No mountains? No problem — rappelling comes to Chicago's suburbs

Going over the edge: Rappelling trend takes off in Itasca

If you are looking for an adventure, you don't have to go far. A new trend is picking up steam and sending people over the edge in Itasca.

CHICAGO - When you hear the word "rappelling," you probably think of mountains.

Unfortunately, the Chicago area doesn’t have many of those.

What it does have, however, is lots of tall buildings — which is why a Canadian company has set up shop in the suburbs to cater to thrill-seekers like Sarah Colgan, a mom from Naperville.

What we know:

"I am a little nervous," Colgan said as she leaned out over the rooftop edge of the Westin Hotel in Itasca, looking down at a sheer 180-foot drop.

Why did Colgan decide to rappel off a perfectly fine building? 

"I don’t know. Just to get some thrill in my life," she said.

Dozens of thrill-seekers converged on the Westin Wednesday as the urban rappelling company "Over the Edge" launched what it calls the Altitude Zone.

So, why do people want to walk down the side of a building? 

"Number of different reasons, whether it’s raising money for a nonprofit, which we’ve done a number of times," said Over the Edge spokesman Nathan Leitner. "Or people just looking for a thrill. It’s often a once-in-a-lifetime experience and most of the people with us today are first-time rappellers."

Like Jerry Trujillo, who made his first time descent dressed as Buddy the Elf. 

"I’ve done rock climbing, and other things, but this is a whole other adrenaline feeling of… It’s insane," Trujillo said.

Marla Latour called it "exhilarating," and added, "it was terrifying and fun all at the same time."

On the hotel’s rooftop, Over the Edge safety coordinators check the harnesses and equipment, then conduct a short training session.  

"We’re just gonna walk down the building, one little step at a time. You are not Batman or a SWAT team. No crazy jumps. Nothing weird," said trainer Kevin Kissell.

Safety Supervisor Trevor Fus said he never knows what to expect when he helps a first-time rappeller step over the edge.

"You know, the reactions are the best part. Sometimes, you learn new curse words. Sometimes, there’s hysterical laughing," Fus said.

Fus said the equipment and ropes are designed so that it’s impossible to fall. 

"Our entire system as a whole is redundant. So everything is backed up in more ways than one. So literally you could take any part of our system out and still not have any kind of incident," Fus said. 

What's next:

Over the Edge will be based at the Westin in Itasca through October and may soon have a downtown Chicago location as well. 

Those interested in rappelling can make reservations on the company’s website. Each session costs $159.