Repelling from theatre catwalks

[Matt J Leppek]

As a Resident Assistant for my college we introduce ourselves to the freshman every year on stage. The day before the event we were talking about how everyone was going to enter the stage. Most ran up there, a couple did back flips. I looked around at the I-beams running over top of the cat walks and said "I think I'm going to enter from the ceiling." Everyone looked at me like I was nuts.

The next day I repelled to "Sabotage" by the beastie boys playing at a nice soothing 1,000 decibels , in front of about 400 people who all lost their shit. After making my entrance and answering a few questions, I blew everyone's mind by making climbing back up the rope onto the catwalks. I'm not half the climber the rest of you are, but just good enough to look cool in front of some college kids

 

[John_KAYS]

As a Resident Assistant for my college we introduce ourselves to the freshman every year on stage. The day before the event we were talking about how everyone was going to enter the stage. Most ran up there, a couple did back flips. I looked around at the I-beams running over top of the cat walks and said "I think I'm going to enter from the ceiling." Everyone looked at me like I was nuts.

The next day I repelled to "Sabotage" by the beastie boys playing at a nice soothing 1,000 decibels , in front of about 400 people who all lost their shit. After making my entrance and answering a few questions, I blew everyone's mind by making climbing back up the rope onto the catwalks. I'm not half the climber the rest of you are, but just good enough to look cool in front of some college kids

View attachment 39484

You are too cool for school!

Any video?

Sounds like it was a memorable entrance.......and exit!!!

 

[Matt J Leppek]

Sadly no video.

I was on duty last night and received a call from a student who found a cat stuck in a tree. Grabbed minimal gear and headed out at 11pm at night. There was a crowd of about 10 gathered around the tree. I forgot my throw line so had to go old school with a monkey fist. Tied a quick blakes and headed about 15 feet up. The cat saw me and climbed higher. We did this square dance until we got about 30 ft up until it walked out onto a limb. I did the upside down monkey crawl 8 feet out on a 6inch limb and could almost reach the cat, until it went to the very tip of a dead branch. No Jackie chan judo monkey swing was going to allow me to reach it, so I told the folks below to take their shirts off and catch the cat.

I gave the branch a couple good shakes and pissed the cat off something fierce. It hissed and moaned as it dangled by two arms, until finally falling into the arms of a student underneath who couldn't hold on. The cat jumped out of his arms and ran up a different tree.

Needless to say I still hate cats.

 

[John_KAYS]

Oy vey! Cats...
I don't know if you have ever seen "Inside Out" but it has a pretty 'spot on' interpretation of a cats mind. Here is the clip. To give a little background - the movie is about the key emotions that drive us, so in the movie each 'mind' is depicted as a control panel with specific characterized emotions at the helm. Watch this clip...especially the cat:

 

[Matt J Leppek]

Hahaha that is too funny. Going to have to watch the movie now!

 

[SomethingWitty]

Sadly no video.

I was on duty last night and received a call from a student who found a cat stuck in a tree. Grabbed minimal gear and headed out at 11pm at night. There was a crowd of about 10 gathered around the tree. I forgot my throw line so had to go old school with a monkey fist. Tied a quick blakes and headed about 15 feet up. The cat saw me and climbed higher. We did this square dance until we got about 30 ft up until it walked out onto a limb. I did the upside down monkey crawl 8 feet out on a 6inch limb and could almost reach the cat, until it went to the very tip of a dead branch. No Jackie chan judo monkey swing was going to allow me to reach it, so I told the folks below to take their shirts off and catch the cat.

I gave the branch a couple good shakes and pissed the cat off something fierce. It hissed and moaned as it dangled by two arms, until finally falling into the arms of a student underneath who couldn't hold on. The cat jumped out of his arms and ran up a different tree.

Needless to say I still hate cats.

Night time cat rescues are the best. Wear a headlamp and have a bright light on the ground.
If it can't see you, it is less likely to run.
Careful with those TIPs.