Infotainment

For every structure that claims the title of "World’s Tallest" there are thousands of people who make the decision to never, under any circumstances, go to the top of these structures. One of the most common phobias on Earth is the fear of heights, and there are millions of people on Earth who would rather take a rock to the head than go anywhere near these amazingly tall, and somewhat frightening, structures.

1. The Grand Canyon Skywalk

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Standing on the edge of the Grand Canyon is an awe-inspiring sight. Standing 3,600 feet above the floor of the Grand Canyon on a glass panel is enough to make even the bravest of individuals weak in the knees. The Grand Canyon Skywalk is a unique structure that extends out over the edge of the Grand Canyon, where its distance from the glass to the floor of the Grand Canyon exceeds the height of the tallest building on Earth.
Built in 2007 as a tourist attraction, the Skywalk juts out 70 feet out at its farthest point, beyond the edge of the Grand Canyon. Weighing one million pounds without the counterweights that keep the Skywalk from turning into a tourist tragedy, it is an awe-inspiring sight to stand over the edge of the canyon.
Don’t worry though, only 120 people are allowed on the Skywalk at any one time, and the Skywalk itself can hold 822 people, each weighing 200 pounds.

2. Burj Khalifa

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The tallest structure ever built, and several hundreds of feet above the next tallest skyscraper, is the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. It is a base-jumpers dream, but for anyone afraid of heights it is enemy number one.
This skyscraper stands 2,717 feet above the ground, and holds several records related to the tallest structures on Earth. It beat the previous tallest structure by 600 feet, and it boasts the highest swimming pool on Earth. Ever wanted to go for a swim on the 76th floor of a skyscraper? Well, you can do that here. The building also has the highest outdoor observation deck in the world at 1,450 feet. On a clear day it is possible to see 100 miles in every direction, just don’t look down.
If you don’t like riding an elevator, then you should stay away from this building. The tallest elevator shafts in the world are found here and on February 8, 2010, one elevator became stuck between floors, trapping tourists for nearly an hour. For someone who hates heights, that would be the equivalent of hell.

3. The Gateway Arch

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St. Louis is the Gateway to the West and to celebrate this, the city built The Gateway Arch in 1967. While it may just look like a horseshoe stuck in the ground from a distance, it takes on a whole new level of panic inducing fear for those afraid of heights when standing on the observation deck of the Arch. Standing 630 feet above the ground, the observation deck features 32 small windows that a visitor can look through to see as far as 30 miles on a clear day. That may not seem too bad, especially considering the observation deck of the tallest building in the world is three times as high, but when you see nothing holding you up in the air but two pillars to the side, and only air below you, you may have a different feeling about this view.

4. Glacial Aerial Tramway Kaprun III

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People who fear heights may hate the previous three buildings and monuments, but at least these places are held in place by steel and concrete. Not so for the Glacial Aerial Tramway Kaprun III. At this third section of the aerial tramway in Kaprun, Austria, there is nothing holding you up from crashing into the ground but some cables. The tramway opened on November 26, 1966 and the third section of the tramway is the tallest aerial tramway support pillar in the world. Standing 372 feet above the ground, the pillar sits on a concrete slab that rests on the edge of a mountain. Originally built to just over 300 feet, the tramway pillar has been extended twice, which is two times too many for anyone who doesn’t like hanging in the air on a swinging tramway.

5. The Skybridge at the Petronas Towers

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Located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the Petronas Towers are the tallest twin powers in the world, and formerly the tallest buildings in the world. However, it is not the towers that make anyone who is afraid of heights cringe; it is the Skybridge that runs between them.
The Skybridge is a walkway that runs between the two towers, and it is the tallest two-story bridge on the planet. Sitting 558 feet above the ground, it is best when walking on it to not think about the fact that the bridge weighs 750 tons, and is not actually bolted to the towers. The bridge is designed to slide back in and out of the towers in order to prevent the bridge from breaking due to high winds.

6. Royal Gorge Bridge

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The Royal Gorge Bridge, located in Canon City, Colorado, was the tallest bridge in the world, hanging 955 feet above the Arkansas River. Built in 1929, it was the tallest bridge in the world until it was beat by a bridge in China. What makes this bridge a bit tougher to walk on is the fact that it contains 1,292 wood planks that are all that separate you from to the river far below. This bridge is very popular with base jumpers, with thousands jumping off the edge of this bridge since it first opened.

7. CN Tower

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Before it was beat by the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the CN Tower in Toronto, Canada was the tallest freestanding structure on the planet. Standing 1,815 feet high, the CN Tower has many features to help make anyone who hates heights hug the ground in fear. First, there is the glass elevator that moves up outside the tower to show you just how high you are going with each second that goes by. In addition, the highest public observation gallery can be found on the CN Tower, rising 1,467 feet in the air. The CN Tower also features the highest bar in the world at 1,135 feet, the highest wine cellar at 1,152 and the highest revolving restaurant at 1,152 feet as well. Worse of all, at least for individuals who fears heights, is the glass floor in the observation deck, which is 1,122 feet above the ground.It takes a brave soul to stand on this piece of glass that looks straight down to the ground.

As more and more building continue to rise up to the sky, there are plenty of people who choose to keep their feet firmly on the ground. Whether it is standing on a piece of glass over one thousand feet above the ground, or walking across a small bridge that moves with every brush of wind, these places are the places that give anyone who fears heights a severe panic attack. For those that hate heights, there are plenty of sights to see that sit firmly upon the ground.

Author: Craig Baird — Copyrighted © roadtickle.com