The CN Tower EdgeWalk: Constantly on Edge

EdgeWalk Prerequisites and Preparation

Before deciding to participate, consider the following:

• Do you squeal like a baby at great heights?
• Do you loose bowel control easily at great heights?
• Do you tend to faint under stressful situations (particularly those involving great heights)?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, then this might not be the activity for you (although it will be very entertaining for your friends). There are a few mandatory and disqualifying criteria as well.

Mandatory Criteria:

• Participant must be over 13 years old. Participants 13-17 years old must be accompanied by a legal guardian or parent to provide written consent.
• Participant must weigh more than 75 pounds (34 kg) and less than 310 pounds (140 kg).
• Participant must have their shit together (i.e. be reasonably coordinated, can follow directions, and be able to take care of themselves).

Disqualifying Criteria:

• Participant is pregnant.
• Participant is healing from injury or surgery in any way.
• Participant has had a seizure within the last 6 months and does not hold a driver’s license for this reason.
• Participant is under the influence.

There is also a fairly elaborate preparation process:

• They will ask you to remove any loose-hanging items on your body.
• They will scan your body with a metal detector.
• They’ll give you a locker and the key will be attached to your suit.
• They will breathalyze you to ensure that you are not under the influence.
• They will do numerous checks over and over again to make sure that you are qualified and well-prepared.

Everything outlined above is to ensure maximum safety and enjoyment. The entire process can take 15-30 minutes, but the guides simply want you to have the best time possible while being as safe as possible.

Living on the Edge

To be fair, only about 10% of people participating in the EdgeWalk have died horrible deaths, so your chances of surviving are pretty good.

No. I’m just kidding. No one has been injured or killed while participating in the EdgeWalk. It is 100% safe. Again, I climb towers for work, so I can vouch for the top-notch safety equipment provided (you could weigh as much as a car and still be safe.)

Just before you make your way out onto the platform, there will be one last safety check to ensure that everything is in order. The guide will then ask if someone would volunteer to be first. I recommend being one of the first three people. The video and group photos will look better that way.

EdgeWalk Activities: Various positioning and movement instructions, group photos, group activities (walking along the ledge, leaning back on the ledge, etc.), and private photography sessions.

I did the EdgeWalk in September at 6 pm. That was perfect timing for the sunset at 7:23 pm. Remember that you do not actually start at whatever time you booked. Safety checks and preparations can take 30 minutes to complete. Additionally, private photo sessions occur toward the end of the Edgewalk. So, if you want to see the sunset, make sure to book at least 30 to 60 minutes before the actual sunset time.

In the end, the EdgeWalk was one of the most unique and best experiences I’ve ever been a part of. In fact, the EdgeWalk actually holds a world record.