flygirl

If this has been posted before, my apologies!

I love looking at things from up high.

What are some of the favorite things you've climbed?

I think so far my top two include the Campanile in Florence (great view of the Duomo) and St. Paul's in London - what fabulous views!

I remember being at the top of St. Paul's, and there was a huge crowd of schoolkids. (I believe they were, erm, American). Off in the distance, to the south, you could see a very tall tower. Someone excitedly piped up, "Look look, you can see the Eiffel Tower from here!" One of the other kids looked at me, looked at her, shook his head sadly and said "let me categorically state, you cannot see the Eiffel Tower from London".

I don't know which was funnier, hearing someone say "Look at the Eiffel Tower" from St. Paul's, or hearing a way youngun say "categorically". Precocious kid!

Kate

LOL!

I am BIG TIME scared of heights. Makes my heart flutter and my legs wobble. I was fine with heights until I went to the Leaning Tower of Pisa on a school trip at 17. That thing doesn't just lean a little bit, it leans A LOT, and there are no barriers (not even an itsy bitsy ledge) until until you get to the very top, when you're 'protected' by a thin rusty looking bar that looks all of its 800 years. I haven't been the same since.

LoriNY

I'm not afraid of heights, but I am a bit claustrophobic. So getting to the top of the many monuments is definitely a challenge. But I have persevered and made it to the top of Notre Dame in Paris, Notre Dame in Strasbourg, The Duomo in Florence, and St. Peters in Rome. the toughest was the Duomo, one way up, and the same way down. So you had to wait for people to pass you before you could continue. That was tough.

SaraL

If there is a tall building you can go up - I'll be there!
The only thing that has slightly frightened me was the glass floor in the CN Tower Toronto (sorry I know this is the European board) didn't think it would be scary but it was.

Patrick

I also like to climb and love the heights. I've even bungey jumped off the "original" bridge in New Zealand where jumping started.

Sara, how funny about the glass floor in Toronto. That was the best part as usually you can't see under you in those high towers or buildings.

I think ST. Peters in Rome is one of the neatest because you actually have to lean inside the dome, but that certainly isn't the highest I've done. I'm not sure what is.

Statia

I have to agree with the view from the top of the Duomo in Florence. It was breathtaking (especially if you are a bit afraid of heights! ).

I also really enjoyed the view from the top of the Eiffel Tower and the top of the Campanile in Venice.

kaudrey

I love climbing heights! I'm with SaraL - give me a tower in a catherdral or castle, and I'll be there. 400+ steps up the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, 38 (?) flights of ramps in the cathedral in Sevilla, Notre Dame, St Paul's, Duomo - I've done them all. Take me to the top!

I've also climbed Mt Olympus in Greece, but I know that wasn't really what you meant.

Karen

degas

Not to brag, but I once climbed Mt. Lyonese. No small feat as I was barefoot, with no jacket or snacks, carrying a sick fellow climber, with wolves nipping at my heels and being chased by enraged a large band of crazed french waiters. I could smell thier hot, garlic-laced breathe as they surged closer and closer, but I ....

Actually, some of my longest and highest climbs have been from a gutter after an all night blow out.

elaine

I'm okay with heights under some circumstances. For example, if there's a stout railing or barrier between me and the abyss, I'm usually okay in building observation desks and such, but I'm not okay on Ferris Wheels and I'm a bit wobbly sometimes at the top of staircases, escalators, and steeply raked seating in theatre balconies and stadia. I also, stupidly, have a lot of trouble on 3-foot stepstools in my own home, I need to hold onto the cornice or wall to change a lightbulb or dust up there.

Fear aside, aerial heights of rooftops and such don't do all that much for me. I do like the view from the towers of Notre Dame, with the Eiffel Tower in the distance, and I like the view from San Giorgio Maggiore of the waterfront of Venice, but just looking at rooftops and the tops of other buildings doesn't interest me that much.

annesherrod

Degas,
I just love your stories! What a great way to start my work day. I kind of feel like I am dooing that huge climb out of the gutter this morning. Too much chardonay last night. A night out with the girls!
My favorite views are from mountain tops rather than from man made structures. But the top of the Eiffel tower, The London Eye, St. Peters... are pretty spectacular!

ms_go

You all are making my legs feel wobbly just reading this!

I will usually force myself to go up towers and other attractions, but mr_go will tell you it is sometimes a bit tenuous. Walking up is not usually a problem, but going down -- especially tight, steep, narrow spiral staircases with traffic going both ways -- can be real interesting.

The gondola ride up (and down) the sheer cliffs to the station atop the Schilthorn in Switzerland was another knee-buckler. The view more than made up for it, but I was quite relieved to have both feet on the ground at the end.

