Everything started over two years ago, I was talking to one of my friends who mentioned a big radio mast that is not far from his summer house and he was curious if I ever tried to climb it.
To be perfectly honest I didn't even know that the mast even exists and lucky enough it's located only around 25 miles from my home town. Of course it made me eager to try. I did some research online, to find out that it's actually the third tallest structure in Poland (same in UK) with the pinnacle height of 1135f (346m).
The FM- and TV-mast Zygry is a 346 metre tall guyed mast for FM and TV situated at Zygry in Poland. The FM- and TV-mast Zygry is since the collapse of the Warsaw radio mast the third tallest structure in Poland. FM- and TV-mast Zygry was built between 1970 and 1975.
The mast was part of military site up to early 90's.
http://skyscraperpage.com/cities/?buildingID=45466
My excitement was gradually growing. Soon after I mentioned it to Kev, and I knew that one day we would climb it.
In the meantime I called one of masts maintenance company (that did some service works up there) to find out more about the place - especially radiation and antennas. The company owner was quite straight forward and only proved that health and safety doesn't really exist in Poland - his engineers worked on the mast with all antennas turned on, just because it would take to much time to turn them off. Of course they were told that nothing works and they are safe..
I've also read @fb thread http://www.28dayslater.co.uk/faq-antennas-masts-aerials-etc.t85917#post-999008 several times and contacted him and @Bigjobs to get more information etc.
Some time ago we went to check it during the day, and it looked very promising and we booked flights back straight away.
A week before the journey I spent every day on checking the weather, my biggest worry was a sudden, spring thunder storm, we get them quite often in that area in May.
And finally we were there, standing on the bottom of 346m guyed giant. We had to climb outside structure to avoid some sensors and cameras, that covered the first set of ladders. And then it was just a very long, exhausting way up. It took me about 90-100 minutes to climb it, Kev has reached the top about 30 minutes before me (surprise surprise
). I must admit, for me it was a nightmare, physically I wasn't prepared to climb something that tall at all. I don't even have much experience in climbing masts - all I ever climbed was disused Kelvedon mast ages ago, but it was a tiny one (90-100m) comparing to this one.
So you can only imagine how proud I felt when I eventually found myself on the top of it. Well not exactly the top - we stopped at the second level from the top avoiding big TV antenna with a ladder going right through it.
I wish I could say that the view was breathtaking - it wasn't at all. We were surrounded by never ending fields and woods. Funny enough I couldn't really tell how high we are, mostly because there was nothing around. Totally different than climbing buildings or cranes in the city.
We didn't spend much time on the top, we took some pictures and climbed down. And that's it. After two years of knowing about Zygry I finally managed to do it.
I don't think I will ever climb something that tall in my life again.
On with the pics (Kev's and mine)
There wasn't really much to photograph apart from the structure itself.
Lights were still on when we started climbing:
Fields and woods
Sunrise
"Antennas to heaven"
and me finally reaching the last level..
and TV antenna on the top
On the way down
And some guy-wires
As I said before, we stopped climbing on the bottom of the TV antenna (80kW). Mast is still in use and we weren't sure if the top antenna still works or not. While climbing up I stopped on the level with huge telecom drums around it, trying to get some rest there. Soon after I started feeling a bit dizzy, I think it was a placebo effect but I didn't really want to check I was tired too so maybe it was it.
And when it comes to my climbing technique - there is no technique at all, the fact that I never give made it possible for me. Whole thing left me in pain and covered in bruises.
Climbing this mast, with no doubts, is a huge achievement for me, I was well proud of myself after and extremely exhausted..
Thank you Kev for leaving some snickers bars half way up and T for being there!
Enjoy!
And here is some info about the other Polish mast - Warsaw Radio Mast that was the tallest land-based structure ever built, before Burj Khalifa was completed in 2010. Total height of 2,120.7 ft (646m) 420 tonnes, built in 1974.
