As someone who’s spent a lot of time on cliffs in his life, the idea of rappelling an entire building seemed kind of crazy. I did some research on the topic to find out what it was all about.
So, what does it mean to rappel a building? Rappelling a building is the act of lowering yourself down the side of a man-made structure, usually a skyscraper or something similarly tall.
The act of rappelling off of a building usually involves the use of some fairly specialized gear. To perform the rappel, you’ll use a harness to keep you secured, some type of device to let you control your descent (and usually a backup device, too), an anchor at the top of the building, and some reaaaaaaally long rope to help you reach the ground. Once strapped in, you will use the device to lower yourself down the rope, placing your feet on the building for control and controlling the speed of your descent until you get to the bottom.
While similar to other types of rappels, it does have some unique characteristics; I’ve completed a guide below to tell you everything you need to know about rappelling off of a building.
How Do You Rappel From a Building?
Contrary to climbing or nature rappels, which can usually be set up in a fairly short period of time, rappelling from a building takes a fair amount of planning and coordination.
First and foremost, there are bound to be some regulatory hurdles that need to be overcome. Think about it: as the owner of a skyscraper, would you want to let people dangle themselves into open air while attached to the top of your structure? The legal liability for that is insane. On top of that, some cities have regulations in place preventing people from rappelling without a proper permit.
That doesn’t mean, however, that it can’t be done. A lot of well-know international companies, like Johnson & Johnson or Hyatt, allow people to rappel from their buildings; it’s just a little bit more of a process to get all of the paperwork filled out.
Because of this, most building rappels are conducted through organizations who help to facilitate the event, in exchange for a fee. The organizations offer technical knowledge around how to perform the rappel, along with familiarity with all of the legal aspects. Many of them, such as Over The Edge, are non-profits with charity-driven goals.
Once you’ve cleared all of the red tape, there are a lot of safety considerations that need to be addressed. First and foremost is the anchoring point. If you’re going to be hanging your life off a length of rope, you want to make sure that whatever is connecting that rope to the building is rock-solid. Again, this is where the companies come in handy. Many of them have portable anchors that sit on top of the roof, using counterweights and pulley systems to ensure that you’re not going anywhere.
Once the anchor is set up, a rope is hung from it reaching all the way to the ground. This will be the rope that you use for your rappel. To perform said rappel, you’ll need to wear a harness to support your bodyweight and a device to control the rope.
Here, it’s important to be careful when selecting your gear. As opposed to climbing rappels, which often last less than thirty seconds, building rappels can be anywhere from ten to fifteen minutes long (more if you decide to hang out and enjoy the view). Because of this, you want to be sure that your harness is comfortable and that you have a locking rappel device in case your arms get tired.
Once you have all the gear, its time to rappel! Strap yourself in, place the rope through the belay device (and backup, if you have one), and get ready to have a fun time.
Most people report that the initial stages of the rappel are the hardest, when you’re first lowering yourself off the side of the building and gaining exposure to the height. For this portion, try to keep your breathing level and your hands steady. If it gets to be too much, look away from the drop below you, or even pause for a few seconds until your adrenaline goes down. Being nervous is normal!
Difference From a Climbing Rappel
As I mentioned above, there are a few differences between a climbing rappel and a building rappel. First and foremost is obviously the setting. Past that, however, there are some elements that are distinct enough they’re worth mentioning:
Height: As previously stated, a building rappel will usually be taller than a climbing rappel. Added on to this point is the fact that the rappel will consequently take you a much longer time to perform.
Gear: While the fundamental gear is the same, the individual selections you may chose are different. For example, most people who rappel from a building tend to use a full-body harness as opposed to simply a waist-and-legs type setup. It’s more comfortable over long periods of time, and it reduces the risk of you getting flipped over while rappelling.
Danger: Although they may seem scarier because of the additional exposure, building rappels actually tend to be incredibly safe. The anchor is uber solid, there’s no risk of rockfall from above, and you usually have a backup system for your rappel device just in case something does go wrong. Because of this, I would actually say that they’re far less risky than climbing rappels (as long as you do them properly).
Accessibility: Like I said, it’s far more difficult to set up an urban rappel than it is to just find a cliff somewhere and lower yourself down.
Apart from the differences, the basic rappelling technique used will be similar across both disciplines.
When Do People Rappel From Buildings?
There are two main instances where individuals would need to rappel from a building: charity causes and maintenance.
I touched on the charity point briefly above. Companies like Over The Edge use the thrill of rappelling as an opportunity to do some good. They’ll set up a rappel in high-visibility areas like New York or Chicago, and in exchange for the privilege of lowering yourself via their ropes, you have to raise a certain amount of money for a their cause. In exchange, Over The Edge takes care of all the regulatory and safety issues connected to the rappel.
I’m a big fan of this. Because of their size, complexity, and legal hurdles, building rappels aren’t something that the average person can just go out and do. Using a non-for profit to organize the event is a great way to have some fun and raise money for people who really need it.
The other instance where people rappel from buildings is for maintenance or similar purposes. Construction workers, window cleaners, and even engineers will dangle themselves from lines so that they can tend to buildings in a way that simply isn’t achievable via the inside. Obviously, this kind of rappel is far less accessible to the average. It’s also bound to be less fun, as the primary objective isn’t entertainment.
Related Questions
What building is best for rappelling? Personal preferences will vary, but you likely want a tall building (so you get lots of views) and one without too many architectural ‘features’. A smooth, constant wall will be easiest to lower yourself down.
Can I rappel off of any building? This question really comes down to can and allowed to. With the right gear, you technically could lower yourself down just about any building. Regulation wise, however, this isn’t doable.