Edge Walk 'ride' at Toronto's CN Tower to let thrill-seekers walk hands-free around top

By Daily Mail Reporter
Updated: 05:57 EDT, 10 May 2011

Adrenaline junkies with a head for heights are being offered a new challenge at the CN Tower in Toronto. Those brave enough will soon be able to circle the top of the 116-storey building without a guard rail to protect them.

For $175 (around £111), thrill-seekers can stroll around the top of Toronto’s famous CN Tower with no guard-rail and just a 5ft (1.5m) wide see-through ledge underneath them.

High life: Visitors to the new EdgeWalk experience at the top of the CN Tower will have unparalleled views of Toronto

At 1,167ft (356m) above the ground, the EdgeWalk will reward the brave with some breathtaking open-air views of Canada’s largest city, Lake Ontario and Buffalo, NY.

The first attraction of its kind in North America, EdgeWalk claims to be the world’s highest full circle hands-free walk at 116 stories above the ground.

Exciting: The entire experience will last about 90 minutes, with the walk itself running 20 to 30 minutes

Wearing safety harnesses attached to an overhead rail, trained guides will lead adventurous walkers in groups of six to eight around the top of the tower's main pod.

The entire experience will last about 90 minutes, with the walk itself running 20 to 30 minutes.

Walkers will have to meet height and weight requirements, and officials say the attraction was designed with the utmost safety and security in mind.

‘EdgeWalk is both thrilling and unique and will push visitors to their limits - literally and figuratively,’ CN Tower President Mark Laroche said.

‘This will be among Toronto's, if not the world's, greatest attractions.'

Completed in 1976 the CN Tower became the world's tallest free-standing structure and world's tallest tower, holding both records for 34 years until the completion of Burj Khalifa in Dubai and Canton Tower in China.

It remains the world's 4th tallest free-standing structure at 1,815ft high and attracts more than 1.5million visitors ever year.

‘We're extremely proud of the records the CN Tower has held throughout the years, including our strong safety record,’ said Jack Robinson, CN Tower's chief operating officer.

‘Our facilities and engineering team supervised the EdgeWalk project design and build to ensure that it is both exciting and safe.’

The attraction surpasses the Sky Tower walk in Auckland, New Zealand, at 629ft (192m) high and the Macau Tower Skywalk at 764ft (233m) above the ground.

EdgeWalk is set to open August 1 and advance ticket sales begin in June.