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Rope access technicians are confronted with a multitude of situations in a variety of hazardous environments. This article aims to better understand what a rope access technician actually does when facing these multiple configurations. Based on ethnographic work with 20 teams of rope access technicians, intended to relate the uniqueness of this profession, we identified 4 stages (preparation, exploration, “equipment” and working at heights) modeling a rope access intervention. Through this analysis of the work activity of rope access technicians, the article shows different forms of appropriation that make rope access work feasible. The combination of two roles (height technician and construction worker) leads to numerous compromises and adjustments based on the mastery of practical know-how and on-site creativity. By being actors of their own safety, they take charge of an organizational dimension inherent to rope access interventions and access an autonomy that is a source of both responsibility and vulnerability.