Tuesday, May 10, 2011

A chance to walk around the outside of CN Tower

Toronto's CN Tower is a test for even the most extreme adrenaline junkies.



But budding daredevils now face a new challenge, as the tower's operators plan to let people walk hands-free around the outside of the 116-storey structure - held in place by only a cable.

For $175 (£107), thrill-seekers can stroll around the top of the tower with no guard-rail and just a 5ft (1.5m) wide see-through ledge underneath.


High life: Visitors to the new EdgeWalk experience at the top of the CN Tower will have unparalleled views of Toronto


At 1,167ft (356m) above the ground, the EdgeWalk will reward the brave with some breathtaking open-air views of Canada’s largest city, Lake Ontario and Buffalo, NY.

The first attraction of its kind in North America, EdgeWalk claims to be the world’s highest full circle hands-free walk.

Wearing safety harnesses attached to an overhead rail, trained guides will lead adventurous walkers in groups of six to eight around the top of the tower's main pod.

The entire experience will last about 90 minutes, with the walk itself running 20 to 30 minutes.


Exciting: The entire experience will last about 90 minutes, with the walk itself running 20 to 30 minutes

Walkers will have to meet height and weight requirements, and officials say the attraction was designed with the utmost safety and security in mind.

‘EdgeWalk is both thrilling and unique and will push visitors to their limits - literally and figuratively,’ CN Tower President Mark Laroche said.

‘This will be among Toronto's, if not the world's, greatest attractions.'

Completed in 1976, the CN Tower became the world's tallest free-standing structure and world's tallest tower, holding both records for 34 years until the completion of Burj Khalifa in Dubai and Canton Tower in China.

It remains the world's 4th tallest free-standing structure at 1,815ft high and attracts more than 1.5million visitors ever year.

‘We're extremely proud of the records the CN Tower has held throughout the years, including our strong safety record,’ said Jack Robinson, CN Tower's chief operating officer.

‘Our facilities and engineering team supervised the EdgeWalk project design and build to ensure that it is both exciting and safe.’

The attraction surpasses the Sky Tower walk in Auckland, New Zealand, at 629ft (192m) high and the Macau Tower Skywalk at 764ft (233m) above the ground.

EdgeWalk is set to open August 1 and advance ticket sales begin in June. I'm looking forward to it as I live in Toronto and am something  of an adrenaline junkie myself.

25 comments:

  1. hm this is crazy if you ask me.. don't think i would do it.. maybe drunk but definitly not when i am not drunk! :)

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  2. Wow they have some balls, you would not see me doing this.

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  3. Great post! This is awesome!

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  4. Awesome post! those guys are real daredevils... no?

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  5. That's awesome. I'd be scared but I'd do it.

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  6. I would be terrified.

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  7. I'm going to do this, I think it would be a rush!

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  8. Sounds awesome! I'd love to give it a try

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  9. It must be an amazing view from all the way up there.

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  10. That's pretty awesome, but I really don't feel like dying. Plus I don't have a passport

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  11. I live really close to Toronto so I could possibly do it. I probably won't ever even think about it, but at least the option is there.

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  12. Whoa I don't think I would have the courage to do that.

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  13. Thats one big Tower lol. following.

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  14. Not a chance I could do that, would piss my pants lol

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  15. There must be such a great view from the top

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  16. No guardrails?
    Forget that man!

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  17. Prove to me the world's more
    XX-citing than Seventh-Heaven
    and I'll buy you a beer Upstairs:
    1-outta-1 bites-the-dust, pal...
    yet, in Seventh-Heaven, bro,
    eternity is our Final End.

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