Industrial climbing what you need to know. Industrial mountaineering as a type of business: from theory to practice. What happens to promalps

An industrial climber anonymously told The Village who goes to high-altitude, how much they earn, what is good work and what is dangerous about lunatics with scissors.

Evgeny Safonov May 29, 2013
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About hiring

Industrial mountaineering is a difficult, but rather exciting business. I clearly remember the day when I “hung out” on a high-rise building for the first time. I was a student, and an acquaintance who was just starting to work at height suggested that I try it. To check if I was ready, he brought me to the roof of a 24-story skyscraper, gave me the system, fixed it and said: "Step." After some hesitation, I stepped from the roof onto the parapet and sat down on a special stand. Later I learned that normal people gradually increase the height: first a two-story house, then higher and higher. But thanks to such a check, I skipped several stages of training at once and immediately took up serious work, which is trusted only by experienced climbers.

About the diploma

Industrial climbers make good money. About 10 years ago, when there were very few of them and few agreed to this job, you could earn about $ 100 per day. Then it was decent money. Now industrial climbers earn an average of 500 hryvnia per day.

In fact, to work as a climber, you only need a desire. There are many special schools where anyone can be taught specifics in two or three weeks. The main thing is to be able to properly put on the system and securely fasten it. The rest already depends on personal fears and the ability to do a good job.

10 years ago, when they were
very few and few
agreed to this job.
could earn in a day
about a hundred dollars

After a short course of study, they give out a crust, which says that you are prepared and can start working. At the same time, most climbers are employed without any diplomas. As a rule, they learn from older comrades. It's easy - just a couple of times to work out. But for work on large objects, permission is still required.

Industrial climbers work in several directions: they can insulate facades, wash windows, paint walls, install lightning rods. The work is seasonal: in spring, summer and autumn you can earn good money, but in winter climbers usually have a rest.

About risks

The profession itself involves extreme sports and a surge of adrenaline in the blood. I was terribly afraid of heights, but after a while I got so used to it that stepping from the roof of a house or a balcony became the norm for me. You do everything automatically: you fasten the system, buckle up, step over, sit down and work. But there were in my practice and extreme situations. Once, on a high-rise, I stepped from the roof onto the parapet, I look at my mount and realize with horror that I forgot to buckle up. In fear, I stuck to the wall like a lizard. That moment is even scary to remember!

Forgot to fasten the carabiner
and just flew down. Tried to grab the rope but it's like trying to fly

There was another case when I fell from the second floor. Forgot to fasten the carabiner and just flew down. I tried to grab the rope, but it's like trying to fly - to no avail. Despite the fact that he was wearing gloves, he still burned his hand a little. Since then, episodes in films have been touching, where super agents slide down the rope at ease. Fortunately, then I landed successfully on my feet, but everything happened so quickly that I didn’t even have time to understand anything.

About women with scissors

Very unexpected, strange situations happen in our work. Once my partner and I worked on a high-rise, painted the walls. There were no options: I had to lower it next to the windows. And then some crazy woman runs out onto the balcony, pours obscenities on us and reaches for the fastening ropes with scissors. Maybe she thought we wanted to break into her apartment. We tried to explain to her that we were working - it was useless. I had to rush down. They did not dare to continue work there: money is money, but life is more expensive.

About fear

Industrial climbing is more of a hobby for me. It is impossible to do this for a long time, although there are those who work for up to forty years. I have never met an older one. And customers are reluctant to hire older people. In industrial mountaineering, mostly young people: for guys, this is not only earnings, but also a charge of emotions, extreme sports.

True, there were those who wanted to work, but did not dare. With one acquaintance, we stood on the roof for two hours: he tuned in for a long time, but did not dare to take a step. However, it is still impossible to work while constantly experiencing fear. Some take "doping" - they drink before work so that it is not so scary. But how reasonable this is, of course, the question.

About romance

Many industrial climbers get great pleasure from work: from a height, stunning views of the city open up, which are inaccessible to most residents. Alas, the work itself, as a rule, is monotonous and, frankly, not the most interesting: to make insulation, paint the facade, and so on. The weather conditions are terrible too. Sometimes you work all day in such a wind that you swing like a pendulum. At the same time, there are tight deadlines, there is a lot of work, so there is not much time to enjoy the surrounding beauty. But when you receive a large order - for example, for washing the windows of "Sails" - and you rise to this height, it takes your breath away. At such moments, it seems that all the problems have remained below, on the ground.

Text: Marina Kravchenko

The Village continues to tell how much people earn and what they spend money on different professions. In the new issue - an industrial climber. All high-altitude work - from washing windows to installing complex structures - can only be performed by industrial climbers who have a certificate and specialized equipment. Risk enthusiasts, who are fond of sports mountaineering in the mountains, and just wanting to earn money, also go into the profession. A day of work for a promalp can cost from five to eight thousand, depending on the complexity of the work. At the same time, industrial mountaineering is associated with a significant risk: a person may suffer or even die from a fall from a height, as a result of the collapse of materials or impacts on a structure.

We learned from a man who has been industrial climbing for 12 years and takes on all kinds of work, how he copes with feelings of fear, prepares equipment and plans his budget.

