Very special thanks to Marley23 and the Mods for allowing me to post this.
I’ll be climbing all 1,776 steps up the CN Tower on Saturday April 27 to raise money for the World Wildlife Fund. This will be my 3rd time doing this climb for the WWF - I first did it in 1999 when I was 25 years old, then again 10 years later at 35 (with a faster time!) It’s a fun event for a worthy cause.
The Mods have given me permission to post the link to my pledge page:
Tax receipts are issued for donations of $20 and up.
Anybody else doing the climb this year? Has anybody done it before? Feel free to ask me what it’s like and I’ll do my best to answer any questions. You’re not allowed to bring cameras or phones up the climb but I promise to post before and after pictures.
MODS: I’m fine with other climbers posting their pledge pages in this thread, if that’s alright with you.
I did it about 10 years ago (for the United Way). It took me 30 minutes, which they claimed was about average; I wasn’t in great shape by a long shot.
There’s not much to see, just concrete walls and a metal staircase zigzagging up and up and up, with slow people getting in your way from time to time.
Pretty much this. It’s a narrow stairwell with metal stairs (see through! :eek:) - about a dozen or so then a landing - and they zig-zag all the way up. It’s cool to see the wall of the tower get closer to the stairs as it narrows. It’s like a big tall narrow cage. There is an EMT with oxygen tanks every 4 levels or so.
When I did it in 1999 you pretty much just went in, handed in your registration form then up you went but in 2009 (post 9-11) you had to pass through a few levels of security (the puff-of-air chamber, guys wanding you) before you were allowed into the stairwell.
I had to go look at my t-shirts. When you finish they give you a t-shirt and write your time on the back.
In 1999 my time was 25:23 and I just moseyed up the stairs because I didn’t know what to expect. In 2009 it was 25:11 and I actually tried a little harder - I knew enough to pace myself and rested every few levels. This time I plan to giv’er and beat 25 minutes.
I think about 30 minutes is the average. It’s a long 30 minutes though.
I am seriously thinking about doing this race; should know in the next couple of days. Toronto Dopefest?
Do you know where you are in the tower; are there height/floor signs? I’ve only done one true ‘tower’ before & that had ‘floors’ marked so you had an idea if you were ¼ or ½ way up.
I’m in. I’ll be down by Union Station the Friday night and all day Saturday.
I don’t think so but I also don’t remember. I do remember the first time I did it - at one point I was leaning against the wall on a landing, hands on my knees, panting for breath, heart racing, sweat literally dripping onto the floor and I looked up to the next landing and there was a sign that said “You’re halfway there! Only 888 more steps!”
The first time I did it they had children’s drawings on all the landings - it was really cute - “Save the Whales” and everything. I don’t remember seeing that the second time and I remember missing it. I bet they do have signs indicating how far up you are, I just don’t remember.
SJ, good luck this weekend! Circumstances prevented me from going.
Please PM or post an answer to my question about do you know where you are in the tower, height, floor, percent completed-wise as I’d still like to do this some time in the future but hate being ‘lost’ in the tower.
Somewhere at home I have a picture of a guy doing a handstand (I think it was actually an inverted push-up) in The Ledge/window box of the Sears (Willis) Tower after finishing that one.
I had no problem standing out there, but don’t think I could be fingers down 103 stories up! :eek:
