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Buildering (also known as edificeering, urban climbing, structuring, skywalking, boulding, or stegophily) describes the act of climbing on the outside of buildings and other artificial structures. If done without ropes or protection far off the ground, buildering is extremely dangerous. It is often practiced outside legal bounds, and is thus practiced mostly at night.
Night climbing is a particular branch of buildering which has been practiced for many years in a variety of locations, especially at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, England. Night climbing, as distinct from buildering, is performed mainly by undergraduates under cover of darkness. The term "night climbing" has replaced the older term "roof climbing". The philosophy behind night climbing has undergone great change during the 21st century, with urban disciplines such as parkour having a heavy influence on the evolution of night climbing techniques and movements.
Adepts of buildering who are seen climbing on buildings without authorization are regularly met by police forces upon completing their exploit. Spectacular acts of buildering, such as free soloing skyscrapers, are usually accomplished by lone, experienced climbers, sometimes attracting large crowds of passers-by and media attention. These remain relatively rare.
Buildering can also take a form more akin to bouldering, which tends towards ascending or traversing shorter sections of buildings and structures. While still generally frowned upon by property owners, some, such as the University of Colorado at Boulder and Tufts University, turn a blind eye towards the practice in many locations.
Although often practised as a solo sport, buildering has also become a popular group activity. As in more traditional rock climbing, routes are established and graded for difficulty.
In 1905, Harry Gardiner began buildering. He successfully climbed over 700 buildings in Europe and North America, usually wearing ordinary street clothes and using no special equipment.
In 1910, George Polley started his climbing career when the owner of a clothing store promised him a suit if he would climb to the roof of the building. He succeeded, and went on to climb over 2,000 buildings.
During the years from 1915 to 1920, buildering in New York City reached its peak. Before 1915, there were few skyscrapers in New York City, and after 1920, the city authorities had legislated to outlaw buildering. During this era, a number of daredevils climbed the tall buildings, but several of them fell to their deaths in the attempt.
In 1921, a group of undergraduates from St John's College, Cambridge, published a buildering guide to that college. The Roof Climber's Guide to St Johns (1921), written by a group of students including Hartley, Grag and Darlington, under the pseudonym "A. Climber", Metcalfe & Co., Cambridge, England.
In 1930, John Hurst wrote the second edition of Geoffrey Winthrop Young's buildering guide to Trinity.The Roof Climber's Guide to Trinity, 2nd edition (1930), written by John Hurst, published anonymously, W P Spalding, Cambridge, England
In 1937, a comprehensive and lighthearted account of Cambridge night climbing (undergraduate buildering) appeared in popular print,The Night Climbers of Cambridge (1937), written by Noël Howard Symington under the pseudonym "Whipplesnaith", Chatto & Windus Ltd, London written by Noël Howard Symington, under the pseudonym "Whipplesnaith".
In 1947, John Ciampa scaled the exterior of the Astor Hotel in New York City.
In 1960, Richard Williams wrote the third edition of the Trinity buildering guide.The Night Climber's Guide to Trinity, 3rd edition (1960), written by Richard Williams, published anonymously, Weatherhead Ltd, Cambridge, England Night climbing remained popular in Cambridge during these post-war years. In 1970, a book entitled "Night Climbing in Cambridge" was published under the pseudonym "Hederatus".Cambridge nightclimbing (1970), written under the pseudonym "Hederatus", Chatto & Windus Ltd, London Buildering also featured prominently in a book by F A Reeve, published in 1977.Varsity Rags and Hoaxes (1977), written by F A Reeve, published by Oleander Press, Cambridge, England
In 1977, George Willig climbed the South Tower of the World Trade Center.
In the 1980s, Dan Goodwin scaled many of the world's tallest buildings, including the World Trade Center, the Sears Tower, the John Hancock Center, the CN Tower, and most recently (1 March 2014) the Telephonica Building in Santiago, Chile for Stan Lee's Superhumans
In the 1990s and the following decade, Alain Robert became the world's most famous builderer by free soloing high buildings all over the globe.
In 2007, buildering in Cambridge was featured in a detective novel by Jill Paton Walsh.The Bad Quarto (2007), written by Jill Paton Walsh, published by Hodder and Stoughton, London
Between 2007 and 2011, several books on night climbing were published by Oleander Press, of Cambridge. In 2007, they reprinted the Whipplesnaith book.The Night Climbers of Cambridge (reprinted 2007), written by Noël Howard Symington under the pseudonym "Whipplesnaith", Oleander Press, Cambridge, England In 2009, they reprinted Geoffrey Winthrop Young's first edition of the Trinity Guide,The Roof Climber's Guide to Trinity (reprinted 2007), written by Geoffrey Winthrop Young, published anonymously, Oleander Press, Cambridge, England and the St John's Guide.The Roof Climber's Guide to St Johns (reprinted 2009), written by a group of students including Hartley, Grag and Darlington, published anonymously, Oleander Press, Cambridge, England. In 2010, they reprinted John Hurst's second edition of the Trinity Guide,The Roof Climber's Guide to Trinity, 2nd edition (reprinted 2010), written by John Hurst, published anonymously, Oleander Press, Cambridge, England. as well as Young's book "Wall and Roof Climbing".Wall and Roof Climbing (reprinted 2010), written by Geoffrey Winthrop Young, published anonymously, Oleander Press, Cambridge, England. In 2011, they published an omnibus edition of the three Trinity guides,The Roof-Climber's Guide to Trinity, Omnibus Edition (2011), Oleander Press, Cambridge, England. including an introduction by Richard Williams which reviewed the history of night climbing in Cambridge from the 18th century to the present day. This introduction removed the cloak of anonymity that had previously protected the identities of the first nocturnal explorers.
From around 2008, buildering (also known as "roofing") became popular amongst teenagers and young adults in eastern European countries including Russia and Ukraine. They (E.g., Mustang Wanted) shared footage of their achievements on video portals such as YouTube.
In 2013, the History Press published a book by John Engle on the history of student pranks at Trinity College Dublin, which featured a full chapter on the university's long-standing night climbing tradition, including the buildering activities of the Dublin University Climbing Club.
In August 2016, a young man going by the name Stephen Rogata attempted to scale New York City's 68-story Trump Tower using climbing gear and giant suction cups; NYPD officers apprehended him at the 21st floor.
In the 1980s, Dan Goodwin, aka SpiderDan, aka Skyscraperman, in advocacy for high-rise firefighting and rescue, scaled many of the world's tallest buildings and structures including the Sears Tower, the John Hancock Center, the North Tower of the World Trade Center, the Parque Central Complex in Caracas, Venezuela, and the CN Tower in Toronto, Canada. In 2010, Goodwin, now a stage four cancer survivor, scaled San Francisco, California's sixty-story Millennium Tower to call attention to the fire department's inability to conduct rescue operations in the upper floors of skyscrapers.
At least seven builderers became known as "The Human Fly", all from the United States, as follows:
In the 1930s, Whipplesnaith (Noël Symington) climbed many buildings in Cambridge, England.
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