Profession

Industrial climber

Income

On average 160,000 rubles

Expenses

25 000 rubles

Rental of property

30 000−45 000 rubles

Products

35,000−45,000 rubles

5,000−10,000 rubles

10 000 rubles

10,000−15,000 rubles

Equipment and tools

20 000 rubles

Automobile

High and in the shade

I live and work in St. Petersburg, but I myself am from Krasnodar. Once I was walking down the street and saw guys hanging on the building and doing something there. Then I did not even know that the profession of an industrial climber even exists. In the army, I was trained in mountain training, it was interesting to me, so I looked at how they work, and then I just walked up and asked what and how. They explained where to go to unlearn and get a specialty.

First of all, you need to undergo a medical examination, which will confirm that your health allows you to work in the industry. For example, they spin you on a centrifuge, and then you need to go through one line, this is how they check the vestibular apparatus. But there are no very serious health requirements, as for launching into space. Then the medical examination will need to be held every three years.

They spin you on a centrifuge, and then you need to go through one line, this is how they check the vestibular apparatus.

In order to obtain a certificate of an industrial climber, you must pass special courses. Now they cost around 10-15 thousand rubles. I had three days of theory, and then practice, where they show the use of knots that were taught in theory, descent and ascent, rescue operations at height. Two days are enough for you to learn this, see how and what, after which you are given a certificate of an industrial climber and you can go to get a job.

Industrial climbers are recruited by cleaning companies and construction firms. But according to my observations, the majority still works for themselves - it's either individual entrepreneurs, or self-employed, or people who just occasionally hack. For all 12 years that I have been engaged in industrial mountaineering, I will have only about a year of official experience. Companies pay for training and provide equipment, but salaries are noticeably lower there. So most of the climbers are still in the shade, and they are looking for work through ads and through acquaintances.

"Caste" climbers

The contingent in our profession is very different. There are also risk-takers who come from sports and already have the skills to work at heights, there are former firefighters and rescuers of the Ministry of Emergency Situations. But there are a lot of those who come only for the sake of money, because it is believed that we have very large salaries. People from neighboring countries start working with little or no training. But such a desire to earn money pushes for risks and leads to accidents. He wrapped the rope around himself - and went to knock down icicles on a slippery ledge.

There are a lot of those who come only for the sake of money, because it is believed that we have very large salaries.

I always say that industrial mountaineering is not the work itself, but only a way to get you upstairs so that you can do the work there. You have to not just hang on the building, but also, for example, wash the windows, hang a banner, paint something. Specialties are different - painter, installer, welder, electrician.

Climbers have almost castes based on what kind of work they do. The simplest thing is to wash windows, this is what most climbers do. Hanging garlands and other decorations before the New Year is an installation, it requires a higher qualification. But installers are no longer engaged, for example, in sealing. There are other generalists like me. We can do everything, we take on everything and work all year round. In addition, the more different jobs you can do, the higher your earnings will be.

There are profitable seasons for different "castes" of climbers. Before the New Year - garlands, in winter and summer - windows. In any case, there will be work from the beginning of spring until December. But in January, February and March, there are very few orders, and not all seasonal workers are ready to endure this time. A person has finished studying, bought equipment, but does not earn anything for three months, and therefore he simply abandons the promalp and goes to do something else.

Fear and risk

The highest floor I have climbed is the 33rd. At the same time, I am always scared, I am generally very afraid of heights. I was especially scared the first time I climbed to a height in the army. But there was no option to refuse: scary, not scary - you will be forced. And at work, you have to force yourself. In my case, the desire to earn money is stronger than fear. Where else will I be hired with such a salary, I can’t imagine. It is necessary to be the director of the enterprise or to do your own business. Every time I remind myself of this, and fear fades into the background. Over time, you can and should get used to everything. It happens that for a long time you work on not very high floors - the fourth, fifth, and then after a couple of months you go up to the 25th, and the jitters begin.

I'm always scared, I'm generally very afraid of heights.

Accidents in the work of industrial climbers happen, and quite often. And in our team, people got injured, fortunately, there were no deaths, although I know people who died on the job. Just recently, they were collecting money for the funeral of one of our colleagues who fell from the 27th floor.

A lot depends on the work you do. The most risky is to bring down concrete and brick structures and pipes, installation, welding, hot work. Something may melt, the scale will fall. At high altitudes, we are dependent on the weather, especially the wind. Ten years ago, in Alma-Ata, climbers died because of the wind. They tangled the ropes, they could not descend, and people were simply smashed against the stained-glass window by the wind.

Under your own responsibility

If you want to work comfortably and not worry about your safety, then the equipment must be appropriate, but it is expensive. To begin with, it is enough to collect a minimum set, it will cost about 30-40 thousand rubles. If you save on rope, do not buy a helmet or take a tattered harness, then the risk of suffering is much higher than that of someone who uses good quality equipment. In my experience, many have been injured and even mutilated literally out of nothing, because they neglected safety. I myself recently hung garlands, and shavings got into my eye. I didn't put on my glasses, and here's the result.

If you save on a rope, do not buy a helmet or take a tattered harness, then the risk of suffering is much higher.

The main danger in the work of an industrial climber is associated with the risk of falling from a height. There are many ways to minimize this risk: carefully inspect your equipment, have all the tools available, descend with two ropes. Here I have a steel carbine fell from a great height, and therefore I decided to get rid of it. Visually, I do not see damage, but a microcrack could form on the steel, and under a certain load or jerk, this carbine will break. You need to buy a safety device not somewhere from your hands, but in a store and preferably with a certificate and a guarantee from the manufacturer. In general, there are people who make handicraft triggers, weld something. We live in Russia, here every second folk craftsman.

One of the main safety requirements is not to work alone. In case of a difficult situation, your partner should pull you out of it. AT big companies climbers usually work in groups, already well-coordinated teams, and private climbers work in pairs. Ancillary workers also help us: for example, we knock down icicles, and they stand below and make sure that people do not pass near the building at this time.

Chats for fair pricing

We somehow reached the figure of five thousand rubles for a climber's working day. Decorations and banners are often hung at night, and night shift already costs more - 6-7 thousand.

When I started, we painted a meter of wall FOR 50 rubles, and now we paint for the same amount.

Used to be big shopping mall Czechs came to decorate, only recently they began to hire ours, and they also began to pay less for this work. Prices in stores are rising, but our wages are not. Even when I started, we painted a meter of wall FOR 50 rubles, and now we paint for the same amount.

Until 2010, snow was not massively cleared, and no one was guided by prices. Then a square meter cost 80 rubles, and now - 20-25 rubles, and some are ready to clean for 8 rubles. You have to understand that if you don’t do it for this money, others will. Soon we will go on strike, like taxi drivers, or, like miners, we will sit down and start banging our helmets.

Industrial climbers have their own trade union, where you can join and pay membership dues. Several chats have been formed in telegram and whatsapp. We try to agree there, for what amount for what work to agree. There are also secret chats, for example, those who place ads on Avito. The customer calls one climber, another - tries to find out where it is cheaper. And the first person he contacts writes in a chat: “I gave this person a price of 10 thousand for installing a banner.” The rest, whom this customer calls, name the same price. But this is also not very effective: not everyone who submits ads is in this chat, and the customer will somehow find it cheaper, only then we will go to redo it anyway.

Income

For a climber who has been working for over five years, wage will be at the level of 80 thousand. Those who work even longer, know their business, can receive from 100 thousand. Much depends on the specialty. I paint, and I do welding, and installation, and washing. I did not study anything specifically, I mastered all the skills already in the process. Because my average salary is 160 thousand.

At the same time, I work almost every day: 29–30 days a month during the season and 25 days when there are few orders. My days off fall only on those days when there is bad weather outside - it started to rain, and we cannot carry out high-altitude work. Earnings also depend heavily on the weather. There are snowy winters, and you clean the snow, remove the icicles, there is no snow - and there is no work.

I work almost every day: 29-30 days a month during the season and 25 days when there are few orders.

I started a diary and write down every day what I did and how much I was paid for it. So I keep track of which activities are more profitable, in which months there are more orders. Based on my calculations, I can even choose which jobs to accept and which not. At the same time, it is important to calculate not how much you have earned, but how much you receive. There is a difference: for example, the work is completed this month, and the company will pay only next. Many consider the salary incorrectly - only what they received in the season when there was a peak in customer activity.

My partner has been working for only six years, and he already has a hernia, the doctors say that industrial mountaineering should be abandoned. One day, a metal beam fell from above and broke his arm. Now it's hard for him to work. Suppose you need to do something with a puncher, but he cannot hold it for a long time - his hand hurts. I think he will work for a maximum of two or three more years, and I am going to work for another 20 years. Health is good, nothing hurts. I know people who, at 50 and 60 years old, are engaged in industrial mountaineering. Of course, I'm thinking about what I need to switch to brainwork- transfer experience, teach beginners.

Expenses

I have a family - a wife and two children. My daughters are five and seven years old, but they have requests like adults: now they want iPads. The wife also works, but receives a penny. She is a merchandiser in a chain of stores, earns 25-27 thousand rubles. On such a salary, only one pasta can be eaten. So the main family expenses are on me, they take 35-45 thousand rubles.

This year I spent a lot on equipment and tools. Everything needs to be updated periodically, I also bought something newer and more perfect. The same safety harness - 33 thousand rubles. On average, 10-15 thousand are spent on all this per month. Work clothes is also expensive and often wears out. You need at least two replacement kits: it got dirty, then it tore, then it ruined it. In addition to summer, I definitely buy a winter set to hang and not freeze. A warm overall costs about 15 thousand rubles, and in one month you can change it twice. Now winter has just begun, and it's time for me to buy a new overalls. There was work related to sealant and painting work, I already stained it so much that they won’t let me into a decent shopping center in this form.

Vacation is a good thing, but the last time I was on it was six years ago. But the wife and children fly every year.

It takes 25,000 rubles to rent a house. Every day, the whole family spends about 1,000-1,500 rubles on groceries, which is 30-45 thousand per month. Since I drive a car, I need gas, maintenance, one thing or another. So 20 thousand runs.

Vacation is a good thing, but the last time I was on it was six years ago. But the wife and children fly every year. Usually their vacation falls exactly at the time when I have a lot of orders. It is simply unprofitable for me to fly somewhere, spend money on vacation, on renting housing while it is empty, and I will also lose the money that I could earn. Already in the spring we start to postpone and choose where they could go this year

My work is related to occupational diseases. They bypass me so far, but you need to have the amount in reserve so that in case of problems you can spend it on treatment. Yes, and you need to live on something until you can work. I also need to think about my own housing, so from next year I will postpone it. Seriously geared up for this.

