Urban Exploring: ROOFTOP ADVENTURES

Every now and then, I like to do what some people call “dangerous”, “totally irresponsible” and “childishly stupid”.

Every now and then, I like to climb rooftops. The higher the better.

I know it can be dangerous , there have been some pitiful cases of people loosing their lives by stupid errors. We don’t take unnecessary risks.

But… I like to climb rooftops.

There’s something about it that really soothes my soul and excites my body. Sometimes the struggle to get in a building or appartment is really worth it, other times it might not work.

Steps to the ascend

INSPECTION

It all starts with just walking/driving around and looking around the vast horizon of your city. In my case it’s Ghent, Belgium, that has some awesome appartment blocks and older buildings. If you see a damn high building, you start the mental picture in your head, you standing there on top and gazing over the epic view:

Sunrise or sunset, Misty or rainy, Alone or with friends.

It’s all dope as F#@K.

DECISION

Then you decide, what building is it going to be? You start going to that specific one and you absorb your surroundings: nature, the people, the dangers, … Stay smooth, stay chill. I wouldn’t like random people in my building doing stupid stuff on my rooftop. So entering should be normal and no biggie.

ACTION

Almost all the time, the buildings had an electric lock. So you needed a key OR you could get in by someone in the building opening it electrically. We used both ways.

We waited until someone entered and opened the door with their key, shuffling behind this person and faking we were visiting a friend that didn’t open the door.
We called random numbers on the door: #117 … we waited… no answer. Called #086… we waited… “Hello, who’s this?” “Hi, I live here on the 18th floor, but forgot the front door key! I locked myself out, could you please open the door?” … “Sure, go ahead.”

That’s what almost always worked, and the feeling of just entering is awesome. Now we go #stealthmode in the elevators and take the highest point you could go. The highest we went is 21 floors, which is pretty crazy already!

Getting at the top of the building, you mostly need to walk up some stairs still. Sometimes you are struck with disappointment when encountering a closed door with all kinds of CAUTION signs (danger of falling, slipping, electrocution…). In this case, it ends here.

SATISFACTION

But when you can get through and the door opens, just like that… It’s all been worth it. Soak it in baby!

Become still

Enjoy the silence

See the view

Feel the wind, rain // warmth, cold

Take your time, this is a moment you don’t want to waste. See the large number of houses and people, cars. Realize that you’re not as significant and as big of a deal as you think. You’re not alone. Your problems don’t really mean that much in this urban sea of concrete waves and polluted winds.