The Psychology and Risks of People Who Climb Extreme Heights
Rooftoppers are people who climb extremely high places—such as skyscrapers, cranes, and bridges—without safety equipment like harnesses or ropes, in order to take photos or videos.
When I first learned about this behavior, I honestly couldn’t understand it.
Standing at such heights without any protection felt reckless and irrational to me.
However, as I looked into it more, I began to feel that there is more behind it than simple carelessness.
This activity is known as “rooftopping.”
Recently, an American man who climbed to the very top of Taipei 101 without any safety gear attracted international attention.
If you’re interested, the following news article explains the incident clearly:
I’ve also included a YouTube video that deeply shocked me when I first saw it.
The person in the video is one of the most well-known rooftoppers in the world:
Why Do They Climb So High? What Is Their Purpose?
Rooftopping is mainly driven by the pursuit of thrill and unique visual experiences.
Standing on the edge of a skyscraper without safety equipment creates an intense sense of tension and an adrenaline rush. Many rooftoppers seem to seek this extreme sensation.
In addition, cityscapes viewed from places that ordinary people can never access produce striking and unique photographs. These images are often shared on social media, where attention, likes, followers, and media exposure can become strong motivations to continue.
How Are They Different From Ordinary People?
The ability of rooftoppers to overcome fear at extreme heights appears to be influenced by both innate personality traits and acquired experience and training.
Inborn Traits and Fear Response
Research suggests that certain personality traits—such as a strong desire for stimulation or a preference for risk—can have genetic influences. Some dopamine-related gene variations have been associated with thrill-seeking behavior.
In extremely rare cases, there are reports of people who feel little to no fear due to dysfunction or damage in parts of the brain responsible for fear responses.
This suggests that some individuals are naturally less sensitive to fear, making them more drawn to extreme activities like rooftopping.
Training and Experience
Fear, including fear of heights, can be reduced through repeated exposure and training. As people gain experience and technical skills—such as climbing ability—they develop confidence in managing risk.
This sense of control and self-efficacy allows them to perform actions that appear reckless or impossible to most people.
In conclusion, while many rooftoppers may be born with a higher tolerance for risk, it is the combination of training, experience, and psychological adaptation that makes their behavior possible.
Personally, I strongly dislike heights, so it is hard for me to imagine not feeling fear at this level.
I believe many readers would feel the same way.
I would genuinely like to ask rooftoppers themselves what they feel in those moments.
The Risks and Costs
1. Risk to Life (The Greatest Cost)
The most serious risk is death.
Around the world, accidents have occurred during performances meant to gain attention on social media. Even experienced rooftoppers—including influencers in China and well-known figures in Europe—have lost their lives after falling.
Environmental factors such as sudden gusts of wind, rain that makes surfaces slippery, or fragile structures can instantly turn a situation fatal—factors that no amount of skill can fully control.
2. Legal and Financial Risks
Most buildings are private property. Entering them without permission can result in arrest and criminal charges.
In Japan, for example, this may be prosecuted as unlawful entry into buildings.
Social and Psychological Consequences
When accidents occur, the impact is not limited to the individual. Families suffer emotional trauma, and emergency responders, building managers, and witnesses are also burdened psychologically and financially.
Conclusion
I believe that most rooftoppers are not driven primarily by money, but by pleasure, excitement, and intense emotional stimulation.
If earning money were the sole objective, there would be far safer ways to achieve it.
I do not intend to deny or condemn their way of living.
However, considering that they constantly face death, and unlike construction workers at high altitudes, their actions do not directly benefit others, I cannot help but feel conflicted.
That said, on a personal level, I am deeply curious about what happens in their brains while they are at such extreme heights. I hope that neuroscience will one day explore this phenomenon further.
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