Monday, September 21, 2009

Tower of Light: Pics + Video

I did it. I completed one of my main extra-curricular goals that I set for myself to do before graduating. I climbed the Scott Stadium light tower that faces the AFC.

Originally I had planned to climb a different tower, but I ran into many complications that night and had to switch up my plans several times for several things.

Climbing that thing is EXHAUSTING. I was ready to take a good break when I was only 2/3rds the way up, but of course you can't really do that. It's not like a ladder where you can just slump over a bar and rest. Because of the way that it is designed, you constantly need to be pulling with your hands/arms to keep your body inwards up against the steel column so that gravity doesn't pull you away from it. Understandably, this tires you out quickly. When I made it to the lowest of the light platforms, I laid face down for at least 10 minutes to rest. Each heart beat felt like a solid punch in the chest--a mixture of fatigue and adrenaline i guess....though I also had done a lot of strenuous work before going up which added to it....also I'm probably out of shape.

I tried to capture the ascent on video with a camera slung over my back...but it didn't stay on correctly and didn't really work. I took some footage from the top but just used a borrowed digital camera which darkened everything significantly and does a terrible injustice to the actual view. The pictures are quite sub-par because I was pretty exhausted and unable to hold the camera still (also I'm not very familiar with the borrowed camera). I brought a miniature tripod/stand but it ended up not being of any use up there.

The view that I saw was incredible. All the surrounding countryside was layered in a blanket of mist, out from which rose the mountain peaks. The sky was studded with stars, and the city lights were something to behold. Also, three separate pillars of steam/smoke billowed beautifully out of the skyline. The few pictures below will give you only the faintest hint of the real thing.

You may be asking what that ridiculous-looking blanket is which is hanging up there. Well, originally it was a white blanket that I tagged and wanted to hang there to remind me of the achievement, but, in my haste to get back down, I did not fasten the "flag" as well as I should have. Thus, the next day, the wind flipped the sheet over itself 360 degrees and twisted it a bit too. This is why it currently looks like a confusing collection of colorful lines instead of the "Sm" that should be on it. Seeing it like that today was a serious FML! moment for me... Understandably I didn't feel like climbing up again there to fix it :)

This slideshow begins with pictures taken from all over UVA, and the light tower footage comes at the end. (First go to the end of the page to pause the site music so it wont interfere.) The pictures in the slideshow are not of very good quality. Perhaps I can make a new one in the future as I plan to buy a camera soon.



Click on pictures to enlarge:









Confounded wind ruined the flag. (It originally displayed the "Sm" that I occasionally tag with)

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

do you realize that you are somewhat insane?

The Ordinary said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Intriguing...

Anonymous said...

who would even think of climbing that in the first place? wow...

Anonymous said...

i think someone took the sign down now. i dont see it anymore. or maybe it blew off? Anyhow, those pictures are amazing. I wish I could see that view without having to climb it. Need an elevator or something

Anonymous said...

do you have any idea how to get on the roof of Bice apartments? there is a deadbolt on the one door I know of but there has to be a way...
and i know being told takes the fun out of it but i am desperate haha