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.
So we decided to try it to see how intense it REALLY is.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Once we reached the apex, we took turns leaning off the platform, treating ourselves to views of the rest of Manhattan and Brooklyn.
For reference, this is where we were leaning from at that point:
And this time, we also leaned over with our backs facing the city too.
Ajani's thoughts: "I thought this time I wouldn't be scared because we had already leaned off of one platform, but leaning backward was 10 times more terrifying than leaning forwards because I couldn't see behind me. It was like doing a trust fall, but with much higher stakes."
Terry's thoughts: "I felt like a real-life superhero leaning over the apex with my hands in the air. At that moment, I imagined myself flying over the city, and it was like living out a childhood dream — secured to a cable for my safety 😅."
We were done after that and went back inside, where we were awarded medals for our bravery as souvenirs.
Ajani's final thoughts: "I loved it. Even though it was nerve-racking, it was also thrilling, and seeing the city from that high up, looking that small, was astonishing."
Terry's final thoughts: "As a self-proclaimed daredevil, City Climb was definitely one of the most adventurous things I've ever done. It was such a freeing feeling, being able to let go of any fear and fully immerse myself in such an exhilarating experience. Next up? Skydiving!"
