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Report - - Kelvedon Hatch Communication Mast, Essex, July 2012 | High Stuff | 28DaysLater.co.uk

Report - Kelvedon Hatch Communication Mast, Essex, July 2012

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GAJ

Mr Muscle
28DL Full Member
Bit of an old one this as I had originally tagged my pictures on to SarahSaw's report due to this being her first high climb and therefore deserving the credit for it. Unfortunately SS is no longer a member (miss ya!!) so all photographs of the first climb of this thing have gone.

Back in July last year a new member called Oakley posted in Leads and Rumours about this mast being decommissioned and this caught a few peoples attention, mine included. I hadn't really set a time to do this as I was meant to be going to Pyestock that weekend, so waited for the first report to land. As things so often turn out with me, I went out on the Friday night, got absolutely steaming and only woke up at midday when I was meant to be at Pye by 7am. Oops :D I promptly posted a few hungover messages on chat then asked if anyone wanted to climb this thing that afternoon. SarahSaw said yes almost immediately and PM'd me her number to meet up later. In the meantime, Oakley had posted that he had to abort his climb of it due to lightning meaning our climb would be the first.

It was a beautiful day, so dressed in shorts and flip flops, I headed to Kelvedon Hatch. To say SS was a bit surprised seeing a very hungover guy wearing shorts and flip flops banging on about how tall the mast was is a slight understatement but we cracked on regardless.

We made our way on to the site and started to climb the first section. We were about 30ft up and Sarah had a mild panic about carrying on so I did my best to persuade her to carry on. The fact she would've been staring straight up my shorts was probably the real reason for the hesitation, thinking about it. Anyway, I climbed down to the platform SS was waiting on and we spoke for a little while. All of a sudden, Sarah pushed past me and started climbing the next ladder! Yay!!! Needless to say, we made it to the top and had a wonderful view of the Essex countryside. A fine mast indeed :thumb

This report isn't a vanity wank by me by the way, I climb stuff regularly, this is simply replacing the original report by SS as she deserves the credit for facing her fears and making it to the top. I couldn't have been more proud so this is for her :)

K Hatch in all it's glory

K-Hatch.jpg


Tresspassing is bad mmkay

Trespass.jpg


This is where I had to persuade SS to carry on

Bailing.jpg


And carry on we did..

Climbing.jpg


Climbing2.jpg


All the way to the top

ShootingDown.jpg


The highest point you can stand on the mast

TopTop.jpg


After panicking at 30ft, SS now free climbs the structure 380ft up!!!

HG2Y0413.jpg


The top of Essex and it wobbled like crazy :D

GAJSSTop.jpg



A fantastic climb and a wonderful person to do it with. It really was one of my most memorable moments of 2012 seeing the total joy on Sarah's face as she looked off the top. I couldn't be more proud of you :thumb
 
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