I’ve been to Chichen Itza. Didn’t climb though.
I did climb in either Tical or Coba. This was a while back when I was a bit more spry. Nobody cared. Coming down is scary as shit. As in, you might not do so well if you fell. Like dead not so well. Rock climbing is sort of the same.
I did it one step at a time on my butt. The locals laughed and laughed. But, I’m still alive.
When I went to Chichen Itza, we weren’t allowed to climb it either, but I thought the guides mentioned that they used to let people up there and have since stopped.
Based on that, I figured climbing it would get you in some type of minor trouble (like being asked to leave), not beaten with sticks.
There are stairs inside the Washington Monument. They used to let people climb to the top and back down, but they’ve closed since the '70s. Except they used to do Ranger-led tours that would take the elevator up and the stairs back down. There are carved stones that were donated during construction, and they’re only visible from the stairs
I was there in 1976 with a college archaeological tour. I’m pretty sure we climbed it then.
Pretty sure that by 1994 when I was there you couldn’t climb at Chichen Itza.
In 2011 Coba was still open to climbers (it’s way less visited than Chichen Itza).
There’s a lady who’s sure
All her selfies are gold
And she’s climbing a stairway to heaven
When she gets there she knows
Her follower list will grow
With a tweet she can get what she came for
I was there in the 90’s and you could climb. I did. I really don’t see the point of restricting climbing - the structure is 8 or 9 centuries years old, but there’s a bunch of cathedrals in Europe that are about or near that age and you can climb many of them (and I did) and no big deal.
Maya stairs are very steep and narrow, thus dangerous, and the steps also would wear and tear with thousands of tourists climbing them everyday.
From Wiki:
Climbing access to El Castillo was closed after a San Diego, California, woman fell to her death in 2006.
I went to the top of the Ulmer Münster, but my knees were definitely wobbling as I got near the top.
Ooooh, yeah. 768 steps IIRC. Tallest cathedral in christendom. 50ish stories tall. That was a bitch.
It was a little physically tiring, but it really got to me mentally. I’m usually okay with heights, but it was so tall, thin, and (seemingly) spindly that it took some real effort to overcome that. From a distance, it seems massive and solid, but the last climb to the top is open and airy. I know the stones are as big around as tree trunks, and have been standing for hundreds of years, but it still got to me.
Glad t have done it, though.
If you want to climb steep, worn stairs, I recommend Angkor Wat.
I miss walking so much. I walked pretty much every day until about a year ago when my health took a turn. There were some days when it was hard to make myself get up and go so I always imagined I’d be so happy when I couldn’t walk (for exercise) anymore. Boy was I mistaken.
I physically ache for a 5 mile mountain hike.
I just did half of the Cliff Walk in Newport last weekend.
I’m going to the Grand Canyon on Thursday, but I’m not too worried - it looks like it’s all downhill.
I’ve been there, too. Down is optional, up is mandatory.
Erosion is your friend. I’m very patient.
Not the parts that have fallen into the sea, I’m assuming.
Yup. Those stairs at the third? level snake up the outside of the tower and you’re very exposed, 30+ stories in the air. I got mostly to the top and said to myself, what have I gotten myself into?!? IIRC, you can’t back out of it, the stairs down are on the other side of the tower.