12.10.18 38 390 32

Lots of risk, lots of money

An industrial climber is someone who cleans the windows of skyscrapers, installs advertising, works with lighting and metal structures at many meters high.

Mara Chulkina

former industrial climber

I did some of this work.

I’ll tell you how the work of the promalp works and how much you can earn with such a profession.

Who is a promalp

Industrial mountaineering, abbreviated as “promalp”, is a technology for performing work at height, where there is and will not be any support.

An industrial climber uses the usual climbing equipment: ropes and cables, a belay system, descenders, carabiners and other things necessary for safe work at height. The list of equipment and tools is standard, but the methods of using them may differ depending on where the person works and what he has to do.

8000 R

the average cost of promalp equipment

In any city, there are usually jobs that only an industrial climber can do. For example, high-rise buildings have areas with a negative overhang and complex terrain, just hard-to-reach places at high altitude. Where it is impossible to lower a person in a "cradle" or on a "scaffolding", they invite a promalp. You can, of course, use special equipment that will lift a person to a height, but usually it costs more than hiring a team of climbers.

Work is always associated with the risk of falling or injury, so only trained people are allowed to work.

What kind of work does promalp do?

The list of works is huge. Here's an example (this is just a part).

Washing windows and walls: There are separate orders for washing the walls of a high-rise building. Sometimes it is required to wash stained-glass windows in business centers and office buildings, shopping galleries. Vertical glazing at the ends of industrial buildings or in the area of flights of residential buildings also needs to be cleaned sometimes.

Installation and dismantling of advertising: banners, billboards, light boxes or letters. If the advertising area is large, then the promoters have to mount it piece by piece on the wall and wash it off if it gets dirty during installation. And all this is suspended on a rope, without support.

Working with lighting: you need to install lamps, change burnt out lamps, hang light garlands, decorative and festive elements.

Cleaning and painting everything that is on top: buildings, beams, trusses, communication masts, towers, bridges, lattices and so on.

Building seam sealing: both old structures that need to be “patched up” and insulated, and new ones, where these works are carried out after the construction of the frame, require attention.

snow removal, ice and icicles from the roofs.

Welding and assembly of structures. Welding at height - the most complex view work for the promalp. This is necessary when it is necessary to assemble or strengthen an advertising structure, fix fire escapes or weld small parts into place.

Working on tall trees: pruning and removal of branches.

Reviewing all of the above: in what condition, how long will it stay idle, what to do to make it better.

Sometimes there are non-standard orders, for example, to paint the facade of a building or congratulate a person through a window, but this is rare.

Risks and safety rules

Quality in work is a default condition, and for a promalp, the most important thing is safety. It concerns everything: equipment, survey of the place of work, access to the roof, organization of insurance, attachment of the tool, hanging over the edge, the work itself on the descent and the assembly of all equipment. Now in order.

The equipment must be strong, intact and protect you from falling. This means that ideally, before each work, a full check should be carried out:

Check all seams and lines on the harness.
Go through the entire rope in order to notice in time the places of chafing, cuts or braid that has gone.
Inspect the integrity of the details of the descenders, belay devices and carabiners.
Check if the teeth that cling, for example, a jumar (clamp) to a rope, have worn out there.
Check the board on which you will sit - if it has cracked, if the rope has frayed.

The place of work is also inspected before starting. This is necessary to find out how and where it will be more convenient and safer to work; where it is necessary to block access to passers-by so that something does not accidentally fall on them from above. They also always watch where people park their cars in order to warn them in time about the start of work and close this parking space.

invert Special attention you need to go to the roof in two cases: in winter, when it is slippery and there is ice, and on a sloping roof. Usually there is always a fence at the edges, but you can quickly “ride” and fly over this fence. And it happens that it hangs on a couple of bolts and can easily fly off with you. In these cases, no matter how lazy, it is important to organize insurance.

Organizing insurance is the most important thing. Life depends on it. One rope is not enough: it can break. Therefore, promalps always hang two on the descent. They go down one at a time, insure the second, and tie knots at the ends of the ropes.

The same applies to belay points - the places for which each rope is tied. There should be at least two of them, and both are reliable. Brick or concrete buildings, iron structures, air ducts, solid pipes, strong railings, stairs are suitable. In this case, the points of insurance of each rope must be independent of each other: always count that one point of insurance can fail.

Rope protectors are required. In places where the rope touches the elements of the roof - around pointed pipes, at the edge of the canopy - friction is created. Not all situations can be foreseen.

What happens to promalps 😱

One day our team was welding work. One drop of molten metal fell on the bituminous coating, it caught fire. For technical reasons, it was not possible to go upstairs. I had to urgently think of ways to get away.

Another time we were shoveling snow on a low building with an almost flat but slippery roof. At one point, the weight of the scraper with snow pulled the person down, his legs slid along the corrugated board, there was no fence. On the move, I had to push off from the edge of the roof in order to jump further and dive into the snowdrift. It is good that there were no solid objects in the snow.

In the summer they painted lattices on the windows of a five-story building. Part of the rope broke, so I hung on one without additional insurance. Everything else was taken care of: two points of attachment of the rope, protectors on it.

