[EricH]

As rookies, you weren't around to watch the flags fly from 2006-2008.

The alliance identification system in those years was a red or blue flag, mounted on a roughly 3' fiberglass pole of the type you describe, put into a 1' long vertical PVC tube on the robot at a certain height. If it bent too much, it went flying. This was mitigated in 2008 when a stopper was added to the flagpole.

If you're worried about safety, your concerns are probably valid.

Your best bet in this case, if you did use it, would be to use the motor reeling out cable that is attached to the hook, which would be securely attached to the pole (or attach a cable to the the hook and another to the pole, and reel them both out). Then you winch the cable back in to climb up. If you go another route, look through CD-Media for examples of the 2004 hangers.