Yup, that’s it; you just had your first thought about buildering. Maybe you wanted to call it urban climbing or urban bouldering. They all would be correct because it’s an activity that doesn’t give a single speck of chalk about what others think about it.
As human beings, we have always been very passionate about getting onto higher spots. Sometimes for practical reasons, sometimes just for the thrill of it. We’re climbers by nature, and searching for the next send is in our blood.
What is buildering?
Buildering, or urban climbing, has been around us since the dawn of time, as I was saying earlier. Basically, it consists of finding a good wall or other articial structure that you can scale. You use the same techniques as if you were climbing a rock or a wall at the gym.
It’s hard to find the origins of buildering but may be somewhere between when the first tower was built and the early 1900s. Truth be told, it’s always been frowned upon and not tolerated by most people who consider it vandalism. But how could you not stare at a tall construction and say “I bet I can climb that”, right? After developing “an eye” for climbable structures, your whole perspective about the surrounding world will change.
Based on my research, one of the first sights of a modern urban boulderer was in the 1950s. John Gill (the father of bouldering) was training on the Georgia Tech campus. As a member of the gymnastics team, he was always on the lookout for better and harder training. So in the 50s, you might have seen Gill making one-arm pull-ups and climbing the brick walls of the university library.
Nowadays, especially after the 2020 COVID-19 epidemic, urban climbing is starting to gain some legitimacy. With the German Alpine Club beginning to consider building as a form of training for more challenging alpine projects. The activity of scaling your local post office might become a legit sport.
Right now, Tim Jacobs is one of the most avid supporters and endorsers of buildering. He even made a guidebook that gives us hints on potential buildering spots around the world. ‘Buildering-Spots International’ works as a guidebook and a compilation for buildering worldwide. It features over 140 cities and over 1000 spots with tons of routes.
How to urban climb
Buildering is, by definition, an activity that doesn’t have any boundaries. It’s right there between climbing and parkour. It accepts everyone willing to try and get out of the comfort of the gym.
What challenges will you be facing?
You’ll have to deal with curious and concerned bystanders who may bring the rain over your parade. You’ll get some exposure because some “concerned citizens” will film you on their phones. Therefore be sure to make some awesome moves while you have an audience.
While urban climbing, you might find yourself on private property. If you get caught by the property owners, you’ll have some explaining to do.
As the core website of buildering, buildering.net says, the legal aspect is somewhere in a grey area. You should be careful where you climb if your new spot is a private or public property. Also, depending on the country where you live or climb in, you should really check out the trespassing laws.
In some ways, buildering is almost like skateboarding. Both sports find creative ways to interact with the environment, and both sports hate security guards. As a skateboarder, I can tell you they are the absolute worst. As an urban climber, I can’t really tell you because the walls I scaled in my hometown were safe. However, I suspect that some security guards will come, question you, and make you leave, or they will call the police.
When facing the police, you know, be honest and polite, and 99% of the time, they will let you go. Of course, we have some famous cases of urban climbers who faced some jail time because of their ascents. We’ll talk about that a little bit later.
What should I bring with me when buildering?
Well, considering you will be going “bouldering” most of the time, you should have your usual boulder gear with you.
Climbing shoes will make you feel better and get more into the climbing vibe. If you find some climbs way too easy, add an extra layer of difficulty trying to climb in various shoe styles just for the fun of it.
Chalk? If you think it’s necessary, why not? Remember, though, that after leaving the spot, there should be no trace that you’ve ever been there.
Consider bringing a crash pad. If you have a decent spot where you want to climb, bringing a bouldering pad will give you some extra protection. It does have a downside because it will draw some attention, but again, if your spot is safe, some protection would be nice.
Where can I go buildering?
This one is pretty easy! Go wherever you want to, check your neighbourhood, campus, downtown, or old factory, and you most definitely will find a spot.
Usually, urban climbers are drawn to bridges and buildings with interesting architecture. You should also keep in mind that most of the buildering is happening at small heights. There are some historic free solo climbs but let’s face it, chances are we’re going to keep it low and safe, right?
Anyhow, if you need a bump into finding your new favourite urban crag, buildering.net has a few buildering spot suggestions, and Alpine Dave has posted a guide for the Washington University Campus.
Most notable urban climbs
Of course, this is a subjective matter but some urban climbs are most definitely for the books because of their magnitude or level of creativity.
The Great Rift
A neverending “crack” under a freeway in Devon, England, the Great Rift is maybe the longest urban crack climb in history. It features a 750-metre-long 7b+ roof backed by the soothing sounds of the cars passing above.
The climb was completed by Brit climbers Tom Randall and Pete Whittaker, aka “the Wide Boyz,” in 2021, right when the COVID-19 restrictions were at their peak.
This climb reignited the spark of creativity in the UK climbing community, with Randall and Whittaker climbing bridges and inviting other climbers to join around the UK until the travel restrictions were lifted.
The Great Rift was completed using the specific free climbing technique, using cams as protection and even resting on portaledges.
Burj Khalifa
One of the world’s tallest buildings, Burj Khalifa, was free soloed by French climber Alain Robert in 2011.
Roberts is one of the most significant solo climbers in the world, with a reputation for climbing the world’s most iconic buildings. He has climbed the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the Sears Tower in Chicago.
The 828-metre climb of Burj Khalifa was made using only his climbing shoes and a bag of chalk. In all fairness, apart from some of his other climbs, Robert also had a safety vest during this ascent. Does it really count if he didn’t have to use it?
The Sears Tower
Around ten years before Alain Robert seconded the climb of the Sears Tower in Chicago, “Spider Dan” Goodwin established the first ascent of this 440-metre behemoth in 1981.
Unlike Robert or other urban climbers nowadays, Goodwin made the ascent using trad gear such as sky hooks and also suction cups. Not really the kind of equipment you would expect to find in a climber’s rack.
In order to prevent being arrested, Goodwin claimed he did the ascent to point out the flaws in the skyscraper’s emergency evacuation system if the people were trapped during a fire.
Buildering in the UK
After scraping the web, I managed to find some sweet buildering spots around the UK, with Durham being maybe one of the Brit capitals of urban climbing. Featuring over 30 routes of varying grades logged on the UK climbing logbook, it is worth a visit for sure!
If you are looking for some buildering in more of a natural setting, the Battery Gardens in Devon might be the place for you. An ex-WW2 artillery battery, this place has tons of lines that vary from 5+ to 7C, so there’s something for everyone.
Of course, where should all the climbing punks gather besides London? London has a vibrating buildering scene with climbers gathering from all over town and outskirts for fun ascending challenges. Check out these videos featuring buildering in the capital:
Should you start urban climbing?
Well, that’s up to you, but if you’re going to pursue that first instinct you had at the sight of a brick wall, be aware that buildering has its risks.
First of all, we should all take into consideration that there have been urban climbing accidents that ended with the deaths of climbers. Remi Lucidi, a French urban climber, slipped to his death in 2023 while climbing the Tregunter Tower in Hong Kong. He is only one example.
Also, let us not forget the many times when Alain Robert got arrested for climbing buildings around the world and was even banned from visiting some of these countries.
Apart from that, just like many climbing styles at some point in their development, buildering faces a slight resistance from the community. However, I’m 100% sure that this is going to change really fast across the next few years with climbing becoming so popular.
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