But it turned out that the visor above one of the windows protruded further than the visor of the roof itself. I moved along the wall horizontally to paint over the entire facade. Due to this horizontal friction, the rope was cut by two-thirds of its thickness. I noticed this by accident. Holding her breath and not taking her eyes off the remaining thin part of the rope, she slowly went down. I never hung on the same rope again.

Everything you work with should stay with you. If in the mountains a stone falling down can cripple several people, then in the city this danger increases. Any object that falls from a height, from a self-tapping screw to a perforator, can damage a person, a car, and a building wall. You will have to pay for property with money, but for a person you can go to jail.

All liquid to a height should be taken in moderation and in strong balanced containers. Light items - tie, pull together or put in a bag. Solid - cling to yourself with a carabiner. It is important to pay attention to containers. If a paint bucket has a weak handle, it will result not only in loss of paint, but also in a building, cars and people smeared all over the height.

Start and end of work

Hanging over the edge of the roof is perhaps one of the scariest moments in the work of the promalp. Not everyone admits this, but it is true. From a reliable standing on a hard roof, you move into a state suspended at a height of many meters. That's what the promalp checks before posting.

How the rope is tied. Under weight, it can shift from 10 centimeters to a meter to the side and spoil the comfortable position of the promalp on the wall.

How knots are tied. It is extremely rare to get really bad - after all, prepared people go out onto the roof. But the knot can "ride", that is, begin to untie, after a certain time, if it is tied erroneously or carelessly.

Where are the protectors? Under weight, the entire belay system stretches depending on how far away the belay points are. Therefore, the protectors can slide down, and the rope will be exposed on the sharp edge of the roof. It is better to tie the protection to this rope directly. There are also protectors for the roof, when it is thin and can sag at the edge. In this case, due to the displacement of the tread, the roof may be damaged, all this also leads to injuries.

Are all tools prepared? The right ones are taken, tied to a rope below, or standing so that they can be taken from the edge of the roof. For example, a bucket of water - it is inconvenient to take it with you right away. It’s good if the partner is still upstairs and is ready to give you everything forgotten, but if you work in this place alone or just pretend to be professional, then it’s better to think through everything in advance and prepare.

Each type of work has its own nuances. When washing glass, you need to take into account the movement of the sun and the direction of the wind, otherwise dirty water will splash on clean glass. Washing hot glass under the sun increases water consumption, reduces quality and turns into a game of "Hurry up to wipe before it's dry."

After finishing work, you need to collect all the tools, pull the ropes to the roof, remove the fence. This is also done carefully and carefully. When the rope is pulled out, watch how it rises. If the dirty end of the rope stains clean, washed glass, then the work may be forced to redo.

Strictly after the end of work and fees, you can remove the fence below. Only after that it is considered that the work is completely completed and it is now safe to walk here.

Another story

One winter, our team was removing snow and ice from the roof on one of the central streets. The traffic was great, so there was not only a fence, but also a person below.

After the command “Release” was given from above, I began to roll up the fence and let people through. And suddenly, from above, one of the workers throws down the remaining large block of ice, which lands half a meter from the passing old woman. She gets frightened, swears, but leaves, and we are left without sad consequences. It was luck and a lesson for everyone.

Gear and equipment

Equipment for an industrial climber is almost the main thing in the work. Here are the main items that are required.

Strappings from the manufacturers "Vento" and "Vertical" can be found for 1500 R.

Zhumar, crawl, stopper, figure eight, lattice, gris-gris, grasping knot. Thanks to these devices, the promalp descends, rises and is held on a rope. Usually they use equipment from Petzl, Kong, Vento, Camp and Vertical. Descenders without automatic blocking from "Petzl" and "Kong" can be found from 900 R. With automatic blocking more expensive: 4-16 thousand. At "Vento" and "Vertical" trigger devices cost from 470 R without blocking and from 1600 R - with blocking.

Rope clamps such as jumar and crawl, which are needed for climbing a rope, cost from 4,000 to 10,000 R for Petzl and Kong, and from 900 to 5,000 R for Vento and Vertical. Some climbers note that the jumars from the Petzl and the Vertical are almost the same in terms of characteristics.

ropes are static and dynamic. The first one does not stretch when loaded. Since industrial mountaineering is not rope jumping (these are such rope jumps), the static rope is used here. The diameter is usually 9 to 12 mm. There are auxiliary ropes for lifting a load or securing a tool. Their diameter is from 4 to 8 mm. Often used static rope cord - 6 mm.

Russian ropes from Kolomna, Dzerzhinsk or Irkutsk can be found for 37-56 R per meter. Expensive ropes from Petzl can also be found for 170 R per meter, but it is a pity to use such ropes, especially for dirty work.

150 R

there is a protector for the rope. If you try, you can find free

protectors protect the rope in dangerous places for it. They are made from different materials: Velcro banner fabric, hose and pipe scraps, fire hoses. In stores they cost 150-300 R, but you can find them for free.

Seat. Long work in a hanging position has a bad effect on blood circulation in the legs. Then the whole body can still hurt. Industrial climbers use a special seat - usually a homemade board that you can sit on. For the seat, you need a simple piece of plywood with a thickness of at least 0.8 cm and a piece of rope. Ready-made can be purchased at the store: in "Vertical" this costs from 1200 R, and in "Petzl" - from 11 500 R.

Helmet required by the rules, but not always used. Someone is too lazy to put it on, someone thinks that it is safe without it. In my opinion, in vain. Helmets cost from 3000 to 7000 R.

