Are you familiar with the phrase Thrill of a Lifetime? It perfectly sums up the experience of the CN Tower EdgeWalk, Toronto, which our GlobeHopper, Marisa Filippo, undertook for review. This is her take on the experience.
The thrill is unlike any other. For anyone unfamiliar with the CN Tower EdgeWalk, it is just as the name would imply—a full circle walk on a 1.5-meter ledge that surrounds the top of CN Tower’s main pod. The experience debuted in 2011 and has been named the World’s Highest External Walk on a Building, by Guinness World Records. It is the first of its kind in North America.
Trained EdgeWalk guides take participants to the edge while attached to an overhead safety rail via a trolley and harness system. And the first thing that hits you is the view.
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- Overlooking the Rogers Centre, The Gardiner Expressway, and Harborfront
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- Overlooking Toronto Skyline
Just to get an idea of how high-up participants actually are, it is 116 stories tall (or 356 meters) with the ledge at 150 meters in length. The duration of the walk is approximately 30 minutes, while the entire experience is approximately one and a half hours long with access to the SkyPod, Glass Floor/outdoor Sky Terrace, LookOut, and various SkyPod Levels. If you would like to read more about the different experiences that the CN Tower has to offer (for example, the SkyPod or Glass Floor), then check out their website, www.cntower.ca!
Now, you might be wondering, “Do you just walk around and around for half an hour?” The answer is both yes and no, but mainly no.
Participants walk one full circle around the edge, and along the way, the EdgeWalk guide takes the eager but somewhat nervous party through a number of activities. And by activities, I mean leaning over the edge in three different and daring ways.
The first is called ‘Toes Over Toronto’ where individuals walk to the edge until all 10 toes are over the lip of the ledge. Then, you let go of the rope. For me, this wasn’t as exciting as it was for some, mainly because I had already been walking as close to the edge as I could in order to look down. However, once I let go of the rope, I got a pure rush of adrenaline.
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- EdgeWalking
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- Thrill of a Lifetime
The next movement to try was called the ‘Lean Back,’ where all participants turned around, pretended to sit, and then walked backward until their heels were over the edge. Then we straightened our legs, locked in our knees, and let go of the rope. I cannot put into words the sensation of letting go of that rope. Just picture looking over your shoulder and seeing the whole city behind, below, and all around you. It truly was breathtaking—actually, BEYOND breathtaking!
The last activity that is completed during the EdgeWalk is ‘Lean Forward.’ Sounding exactly as the name would suggest, we walked forward towards the edge, leaving only a few inches ahead of us, pulled the rope out as far ahead as it would let us, leaned forward until one of our shoulders was on the rope, and then let go. To take this a step further, our guide told us that we could go on our tiptoes. Although I completed this activity with ease, I did find it to be the most frightening. This is only because during the ‘Lean Back’ you cannot see exactly where you are, whereas during the ‘Lean Forward’ you are facing the city so it almost feels like you are going to fall.
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- Letting Go
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- Lean Back
The EdgeWalk experience overall was one of the most unique, thrilling, and awe-inspiring that I’ve ever experienced. As I mentioned, I would do this again and again because the feeling is euphoric and freeing and leaves you almost speechless.
The views of Lake Ontario, Billy Bishop Airport, and the whole city, in general, were simply stunning. You cannot get a better view of Toronto than at the top of the CN Tower, which is why I continued onto the SkyPod, Lookout, and SkyTerrace afterward in order to soak it all in.
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- Overlooking Toronto Harbour and Billy Bishop Island Airport
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- Looking West
If you do not have a fear of heights, then please consider experiencing this at some point in your life. Put it on your bucket list. You will not regret it! Just look at the spectacular view!
For more information about the CN Tower EdgeWalk experience, including hours of operation, pricing, scheduling a walk, and more, visit their website at www.edgewalkcntower.ca