We Climbed The Highest Open-Air Building Ascent In The World, And Here's How It Felt
City Climb is an experience in New York City where visitors can climb the crown of 30 Hudson Yards — a skyscraper more than 1,200 feet above the ground — and then lean out over the edge.
It is the highest open-air building ascent in the world. Tickets are $185.
So we decided to try it to see how intense it REALLY is.
Editor's note: BuzzFeed was provided this experience free of charge but was under no obligation to give a positive review. This post includes our honest reactions.
Ajani's thoughts before the climb: "In the weeks leading up to it, I was not afraid at all, just excited. I'm not usually afraid of heights, so I was just looking forward to the rush. But the day of, once we arrived there, then I started getting nervous."
Terry's thought's before the climb: "I was literally shaking in my Chelsea boots days before the climb. Although I was the one who initially suggested doing the climb, somehow, I was more nervous than Ajani was to do it. Thankfully, that all went away when I arrived at Hudson Yards. Suddenly, I was super calm about the whole thing. At that point, there was no turning back."
The entrance to City Climb is located on the fourth floor of the Shops at Hudson Yards.
After we checked in, an instructor weighed us and measured our heights to make sure we met the requirements.
You have to be 13 years old or older, between 4.9 and 6.7 feet tall, and weigh no more than 310 pounds clothed to be eligible.
Then came the inevitable legal waiver you have to sign when you do stuff like climb over a thousand feet in the air.
And a Breathalyzer test we had to pass. (So, unfortunately, you cannot take any shots to ease your nerves before scaling this building!)
Next, we took an elevator up many, many, many floors. At that point, we were required to remove all loose items, such as watches, earrings, necklaces, and any other jewelry, and place them into lockers.
Then we were given our climbing suits and helmets and securely strapped inside harnesses, which then had to be approved by four different climbing guides to ensure safety.
We personally appreciated having four different people quadruple-check to make sure all was good before the climb.
Long, thick cables were attached from both the front and back of each harness to the staircase railing, and then we were taught how to maneuver them for climbing.
Finally, we were outside, and we began our trek.
Our guides recorded the adventure on GoPros attached to their helmets.
Before we ascended to the apex, our guides allowed us to lean off of a cliff — our cables keeping us from falling — to take in a gorgeous view overlooking Manhattan, New Jersey, and the Hudson River.
This is where we were leaning from, btw:
Ajani's thoughts: "At this point, I was scared. As I was leaning out over the city, I kept worrying that that rope would snap, for some reason. But after a few seconds, I forced myself to relax, and it was really easy to distract myself with the unreal view of the city."
Terry's thoughts: "This part of the climb was definitely overwhelming for me. Between the stunning views and the fact that we were already thousands of feet up in the air, I felt an adrenaline rush that I had never experienced before."
Next, we proceeded to walk up 161 steps while holding on to the railing and taking in an amazing outlook of downtown Manhattan.
Small note: One thing we wish we had remembered to bring was GLOVES. It was cold as hell outside and the railing was freezing too, so if you ever do this in the winter, bring gloves!!!