a sore thumb while ascending the structure unless it has internal access.
The flue gasses can be an issue, but usually just on the downstream side of the prevailing wind, and even then only in the upper few meters. Also if you are daft enough to put your head over the top. I have had my head over the top on power station chimneys on the upwind side, both on coal and gas power stations. Glass works there is al sorts coming out the chimney at very high temperatures, again have worked at the top of these while they were on line, fair enough we had a gas meter and knew when it was too hot, the wooden ladders or scaffold boards would start charring and smoking.
Like any high structure the main hazard would be a fall from height, permanent access is infrequently used and also exposed to the elements, both the weather and any corrosive material in the flue gasses.

You can't beat watching the world from a high vantage point, a couple of photos from the same chimney. A 650ft coal power station, working in the flue gasses, but they had been put through a FGD (flue gas desulphuration plant, so were essentially just warm steam, plus the view from the top.

I may have climbed the odd chimney in the past, both for work and play. If you are using a permanent access system (ladders and platforms) the thing to bear in mind is they are not used very often so things like gratings being unattached, ladder rungs and handrails corroded through and fixings to the chimney itself may have failed.
The obvious thing is you will stand out like a sore thumb while ascending the structure unless it has internal access.
The flue gasses can be an issue, but usually just on the downstream side of the prevailing wind, and even then only in the upper few meters. Also if you are daft enough to put your head over the top. I have had my head over the top on power station chimneys on the upwind side, both on coal and gas power stations. Glass works there is al sorts coming out the chimney at very high temperatures, again have worked at the top of these while they were on line, fair enough we had a gas meter and knew when it was too hot, the wooden ladders or scaffold boards would start charring and smoking.
Like any high structure the main hazard would be a fall from height, permanent access is infrequently used and also exposed to the elements, both the weather and any corrosive material in the flue gasses.

You can't beat watching the world from a high vantage point, a couple of photos from the same chimney. A 650ft coal power station, working in the flue gasses, but they had been put through a FGD (flue gas desulphuration plant, so were essentially just warm steam, plus the view from the top.

Prefer the view in the second pic! That shadow really paints its own picture as well. Lol but seriously thanks for the considered response - I think for me at the moment chimneys will just be a no-go, there are a lot of towers / masts around that have minimal distances between grasping points and there's generally just less to worry about when starting up.

 

[f3l1x]

I may have climbed the odd chimney in the past, both for work and play. If you are using a permanent access system (ladders and platforms) the thing to bear in mind is they are not used very often so things like gratings being unattached, ladder rungs and handrails corroded through and fixings to the chimney itself may have failed.
The obvious thing is you will stand out like a sore thumb while ascending the structure unless it has internal access.
The flue gasses can be an issue, but usually just on the downstream side of the prevailing wind, and even then only in the upper few meters. Also if you are daft enough to put your head over the top. I have had my head over the top on power station chimneys on the upwind side, both on coal and gas power stations. Glass works there is al sorts coming out the chimney at very high temperatures, again have worked at the top of these while they were on line, fair enough we had a gas meter and knew when it was too hot, the wooden ladders or scaffold boards would start charring and smoking.
Like any high structure the main hazard would be a fall from height, permanent access is infrequently used and also exposed to the elements, both the weather and any corrosive material in the flue gasses.

You can't beat watching the world from a high vantage point, a couple of photos from the same chimney. A 650ft coal power station, working in the flue gasses, but they had been put through a FGD (flue gas desulphuration plant, so were essentially just warm steam, plus the view from the top.

Beautiful views but yeah as alot of you have said active chimneys seem to not be the greatest of ideas while I have already climbed one it had an inside ladder so was relatively safe compared to the outside ladder you can see in chimney I was asking about, thanks for the advice though!

 

[Wastelandr]

I'm not a chimney climber, infact the last one I did do put me off forever when the ladder snapped off below me and I had to call a mate to bring a 3 tier ladder to get me down an hour later.

However, I would think the best way would be to go to an area and look up, you can see them all over the place. Go somewhere industrial and drive round until you see one that fits your criteria.
Personally it would need to be tall enough for the effort and give views worthwhile and certainly one not in use.

You mean Fall is based on a true story?

 

[Scoobysrt]

You mean Fall is based on a true story?

Not sure what you mean, I didn't fall, truth be known i was only perhaps up 50ft on a 80ft chimney (guessing here), I shouldn't have gone up in the first place as the ladder was obviously past its best.

 

[Wastelandr]

Not sure what you mean, I didn't fall, truth be known i was only perhaps up 50ft on a 80ft chimney (guessing here), I shouldn't have gone up in the first place as the ladder was obviously past its best.

It's a film about two people who climb a mast for social media clout and the ladders fall off leaving them stuck at the top. Somehow they manage to squeeze a whole film out of that. One of the worst films I've ever seen but it's worth watching if you want a laugh.

 

[Scoobysrt]

Oh I see lol sounds riveting lol

 

[obscurity]

Appreciate it but I think all views are nice when you’re that high up there would be a lot more to see than just the industrial park, also as far as I know they only burn wood through the main chimney which of course even then you don’t want to breath in but I’m fairly sure it’s not chemicals. The question feature is there for a reason and I’ve got some helpful advice from experienced people so while many of the people in this forum have never even been to sandwich alot of them will know about active chimneys. Appreciate the advice though

Fiar play if you think the views are worth it. You be better driving down the road to dover and hitting swingate tower imo.

Go back through the posts and check the link I shared which tells you what is sent through those chims and their purpose. Some nasty shit.

Lived down the road from them my whole life and know the manager that used to run the maintenance team there. So from personal local knowledge I'm telling you that trying to climb them is a very silly idea when you don't know what is being pumped out of them at any given time. At the top you are most definately exposed to any harmful fumes or vapours.