Guywire Greaser

If asked to ascend a 90ft chimney stack on the end of a length of hand-pulled rope, and then slide down a guy wi re with nothing taut thin eir between oneself and the ground, one would be inclined to decline, graciously, but VERY firmly.

Not so for Auckland steeplejack Jens Jensen, a cheerful, talkative individual who makes his living performing such daring deeds.

Jens recently made his triennial visit to Gisborne to paint the Cook Hospital chimney and grease the guy wires.

Sitting in his little wooden seat on the end of a long rope rigged to a pulley at the top of the stack, Jens was pulled to the top, Attached his seat to the guy wire with a steel shackle, and proceeded to slide down the wire greasing it as he went.