3000 R

worth a helmet. Wearing it is a must.

Miscellaneous accessories: carabiners, hooks, suction cups. Carabiners are connecting links, at a height they attach the necessary things, equipment and parts of the rope.

To fix on the wall in one place, you need a skyhook and a suction cup.

Skyhooks- These are hooks of different sizes in the shape of a beak. They cling to the ledges and recesses of the wall in order to pull themselves aside or hold themselves in place.

Sucker needed on a smooth surface like glass or tile. To remain motionless, the promalp sticks a suction cup to the surface and fixes itself. You can really find a hook for 550 R, suckers in any hardware store - from 170 to 900 R.

The cost of promalp equipment is 8000 R

Helmet	3000 R
Rope 50 m	2000 R
strapping	1500 R
belay device	900 R
descender	600 R

3000 R

Rope 50 m

2000 R

1500 R

belay device

900 R

descender

600 R

Training and Documents

Promalpas are mainly people from mountaineering, rock climbing or speleology. But there are also those who came here from the street in the hope of earning big money. If the first ones are already trained in technology, then the second ones need to be trained. For this, there are courses for industrial climbers. They are usually held in training centers and vocational training centers.

Before the start of classes, you are asked to bring photographs, an application, a passport and a medical certificate. Details may vary, but this is usually the base set.

Knowledge is given on work techniques, safety, psychological preparation, first aid. Some centers add more blueprint reading and basic electronics. There will be practice with an exam. After training, you will receive a certificate of course completion and a high-altitude certificate, which then will need to be confirmed every 3 years.

After completing the training, you will be issued a certificate of an industrial climber. These crusts of the organization are always asked for admission to work.

width: auto 10 500 Р width="1414" height="1076" class=" outline-bordered" style="max-width: 707.0px; height: auto" data-bordered="true"> Tuition fees can vary greatly in different cities and different companies. Here the training costs 9500 Р width="1414" height="1652" class=" outline-bordered" style="max-width: 707.0px; height: auto" data-bordered="true">

Beginning of work

You can't really start working alone. An experienced climber can afford to do simple work alone, but this is generally not recommended for safety reasons. If something happens on the wall, and you are alone there, then no one will help.

Among the industrialists, there is a story about a girl at a construction site in Moscow, whose partner once did not show up for work. The workers on the roof saw the rope and did not even think that a person was hanging from it. They cut the rope to take for themselves. The girl survived, but broke her spine.

A beginner promalp has two options.

Option 1. Get a job in a company that specializes in high-altitude work. You can start with the maintenance of residential buildings. Now management companies often recruit climbers who clean the roofs from snow, seal the seams, paint and so on. They usually work on a salary of 25,000 rubles a month full time. It will be hard, monotonous, but you will gain a lot of experience.

Option 2. Find yourself a more experienced partner. It’s better to start with a survey of acquaintances - this way you at least get recommendations about the person you meet. There is another option to search for private ads, but here it already depends on the case: you can get on dishonest businessmen.

A survey among climbers showed that a newcomer to the team can be taken if he already knows how to do something. In terms of salary in the first jobs, he receives a little less, because a certain percentage is deducted in favor of the foreman. This is not practiced by all teams. Much depends on the quality and speed of the beginner's work. Often they first hire as an assistant “give, bring and see how to do it” with a lower salary.

1000 R

receives for a grassroots shift - a person who stands at the bottom of the fence and warns passers-by about the work

There are also grassroots - these are people who stand below the fence and warn passers-by about high-altitude work. They receive about 1,000 rubles for a 2-5 hour shift.

Payment. How much does it cost to risk

An industrial climber does not run on the ground and does not stand on the scaffolding, he descends from the top down the rope, doing his job. This should be taken into account when determining the prices for services. The more a climber can do for one "temple", the cheaper the work as a whole will cost. To wash the windows above the entrance is one price. Washing a number of windows on the same floor around the perimeter of the building is much more expensive. There are standard works, where it is easy to calculate the cost, there are complex ones, where the calculation is individual.

Everything that is painted and washed is calculated from the cost per square meter. Everything is long - from the cost per linear meter and the complexity of implementation: electrics, painting metal structures, work on drains and air ducts. There is a calculation per piece: air conditioning unit, antenna or pipe.

Everything that does not fit into the framework of conventional measurements is calculated on the basis of N rubles per hour, day, or as agreed. This may be a small physical effort, which is complicated by a long or difficult access to it. For example, change a couple of light bulbs on a communication tower 50 kilometers from the city at a height of 70 meters.

Sometimes additional work comes up. For example, they come to install a slope or window sill, but instead they have to cut a tree on the same window sill. And only because the customer was not aware of the situation.

Promalp in the company works according to one of three options: deal, salary + deal, salary. If only the salary, then in the regions on average it is 25 thousand per month with a five-day working week if you work for the UK. In Moscow, prices are higher. With this option, you will have permanent job.

25 000 R

earn promalps in regional management companies

I interviewed my acquaintances "free" freelance promalps. Most are ready to go to work with earnings of 5,000 rubles a day. In Moscow - an average of $100 per hour. There may be more or less, depending on the type of work. A good order can be found thanks to your experience, skill and extensive customer base. But such orders happen irregularly.