It collapsed in early 90' - catastrophic failure, caused by an error in exchanging the guy-wires on the highest stock, led to the collapse of the mast. The mast first bent and then snapped at roughly half its height. Apparently it went down in 30 seconds
Here is some pics of the collapsed mast
And link where you can find more information:
Warsaw Radio Mast
To be perfectly honest I didn't even know that the mast even exists and lucky enough it's located only around 25 miles from my home town. Of course it made me eager to try. I did some research online, to find out that it's actually the third tallest structure in Poland (same in UK) with the pinnacle height of 1135f (346m).
The FM- and TV-mast Zygry is a 346 metre tall guyed mast for FM and TV situated at Zygry in Poland. The FM- and TV-mast Zygry is since the collapse of the Warsaw radio mast the third tallest structure in Poland. FM- and TV-mast Zygry was built between 1970 and 1975.
The mast was part of military site up to early 90's.
http://skyscraperpage.com/cities/?buildingID=45466
My excitement was gradually growing. Soon after I mentioned it to Kev, and I knew that one day we would climb it.
In the meantime I called one of masts maintenance company (that did some service works up there) to find out more about the place - especially radiation and antennas. The company owner was quite straight forward and only proved that health and safety doesn't really exist in Poland - his engineers worked on the mast with all antennas turned on, just because it would take to much time to turn them off. Of course they were told that nothing works and they are safe..
I've also read @fb thread http://www.28dayslater.co.uk/faq-antennas-masts-aerials-etc.t85917#post-999008 several times and contacted him and @Bigjobs to get more information etc.
Some time ago we went to check it during the day, and it looked very promising and we booked flights back straight away.
A week before the journey I spent every day on checking the weather, my biggest worry was a sudden, spring thunder storm, we get them quite often in that area in May.
And finally we were there, standing on the bottom of 346m guyed giant. We had to climb outside structure to avoid some sensors and cameras, that covered the first set of ladders. And then it was just a very long, exhausting way up. It took me about 90-100 minutes to climb it, Kev has reached the top about 30 minutes before me (surprise surprise
). I must admit, for me it was a nightmare, physically I wasn't prepared to climb something that tall at all. I don't even have much experience in climbing masts - all I ever climbed was disused Kelvedon mast ages ago, but it was a tiny one (90-100m) comparing to this one.So you can only imagine how proud I felt when I eventually found myself on the top of it. Well not exactly the top - we stopped at the second level from the top avoiding big TV antenna with a ladder going right through it.
I wish I could say that the view was breathtaking - it wasn't at all. We were surrounded by never ending fields and woods. Funny enough I couldn't really tell how high we are, mostly because there was nothing around. Totally different than climbing buildings or cranes in the city.
We didn't spend much time on the top, we took some pictures and climbed down. And that's it. After two years of knowing about Zygry I finally managed to do it.
I don't think I will ever climb something that tall in my life again.
On with the pics (Kev's and mine)
There wasn't really much to photograph apart from the structure itself.
Lights were still on when we started climbing:
Fields and woods
Sunrise
"Antennas to heaven"
and me finally reaching the last level..
and TV antenna on the top
On the way down
And some guy-wires
As I said before, we stopped climbing on the bottom of the TV antenna (80kW). Mast is still in use and we weren't sure if the top antenna still works or not. While climbing up I stopped on the level with huge telecom drums around it, trying to get some rest there. Soon after I started feeling a bit dizzy, I think it was a placebo effect but I didn't really want to check
I was tired too so maybe it was it.And when it comes to my climbing technique - there is no technique at all, the fact that I never give made it possible for me. Whole thing left me in pain and covered in bruises.
Climbing this mast, with no doubts, is a huge achievement for me, I was well proud of myself after and extremely exhausted..
Thank you Kev for leaving some snickers bars half way up
and T for being there!Enjoy!
And here is some info about the other Polish mast - Warsaw Radio Mast that was the tallest land-based structure ever built, before Burj Khalifa was completed in 2010. Total height of 2,120.7 ft (646m) 420 tonnes, built in 1974.
It collapsed in early 90' - catastrophic failure, caused by an error in exchanging the guy-wires on the highest stock, led to the collapse of the mast. The mast first bent and then snapped at roughly half its height. Apparently it went down in 30 seconds
Here is some pics of the collapsed mast
And link where you can find more information:
Warsaw Radio Mast
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Awesome job!
