Topic: Climbing Pipes? ...anyone?

[comradeKhan]

A thought occurred to me, as I was taking a ride back home from school and noticing all of the opportunities to make my way easily over significantly high walls.  This thought was "The only way up is always a pipe."  I think this is a little overlooked and should be considered a more streamlined skill in parkour, especially if you live in my hometown with mostly parking lots and two story featureless buildings.

I haven't found any info, after giving it an hour or so of searching, on climbing pipes that are attached to high walls.  There are several kinds of pipes that I am talking about:

1. Pipes the width of a baseball, typically leading from an upper story into the ground, following the wall, of course.
2. Thin pipes, the diameter of a quarter, probably electrical wiring, leading from anywhere to the roof (usually, it depends), following the wall.  May not be as strong as the above mentioned, but it's still strong and solid with the wall.
3. Loose pipes and polls:  Usually gutters (not safe, yeah), or light fixture polls that happen to be following the wall.
NOTE:  All of these are so close to the wall that a finger's grip is all you could get behind them.

There may be more, but I simple can't get passed the fact that in my town, which is mostly a parking lot (suburban, lots of empty space, inhabited by featureless buildings), the most useful technique is climbing these pipes.  So, does anybody have a link or suggestion regarding training for climbing these things that doesn't involve trespassing or risky guessing games about stability?  It would be greatly appreciated.

What about skills beyond just climbing them?  What about jumping from cats onto pipes, or vaults to pipes?  Right away you can say that climbing a pipe is as intuitive as landing a jump or lifting yourself over a wall, but after some thought, I began to consider all of the possible ways onto these 'vertical bridges' (named because I notice that they are usually A. the only way to the top, and B. easy to get to from either end) from spider walks, to cat hangs, to an existing pipe you are already on.  Furthermore, what about the ways off of these?  With no good foothold on thin pipes, you must incorperate some skill to jump left or right to reach a balcony or roof.  Maybe precisions from pipes.  It's a shame that there isn't more information and tutorials respecting how useful these pathways are.

[Jereme Sanders]

Climbing in general is a very useful skill and parkour and while there might not be a lot of questions on the subject its not something to be overlooked

[Jordan Strybos]

Yeah this skill is definitely worth experimenting with, especially if that's basically all there is in your town.  Just be sure to check all of your surfaces and don't try to do anything too rash.  If nothing else, it'll still give you a good workout:).  Good luck and definitely post a video if you get good and fluid at it.

[mickey stewart]

i know what you mean, there is pipe about 8 feet up a one story school that i use to get up on the roof with!

[Kyle Gouch 'Triple K']

climbing ropes like ones in gym class are good training for this.

[ryan grice]

Thanks for bringing those up, I'll definitely keep an eye out for some good pipes next time I'm out. As for footholds on the thin ones, with sufficient finger strength I think you could hold said pipe while putting your feet on the wall next to it. That's similar to this wall I love that's nearly vertical but can be qm'd if you use the lip of it for finger grips. Just make double sure to check stuff out before you climb; if you're going up them the way I imagine, it would put a lot of stress on whatever holds the pipe to the wall. Nobody wants "some crazy ninja kid" accidentally pulling the drainpipes off of thier gutters. Maybe you could put up a video sometime and show us what you come up with to do with these pipes of yours.

[Brett Robert]

Always test the strength of the pipe.  Also, be certain you know how to spot conduit, which is essentially a pipe that protects electrical wiring.  If conduit breaks and you get electrocuted, there is risk of death.

I'm not saying don't do it, 'cause I've done it, I'm just saying know the risk you're taking.

[Westafur Ward]

Yeah were i live there is a building with around 7 pipes. But only 3 are sturdy to hold anyones wieght luckly i tested the pipes before i started to climb them. But pipe climbing is fun but is also a little hard or maybe thats just for me

[Robert Cooper]

I'd think to train them, you could just focus on practicing Quadrupedal Movement and climbing up from a Cat Grab. Those two movements would give you the edge on climbing pipes, probably. That and do something about your finger/grip strength and endurance.
They should usually also be the same thickness or stability all the way up, so knocking on it or shaking it should give you some idea of whether or not to climb.
About jumping from a Cat or vault to a pipe, if there's only enough room behind them for your fingers, I wouldn't try it. You'd probably tear up your fingers/knuckles, and likely fall.