Red Nose Day Abseil - 14th March 2003

HEAD FOR HEIGHTS: Design engineer Simon Chandler prepares to abseil 80 feet from the top of Agilent Technologies works in Whitehouse Road, Ipswich.

At Agilent Technologies building in Ipswich, Simon Chandler, 37, launched into a daring rope trick. Four times he hauled himself up and down an 80ft rope which hung down the side of the office block. Mr Chandler, who has worked for Agilent Technologies as a designengineer for 12 years, raised £350. "The ups took 20 minutes each, it was very tiring and difficult as the rope kept stretching. I've only ever done this in emergency situations before. I think most climbers would say they'd far rather be on a cliff face" hesaid.

This picture appeared in the East Anglian Daily Times reporting on my sponsored abseil and prusik in aid of Comic Relief.

In an hour and a half I managed four abseil descents and three ascents of the 25 m high 'building 3' at Agilent Technologies. It was exhausting work, not helped by the very stretchy old climbing ropes that I was using, and a rather peculiar combination ofdouble 11 mm ropes, a Petzl Ropeman device (for feet) with a French prusik loop for my harness. It was safe, but slow and required more effort. Good fun though!

My thanks to everyone who helped me organize this stunt and get permission to do it, particularly Lesley Hughes and the British Mountaineering Council.

The end result was that we managed to raise £ 541.67 in aid of Comic Relief.