Pros of working with a promalpo

Freedom of choice is the reason people stay in this job. And the basis of this choice is the following:

Convenient schedule.
Quick earnings.
A variety of objects, types of work, partners, customers.
A high level of physical activity allows you to keep a good shape.
Work at height, where there are few people and no bosses.
Beautiful views.
The opportunity to find yourself in places where not everyone gets: the bell towers of churches, the winter garden at the National Bank, the barracks in the pre-trial detention center, the stars of the Kremlin, the rolling shop of the plant.

Cons of work

It's really dangerous. The climber is threatened with cutting the rope by embittered, drunk or mentally ill people, falling objects from above, breaking the rope under unforeseen circumstances, strong winds and hitting the wall.

Sometimes you have to "knock out" money for work. The more promalpov, the lower the price of the work. There is a risk of non-payment, fraud attempts. Even proven customers can let you down.

Physically hard. You have to constantly go up and down with all the equipment both on a ladder and on a rope, work in a sitting position without support under the sun, in frost, dampness, in mud, dust and stuffiness. If work goes to mall then only at night. As one climber with twenty years of experience said: "It's like a professional sport with a high level of injuries and occupational diseases."

Diversity creates tension. There will always be something missing or something new. At the facility, everything may not be as described by the customer. The new team has to get used to. Specific equipment, tools or technologies take a lot of time: you need to find it all, order it, bring it in and learn how to use it.

Irregular employment, if you work for yourself. Illnesses, holidays, injuries, equipment - all at your own expense.

There will be really hard shifts when time is running out, and you need to hand over the object on time. A friend of mine once had to work continuously for 21 hours to take down and put back 600 square meters of banner mesh at a facility. In total, I had to climb and descend to a height of about 700 meters.

Finally

The work is hard, dangerous and dirty. Pluses turn into minuses and vice versa.

On the other hand, you will learn almost everything: from diplomatic conversations with elders around the house to walking on cell tower structures at great heights. You will find yourself in the most interesting places and see the world from above. Fear will always be with you, but you will learn to control it. This fear will either take you to the ground in the office, or become your intuition and save you.

And one day you will begin to collect a collection of answers to the question “Are you scared?”.

They say that you can get used to the height, and working under gusts of wind a few tens of meters above the ground is just working conditions. And yet the profession of "industrial climber" is an adrenaline rush. And it doesn't suit everyone.

Bohdan Lutsyuk,
industrial climber, work experience - 10 years

I got into industrial mountaineering by chance. He studied at the university as an IT specialist, and as a student he came to the climbing wall. Artificial peaks were not immediately conquered, but the process “hooked” me. Gradually, I got into a circle of people who not only had fun in their free time at the climbing wall, but also earned money by working at height: washing windows and facades, installing air conditioners, small repair work, cutting down tall trees and even evacuating cats…
High-altitude workers are called to places where, for various reasons, it is impossible or completely unprofitable to set up scaffolding or adjust high-altitude equipment.

Constant training at the climbing wall was not in vain for me, and after a while I began to receive offers from friends to earn extra money. The document for work, confirming the qualifications of a climber, is required so far only one - a certificate of an industrial climber. I know that most climbers receive this document in training center UKCOM, and I have the same. So the hobby turned into a profession, I became an industrial climber.

How to get into the profession

The community of industrial climbers is quite small, almost everyone knows each other. Beginners, like me in my time, get into the profession by acquaintance. Not because this is some kind of elite employment, but because usually everything starts with a passion for mountaineering: someone trains at climbing walls, someone in the mountains. Probably, the feeling of height becomes a need, it draws you in, and you want your work to coincide with your hobby.

Many try to "come to high-altitude work from high-altitude sports." Such people are characterized by weak construction skills and are not able to fully identify the problem in the working area. In Moscow, they really train at the Professional Training Center. (Training period - from two weeks. Cost from 13,000 rubles).

The main problem is the huge number of those who bought certificates for 5000-6000 rubles, who do not give a damn about safety, equipment and are prone to risk in pursuit of what they think is “easy money”. All that such people eventually find is problems for the employer, customer, law enforcement agencies and an unhindered path to another world. The climber makes a mistake once.

In our company, I recruit people over the age of 35 who have a construction qualification, have been trained and are not inclined to risk, since I am personally responsible for the safety of each member of the team.

Almost anyone can become an industrial climber. Of the restrictions on health, perhaps, only problems with the heart and head - both in the sense of healthy blood vessels, and in the sense of a normal psyche. The profession requires good physical preparation. There are no age restrictions. I've met industrial climbers over 50, it's all about how you feel.

Often industrial climbers go in for sports, strength and endurance are needed in our business. I do yoga, but more for the soul. There is plenty of physical activity at work. It just seems like you're not stressing. The work can be very difficult, stressful and always requires the utmost care and accuracy.

Altitude Rules
Altitude workers do not work alone - this is dangerous and is not allowed by the rules for working at height.

A law-abiding employer will not allow you to work without an annual recertification and with worn out or uncertified equipment.

Equipment and tools must be the best in their line, with a maximum service life.

A high-altitude climber needs to always be in excellent sports shape and extremely hardy, otherwise he will not pay off even a meter of a good rope with his work.

The climber must be able to recognize sudden changes in weather conditions.

Each high-altitude worker is required to have a first aid kit with him for first aid and the skill of evacuating a comrade from the working area, which not every rescuer, and even more so an ambulance, can reach.

