Climbing
On July 19, 2021, ChaseTO decided to climb up one of Whistler-Blackcomb’s Peak 2 Peak gondola towers. ChaseTO is a YouTuber with over 400 subscribers who watch him free climb.
ChaseTO is a regular when it comes to “urban exploring,” which he defines as climbing up obstacles such as “cranes and construction sites … with no safety equipment, no harness, no ropes, nothing.” This sort of hobby is extremely high-risk with not much reward other than amazing views. One slip-up or fall and Chase’s life is coming to a quick end.
Chase began hiking up Whistler-Blackcomb at around one in the morning and made it to the gondola tower right before sunrise. In the video, one can hear the nerves coming straight out of Chase’s breath even as he remains calm and collected. Although Chase is an experienced climber who “did rock climbing for a number of years,” this is one of his major accomplishments that required a tremendous amount of preparation, effort, and nerve.
Watching this footage will have anyone on the edge of their seat. From a GoPro body camera to a high-quality handheld, and even including shots from his drone, it is evident that this climb was life or death and had to be made with serious caution.
The Peak 2 Peak gondola connects the Blackcomb Peak area to the Whistler Bowl. ChaseTO’s actions were strongly condemned in a statement released by Vail Resorts:
“The individual trespassed on Whistler Blackcomb’s tenure, bypassed a locked gate and illegally climbed the tower for the purpose of filming himself. This action put him at extreme risk, as well as had the potential to damage Whistler Blackcomb property.”
ChaseTO risked his life, jail time, and a large fine by pulling off this free-climbing stunt, and anything seen in this video should not be replicated. The breathtaking scenes in this film seem to come straight out of a movie, but it is important to note that ChaseTO is a professional. Actions like this can easily result in major, life-altering consequences that cannot be undone.
And the the said damage potential to property is?
Vail? ?
Where does ladder climbing fit in the rating scale? Is this a class 3 or 4 free-climb?
Whats the big deal, he climbed a tall ladder lift mechanics do it all the time.