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We look down: suspended in the void in New York

NEW YORK – As I climbed the narrow metal steps alongside the skyscraper, the safety harness that connected me to the building, nearly 400 meters in the air, kept clicking, like a roller coaster car approaching its first vertiginous plunge.

Looking around, I could see New York spread out at my feet in the morning light. South, One World Trade Center at eye level. To the east, the tip of the Empire State Building. Heading west, as our guide Anissa Barbato pointed out to us, even New Jersey looked great.

I’m at City Climb, a new tourist attraction at 30 Hudson Yards, one of the city’s tallest skyscrapers. It offers thrill seekers a unique view of New York City that no observation deck can ever compete with: no walls, no windows, no ramps. Only the sky.

The experience, which costs US $ 185 per person, begins with safety instructions for all eight participants, including a blood alcohol test. Adventurers then don a bright blue jumpsuit to ensure the contents of their pockets don’t crash onto the sidewalk below.

Participants are fitted with special safety harnesses which allow them to climb the external staircase, from the first vantage point (“The Cliff”) to the main platform (“The Apex”), 387 meters above. from 10th Avenue.

Only dangerous weather conditions in the area or a mercury that drops below 5 degrees Celsius will stop operations. Otherwise, rain or shine, let’s go.

During the ascent, my stomach tightened as soon as we opened the “Restricted Access” barrier that leads to The Cliff. My hands were frozen with the cold as I climbed the 161 steps outside the distinctive triangular point of the building.

Further down, around Hudson Yard and the surrounding streets, the cars looked like ants.

When I got to Apex, Mrs. Barbato, the manager, greeted me: “We are on top of the world”.

Then she leaned back, arms outstretched on either side, suspended above the city by a cable that kept her from plunging into the void.

“Put your heels on the ledge, bend your knees, and push off,” one guide said when my turn came.

I followed the instructions. Then the time has come to reach out.

I wasn’t sure I wanted to let go, but everyone was looking at me. I remembered the time I jumped in a bungee almost 20 years ago when I was in college. I had always regretted my hesitation a little.

So I gave it all up. It wasn’t that bad, as long as I forgot that, 400 meters below, certain death awaited me after falling for nine seconds.

Ms. Barbato expects to welcome a mix of thrill seekers and people who want to triumph over their phobia of heights.

“We’re going to have these urban explorers who are really looking for something wonderful to do in New York City,” she said. There are also going to be those who really want to prove to themselves that they can overcome their fears and obstacles. It will be a fantastic experience that will change the lives of some. ”

After several minutes (actually 30 or 40 seconds) I grabbed the harness and straightened up. I’m not afraid of heights, but I respect them: once firmly back on the platform, I really felt like I had accomplished something.

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