Once I had an urgent night call. The wind ripped off the banner from the wall of the house, a heavy canvas with an area of several square meters dangled and could break the windows of the residents. I secured myself, descended to the desired height and felt how the gusts of wind carried me from the wall by 2-3 meters. It was difficult to resist and unfasten the banner so that it did not end up breaking the windows. I dismantled the banner, not ideally, long enough for normal dismantling, but in those conditions as carefully as possible. This is one of the most dangerous challenges of my career.

Everything starts from the roof

We are looking for places for fixing on the roof: it can be an antenna, special beams for climbers. Rarely are there completely “bare” roofs, then we are attached to the fences. It is better not to one, but to several at once.

The safety of an industrial climber depends only on his attentiveness. Each knot on the equipment is better to check twice.

Work on faulty building cradles.

Working with a ladder.

Rescuing a cat from a tree.

Arborist work (tree care work).

Roof cleaning from snow and icicles.

Work in the areas of welding.

Every high-altitude climber must remember that there may be a person with deviant behavior in the building who is ready to cut his ropes. To prevent this, our company will consult with the district police officer about the nature of the residents at the work site before starting work.

Often grandmothers and people in a state of alcoholic or drug intoxication mistake high-altitude thieves for window guards.

Vladimir Shirshov, CEO company "Vysotnik"

We know better than the construction commission about the real state of Moscow buildings. Sometimes you have to work in emergency houses: you start to go down the wall, and a brick flies out from under your foot. In new buildings, it happens that the stucco falls off. We almost always feel violations of building codes. Climbers do not insure life and health, although, it would seem, given the risks of the profession, this is logical.

Dress code for an industrial climber

We buy all work equipment ourselves. Safety system, seat, descender, clips, carabiners, ropes, special gloves for working with a rope ... You can buy a ready-made kit for 20,000-30,000 rubles. or even cheaper, or you can gradually assemble the equipment “for yourself”. More expensive, of course, but it's not a one-time waste. And it's definitely not worth saving on security.

Where does it come from

An industrial climber may work for a company or for himself. In the first case, you can count on a salary of about 60,000 rubles. Often, percentages for night work, work during harmful conditions and winter work. This increases earnings, from 3500 to 6000, sometimes 7000 rubles. for a work shift. But a "free shooter" can earn twice as much. No company will pay that much.

I work as a freelancer - this gives me the opportunity to determine the degree of loading myself, and sometimes dictate my terms to the customer. Sometimes the work is dreary and not very interesting, but not difficult - you can do it alone. And some tasks require a team of climbers, and it is important to explain to the employer why one person is not enough. Over the years labor activity already appeared and business reputation, and communication, so there are no problems with orders. Although, of course, the crisis is felt. It's better for newcomers to work for someone now.

There is no special dependence on the season for industrial climbers. We work all year round. In winter, orders are slightly less.

Interviewed by Mila Kretova

21.05.2015

Although industrial mountaineering is especially popular in Russian Federation began to use not so long ago, sometimes it is simply irreplaceable. Specialists in this field will be able to perform the task in conditions that do not allow the installation of special equipment. They will help you clean windows from the outside, trim tree crowns, seal joints, and perform other important work at height. Not surprisingly, the services of climbers are in high demand.

This profession attracts someone with a special extreme and the desire to pass for a hero in the eyes of girls. Others want to make good money. Many want to learn how to become an industrial climber. This does not require special education, but this work is not suitable for everyone. Important conditions are not fear of heights, physical strength, and mountaineering skills. With the last requirement, special climbing or tourist circles will help. It is generally accepted that industrial mountaineering is a temporary job.

Why is it better to treat a promalp as a temporary job?

There are a number of reasons why industrial mountaineering should be treated as a part-time job rather than a stable job. Let's consider the most important of them. Sometimes industrial mountaineering companies operate on the basis of tourist sections, which are open at higher and other educational institutions. That is why students work for them.

This decision is economically justified: young people are full of energy and ready to work hard for relatively low pay. In addition, the organization always has wide selection potential employees.

It is well known that industrial mountaineering is one of the most dangerous professions which is associated with high risk. With age, it becomes more and more difficult to withstand high loads, and when a family appears, the thrill fades into the background. The value of security is multiplied many times over.

The work of industrial climbers

Companies providing industrial mountaineering services perform the following work:

installation of a drainage system from the roof;
seam sealing;
installation of antennas;
banner sign;
reconstruction of the building cladding;
facade painting;
installation of air conditioners;
glass washing;
cleaning snow from roofs.

In order to start working as an industrial climber, certain capital investments will be required. For the purchase of high-quality equipment, you will need to spend at least $ 300. Be sure to purchase:

Climbers perform work in groups of 2-10 people, the size of the team is determined by the type of work performed. It is good that specialists have been cooperating with each other for some time and know how to interact well. This is understandable - work at height requires good coordination.

As you can see, the work of an industrial climber is not easy and has a number of features. The money they earn is well deserved. Did you notice a rope outside the window? In no case do not pull on her! And if you plan to use the high-altitude services of companies, appreciate the work of their employees. In the event that you see how work is being done at height, it is better not to go beyond the fence. This way you can protect your health. After all, even a small pebble that falls from the ninth floor can hurt. What about heavier items?

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