"Robin" wrote in message
...
On 09/08/2018 14:04, Robin wrote:

That escape ladder is more like a wire rope caving ladder. I was taught
many moons ago to climb those with at least one leg going in from behind,
but *not* climbing from the side. The aim is to keep your centre of mass
as close as possible to the ladder. Otherwise your arms do too much of
the work.

See eg
https://www.flickr.com/photos/31424959@N00/129017789


Ooops, I was so desperate to find a photo with a foot going in from the
back I failed to look at the hands. Both should be gripping the rungs
from behind to keep the trunk close to the ladder.

Unless the ladder's against a wall/rockface when it can't swing to leave
you hanging.

we were doing a repair to a tenement chimney head a few years ago and the
owneres weren't happy about getting a bill so one of then sawed halfway
through a timber ladder rung four storeys up...ever since then I never hold
on to a rung...ever