A Natural High

Sydney Morning Herald

Wednesday February 9, 2000

By Peter Vincent

The point

Trent Geering is one of many young people gripped by the abseiling and climbing bug. The difference is he gets paid for doing it.

Spending your working day dangling off a skyscraper may be more of a nightmare job than a dream one for most, but for adrenaline freaks, life doesn't get any better.

Trent Geering, 25, a rock-climbing and abseiling nut, was "ecstatic" when he discovered that he could get paid for doing what he loves by working as a commercial abseiler.

"I was doing a lot of part-time work, like painting and cleaning, and I thought there's got to be something better," he says.

"The first time I went up it was a real rush. I've always been into rock climbing and abseiling and I still love it. It's great when you can find [work] that you enjoy doing. It certainly changes the way I look forward to work."

Commercial abseilers use similar skills and equipment to rock climbers. Once secured and in place, they need to move laterally across a building by swinging then gripping crevices and protrusions as they go.

Geering says the work is great for fitness, because it constantly requires balance, strength and flexibility.

"You pretty much work every muscle in your body because you're always stretching and moving in diff- erent directions - just ask any rock climber," he says.

The work itself is mostly basic building maint-enance, such as window cleaning, inspection, repairing cracks, painting or waterproofing. However, an appetite for the terrifying is essential.

Geering's highest abseiling job was sealing the windows of the 31-storey (142.9 metres) Observatory Tower, in Kent Street.

"You're always a little on edge, because you've always got it in the back of your mind that you're hanging on a rope 20 storeys high," he says.

"But at the same time you know it's safe. It looks dangerous from the ground, but I wouldn't go over the edge if I wasn't certain that it was safe."

Safety authority WorkCover requires that commercial abseilers have a range of skills, including competency in equipment assessment, set-up and use. These can be learned on a number of short courses, that are offered by private companies and industry associations.

All commercial abseilers wear a full-body harness, which is attached to two nylon ropes (one is a safety line, in case the first breaks) and devices called ascenders and descenders, which are used to control vertical movement. The ropes are always anchored to part of the building and trail over a piece of carpet at the edge to prevent wear. The end of the rope - which can handle a load of 3,000 kilograms - is

knotted to prevent slipping off the end.

Nevertheless, Geering's work worries his mother: "When she rings me, she asks, 'Are you hanging right now?' But you know mothers - they always worry."

HOW HE GOT THERE

Name Trent Geering.

Age 25.

Job Commercial abseiler, All Area Access.

Qualifications Technical Rope Access Concept (TRAC) course, International Rescue, Sydney.

Highs "Going over the edge first thing in the morning."

Lows "Rain and high winds - we can't work in them."

Salary Between $17 and $25 an hour.

Life Tip "Enjoy life and enjoy your work."