Last year I interviewed for a job that would have been on about the 75th floor of the Aon building in Chicago. There, of course, were other reasons for not taking it, but the height certainly wasn't a selling point (nothing like feeling a little queasy while looking out the window during an interview).

flygirl

DEGAS! too funny! =D>

DOH! How could I forget Notre Dame or the Eiffel Tower. or the London Eye for that matter. :-"

also makes me remember the Sears Tower... St. Stephans in Vienna was also a bit of a climb.

St. Peters coming right up!

tpatricco

Ooooh. I made it to the base of the dome at St. Peters before my involuntary fear took over. I got out on that narrow little walkway (with the big railing keeping me safe) and that was it. Fear took over and as I inched back to the doorway and I stopped to catch my breath. An American family with two elementary school age kids was also there. One little girl tried to comfort me, assuring me that I shouldn't be scared. Nice kid.

I don't like high open spaces like that! Luckily my friend was brave and went to the top and took some great photos!

I try to stay away from the edge on skyscrapers & out of lighthouses where I've had a similar experience.

I'm determined not to let this fear stop me from visiting cool places, but sometimes my reaction is not based on logic.

I guess Pisa is out.

gomiki

I do NOT like heights but I have been to the top of Notre Dame and even higher, the Great Dome Cathedral in Cologne. I believe it is the highest you can go in any cathredral. (Please correct me if this is wrong.) Half way up you reach the mid point in a large open space. From there you had to climb metal scaffold type stairs to reach the base of the spire to the very top. The metal stairs were perforated so you could see through them. I figured I could go up (by not looking down) but had no idea how I would get back down. I was NOT turning back without reaching the top. Luckily once you climbed the interior of the spire and reached the very top, the way down was by circling down the interior of the other spire.

The view was incredible above the city and the country around it. You were on little walkway outside the spire. YIKES! It took days for my legs to recover!

Grasshopper

My favorite view from on high was Mont Comino, in the Swiss side of the Centovalli. I took a gondola to the top of the mountain and then walked a short way to the tiny "grotto" restaurant. From there the views were endless and I truly expected Heidi and Peter to run past, chasing their goats.

dan_woodlief

For most of my life I have had an aversion to heights, but I am a lot more comfortable climbing a pyramid than a step ladder. The adventure and desire for a great view for photos overcome any fears. I always make it a point to get somewhere high (I kind of collect these places). Some of my most memorable, some requiring climbing and others not, include the steep Pyramid of the Magician at Uxmal, the Great Wall in China, CN Tower in Toronto (that glass floor does feel weird), Stratosphere Tower in Las Vegas (rode the Big Shot), the Eiffel Tower, the campaniles of Florence and Venice, the Duomo in Florence (definitely a tough climb), St. Peters dome, the Space Needle, the Empire State Building, Alter Peter in Munich, Chartres Cathedral, Notre Dame, the Gateway Arch, various points in the Berner Oberland, and the Hancock Building in Chicago. I also loved the view from the Van Hise building at the University of WI - Madison, looking out over the isthmus.

Kate

I got vertigo just looking UP at the Sears Tower.

SuQue

For those with vertigo- avoid Santorini, a nightmare!

SeaUrchin

If I am high up on something has has slopes I am ok and love it, but if there is a sheer drop off, forget it!

I have climbed to the top of a piramide and enjoyed it. I have been in a ourdoor glass elevator cringing in the corner.

There is no way I can talk myself into going up to a high dome, the climb up would be ok in a closed space but once outside I would panic.

The times I have tried it were pretty funny, one time backtracking in a panic from the catwalk high in St. Marks in Venice. I went back down the up stairwell ignoring the calls from the guards to stop and from the people going up elbowing me in the ribs.

Another time I climbed the inside stairwell to the top of a parapet in England. All was fine until I stepped outside, grabbed a flag pole and could not let go. The icy wind was whipping around and I was picturing myself being blown off into oblivion, it was a nightmare, I could barely keep my feet on the ground.

It is an annoying fear and I wish I could overcome it.

Neopolitan

I've never been bothered by heights. Love getting right out to the edge of the cliff to get the best picture.

But this fear of heights thing is very strange. My partner swears he's terrified of heights. So how come he has no fear at all of flying? And when we hot air ballooned I asked him if it bothered him and he replied, "not a bit". He loves high gondolas and ski lifts (unless they stop and then start swaying). Then how come he turns green when he gets off the elevator on the Eiffel Tower and grips the nearest rail refusing to budge to the edge to get a look? I mean I could understand the fear that a hot air balloon would suddenly deflate and you'd crash to your death, but does he really think the Eiffel Tower is going to topple over? I guess irrational fears are just that -- irrational.