On Sat, 21 Nov 2020 11:58:13 +0000, alan_m
wrote:

snip

I wonder how narrow some of the rungs would be with a longer telescopic
ladder? The top rungs would be OK because of the narrowness of the side
rails but for the lower rungs the side rail has to accommodate all the
other side rails inside of it.

I would assume (but don't know) that they would make the longer
ladders slightly wider (at the base) to accommodate that?

With my 3.Xm telescopic ladder and wearing fairly wide safety shoes that
climbing down I tend to start touching the side rail and have to adjust
my position which can be a PITA when carrying something down.

Understood.

As other have commented the better quality telescopic ladders are not
particularly light and a 6m to 10m may be quite heavy if it is not to
flex too much when using it.

I think 'flex' is one of those things you would get (or have to get)
used to and learn it's 'par for the course', compared with a rigid
ladder. Like stepping out onto glass floored viewing platform at the
top of a tower or skyscraper and trusting that it's not going to crack
and you fall though.

Flex on a telescopic might be like flex with a reed rather than the
stiffness of an oak tree etc.

Cheers, T i m