This I Wonder
I rubbed my sweating hands together and told myself to take a deep breath. Looking straight up the crane seemed to tower above us for miles, its metal appendages almost waving to us, beckoning for visitors. A nervous smile spread across my face, I had never been so anxious in all my life. Reaching forward to grip the metal lattice of the structure, i tested my grip and pulled myself up a few feet. Brian and Bolter soon began to follow my lead. After the first 15 feet we reached the lowest maintenance platform of the crane, where the ladder to the top began. We looked at one another then scoped out over the construction site to make sure that no security guards were coming to stop us. I had been anticipating this moment for weeks, but now that it stood before me, I wasn't sure I was ready. Questions rattled through my head like birds of prey swooping down to curb my ambition. ‘Should I do this? What if I get hurt? What if I die’
"They will be able to see us climbing." Said Bolter
The words pulled me out of my contemplations. I nodded my head in agreement, and added " Well we're already trespassing."
We all looked at one another, reaffirming our commitment. We had put too much time into this to stop here.
"Lets do it" Said Brian with a mischievous smile. He grabbed the first rung of the ladder and pulled himself upward. Bolter followed and then myself.
It had only been a month since we were first introduced to the extreme sport of urban climbing. Almost immediately we developed an obsessive, compulsive interest in the stunts of these thrill seekers. Emerging out of eastern Europe and Russia a few years ago, urban climbing or "Roofing", consists of scaling structures that are off limits to the public without any safety gear or harnesses. The climbs are usually simple and require only moderate climbing ability, but are rather tests of courage stealth. I have always been terrified of heights, absolutely excruciatingly terrified. So it came as quite a surprise to me that I would become so fascinated with climbing urban structures.
My friends and I spent hours watching the urban climbers of Europe outdo one another in increasingly more dangerous stunts. They displayed a freedom of conscious that I had never before witnessed. They filmed themselves hanging out from ledges and bars, holding their bodies thousands of feet off the ground, only to look up at the camera and smile, as i f they were sharing a secret with me. These images and videos spoke directly to my soul, a profound recognition that these daredevils held their fate entirely within their own hands. A freedom that I had always desired.
It was only a few weeks before we were scoping out potential climbs of our own. It consumed me, every day, at any time, if I saw a building or a radio tower, I would stop and look for possible entrance points. I would take pictures and send them to my friends, and they would respond with their own desired climbing destinations. I had no rational reason for my obsessive interest in the sport, but i knew right away that I wanted to do it.
Our adventures started when we decided to climb a small building near Brian's apartment. We could see a two or three story ladder poking out from a small ledge that was about 20 feet off the ground. We scaled the side of the wall and found a window ledge we could stand on to gain access to the ladder. We reached the top and after a few moments of self congratulation, climbed down again. The four story building was indeed a excellent starting point, but we all knew that we were going higher next time.
Bolter was to the first one to see the crane in the city, and he sent Brian and I pictures. We could see that structure was accessible and had a ladder that went almost all the way to the top. Later that night we all met at my house. We looked at the pictures and discussed the possible climb. With nervous excitement we planned our route and timing. For inspiration we watched a few of our favorite climbing videos.
And so I found myself clutching the metal bars of the ladder, leaving the lowest platform for the heights above. Taking one rung after the other, I realized I was breathing heavily. Beads of sweat rolled off my nose. We climbed for about six or seven minutes before we reached the next platform. We stopped for a moment to catch our breath. Looking out over the railing, I could see that we were about 10 or 15 floors off the ground by this point. A serene awareness overcame my being, reassuring and peaceful. Brian and Bolter felt it too, broad smiles on all of our faces. All of my self conscious paranoias began to melt away, replaced by a sort of peaceful music. After about a two minute break I stood and walked toward the next level of the ladder and began climbing again. I ceased to realize time, I stopped counting how many rungs of the ladder I climbed. When I reached the next platform I was well above the surrounding structures. I could see for miles, and the only things higher than me were the skyscrapers in center city. Written on the metal bar in front of the ladder exit was "110 m". The questions that had rolled through my head at the bottom were silenced. I was overcome with profound sense of self control, I had just climbed nearly 360 feet high and yet I was not tired.
"They will be able to see us climbing." Said Bolter
The words pulled me out of my contemplations. I nodded my head in agreement, and added " Well we're already trespassing."
We all looked at one another, reaffirming our commitment. We had put too much time into this to stop here.
"Lets do it" Said Brian with a mischievous smile. He grabbed the first rung of the ladder and pulled himself upward. Bolter followed and then myself.
It had only been a month since we were first introduced to the extreme sport of urban climbing. Almost immediately we developed an obsessive, compulsive interest in the stunts of these thrill seekers. Emerging out of eastern Europe and Russia a few years ago, urban climbing or "Roofing", consists of scaling structures that are off limits to the public without any safety gear or harnesses. The climbs are usually simple and require only moderate climbing ability, but are rather tests of courage stealth. I have always been terrified of heights, absolutely excruciatingly terrified. So it came as quite a surprise to me that I would become so fascinated with climbing urban structures.
My friends and I spent hours watching the urban climbers of Europe outdo one another in increasingly more dangerous stunts. They displayed a freedom of conscious that I had never before witnessed. They filmed themselves hanging out from ledges and bars, holding their bodies thousands of feet off the ground, only to look up at the camera and smile, as i f they were sharing a secret with me. These images and videos spoke directly to my soul, a profound recognition that these daredevils held their fate entirely within their own hands. A freedom that I had always desired.
It was only a few weeks before we were scoping out potential climbs of our own. It consumed me, every day, at any time, if I saw a building or a radio tower, I would stop and look for possible entrance points. I would take pictures and send them to my friends, and they would respond with their own desired climbing destinations. I had no rational reason for my obsessive interest in the sport, but i knew right away that I wanted to do it.
Our adventures started when we decided to climb a small building near Brian's apartment. We could see a two or three story ladder poking out from a small ledge that was about 20 feet off the ground. We scaled the side of the wall and found a window ledge we could stand on to gain access to the ladder. We reached the top and after a few moments of self congratulation, climbed down again. The four story building was indeed a excellent starting point, but we all knew that we were going higher next time.
Bolter was to the first one to see the crane in the city, and he sent Brian and I pictures. We could see that structure was accessible and had a ladder that went almost all the way to the top. Later that night we all met at my house. We looked at the pictures and discussed the possible climb. With nervous excitement we planned our route and timing. For inspiration we watched a few of our favorite climbing videos.
And so I found myself clutching the metal bars of the ladder, leaving the lowest platform for the heights above. Taking one rung after the other, I realized I was breathing heavily. Beads of sweat rolled off my nose. We climbed for about six or seven minutes before we reached the next platform. We stopped for a moment to catch our breath. Looking out over the railing, I could see that we were about 10 or 15 floors off the ground by this point. A serene awareness overcame my being, reassuring and peaceful. Brian and Bolter felt it too, broad smiles on all of our faces. All of my self conscious paranoias began to melt away, replaced by a sort of peaceful music. After about a two minute break I stood and walked toward the next level of the ladder and began climbing again. I ceased to realize time, I stopped counting how many rungs of the ladder I climbed. When I reached the next platform I was well above the surrounding structures. I could see for miles, and the only things higher than me were the skyscrapers in center city. Written on the metal bar in front of the ladder exit was "110 m". The questions that had rolled through my head at the bottom were silenced. I was overcome with profound sense of self control, I had just climbed nearly 360 feet high and yet I was not tired.