High Up
Please select an area to visit in 'High Up'...
> Rooftops
A selection of photos from various rooftops I've been up to. These rooftops are usually accessed by climbing scaffolding on the exterior of the buildings, but also can be reached from using internal staircases etc. Rooftops are nearly always extremely chilled places to be, largely due to the fact that, once you're up there, you're in darkness and hidden from the world. They're great places to watch the world go by, and lose yourself for a bit. There's also that feeling of reaching a high point in the city, after a lot of hard graft to get there. It goes without saying that, in this hobby, the feeling of achievement is like no other. It's almost like a kind of high (excuse the pun).
> Cranes
There's just something about a tower crane. Ever since I was a young child, I've been fascinated (quietly) about cranes. They stand there, towering above the construction site, never questioned. Once erected, they almost become a part of the landscape to people who know the area, and even those that don't, rarely ever question their existence. You can't deny though, they are a rather clever bit of engineering, right?
One day, I decided to search for 'tower crane climb' on Google, and see what the internet could throw at me to interest me. It didn't disappoint. I spent hours and hours trawling though photos and videos of people climbing cranes, simply for fun. I wanted a piece of this, badly...
I got in contact with someone who I'd met recently to do a rooftop with (and the same person in fact that virtually got me into exploring in the first place), and arranged to do a crane local to him. Sure, it wasn't a big 'un, but as it was my first, it was enough. Once up there, that was it. I had the bug! I've introduced a few more people to this area of Urban Exploration over the last few years, and they've also seen the huge appeal of it.
One day, I decided to search for 'tower crane climb' on Google, and see what the internet could throw at me to interest me. It didn't disappoint. I spent hours and hours trawling though photos and videos of people climbing cranes, simply for fun. I wanted a piece of this, badly...
I got in contact with someone who I'd met recently to do a rooftop with (and the same person in fact that virtually got me into exploring in the first place), and arranged to do a crane local to him. Sure, it wasn't a big 'un, but as it was my first, it was enough. Once up there, that was it. I had the bug! I've introduced a few more people to this area of Urban Exploration over the last few years, and they've also seen the huge appeal of it.
> Gasometers
Gasometers (or Gas Holders) are often described as 'ugly' or 'a blot on the landscape' etc etc. True, I suppose in a way they are, but they're also so much more than that! For a start, they are such a key part of the industrial history of this country, as well as a benefit to many many people, when they were all in use and in full swing. With these big giants, it's slightly more than just getting a good view. It's a chance to admire the feat of engineering that is the Gasometer.
> Bridges
Bridges are everywhere. Whether they're there for carrying cars, people, trains, or all three. Whatever they're used for, they're everywhere. Let's be honest, if someone asked you if you'd like to watch over New York city from the top of the Brooklyn or Manhattan bridge, you'd be all for it, right? It could be described as adventurous, liberating or even romantic. You get what I'm saying, it's surely appealing... Depending on the type of bridge in question, climbing one can be dangerous. For example, if you're climbing up the cables, with no climbing gear whatsoever and slip, whatever's under the bridge is probably going to be the last thing you ever see. Don't just go diving in and do it with no research and preparation. You want to be able to live to tell the (pretty awesome) tale. Having said this, some bridges have handy staircases right to the top, meaning that no cable sliding action is required (unless you're going to be adventurous anyway), so getting to the top can be pretty easy.
Some bridges are fantastic pieces of engineering, and to be able to admire this from standing on top of them, is something else.
Some bridges are fantastic pieces of engineering, and to be able to admire this from standing on top of them, is something else.