Rooftopping, sometimes called roofing, refers to the unsecured ascent of rooftops, cranes, antennas, bell towers, smokestacks, or other tall structures, usually illegally.
Rooftoppers usually take photos or videos and panoramic photographs—either a selfie by themselves or with the help of an assistant/accomplice crew from a distance. The practice of scaling skyscrapers often results in security crackdowns and arrests.[1]
Many people have died or been injured while rooftopping due to falling from a height.[2][3]
Rooftopping is chiefly an undertaking of younger people. Rooftoppers clandestinely access off-limits staircases, roof hatches, ladders, etc., and it incorporates some aspects of builderingorfree solo climbing. It is an offshoot of urban exploring, but is not universally condoned among urban explorers and is considered a stunt due to high risk of fatal injures.
In one report presented to American Educational Research Association in 1995 participants were suggested as thrill seekers who enjoy "high levels of stimulation and complexity of thinking," although other theories explaining their motivation exist.[4][1]
Rooftoppers usually take photos or videos and panoramic photographs—either a selfie by themselves or with the help of an assistant/accomplice crew from a distance. They often use helmet cameras for videos.[5][6][7] Some also use quadcopter drones for exploration and recording.[8] Because it is often practised in the pursuit of making viral-ready videos or photos, it tends to result in heightened security and greater restriction against access to desirable exploration venues.[9]
There was a rooftopping "craze" in Russia around 2017.[10]
