Are you ready for a sport that can make a Spiderman out of you? If yes, buildering ? with its share of speed, height, risks and spectacular stunts ? is just for you.

No money, no ropes, no equipment, no anchors. In fact, buildering is all about turning architectural excellence into personal challenges ? traversing along a stone wall or using cracks to go up, just high enough. But remember, you need to be defiant enough to ignore shocked and awestruck passersby watching your daring but weird feat.

Buildering, also known as urban climbing, structuring, or stegophily, is the act of “climbing” the walls of buildings and other urban structures. In fact, buildering is a portmanteau of the word “building” and the climbing term, “bouldering”. Buildering can also acquire a form that is more akin to bouldering, which tends towards climbing or traversing shorter sections of buildings and structures.

There is no special eligibility criterion for this sport. Anyone who can lean out of a window, 30 feet from the ground, without feeling scared or uncomfortable can pursue this sport. Fitness is imperative, and you also need to cultivate the art of balancing, though it’s an attribute that is likely to develop with experience.

Like in any other sport, in buildering too, the initial learning period is tough. But don’t worry, with half a dozen outings you are likely to attain a minimum standard. Beginners must at first master the art of climbing drainpipes. This makes the climber more confident and equips him to face and tackle any situation that he may encounter while climbing. For the common man, all drainpipes may look the same. But for a climber, each pipe has its individuality. It may be loose or tightly clamped to the wall. It may touch the wall or jut out half-an-inch so that there is finger-space behind. It may be as thin as a man’s wrist or as thick as his thigh; the former is better for hand grip, the latter for knee grip. The surface of the wall may be smooth, or it may be rough, offering a certain amount of friction-hold for the feet. Sometimes the pipe is bound at intervals with iron, at other times it is not. It may go past window ledges, which serve as resting places every 15 feet, or it may be fixed to a bare wall. Sometimes it is in a corner, or better still, a foot or two away from a corner. It may go right to the top or it may end a few feet short of the roof.

However, freshers should never start with too tough or too risky ventures. Climbers must not climb private property without prior permission and should avoid irresponsible climbing without a safety device especially in dangerous heights. That way, the fear factor can deter the climber from pursuing the sport altogether. Normally, we all experience fear at the slightest hint of danger. Even an expert climber may feel scared on occasions when something goes wrong. In a similar situation, a novice is likely to feel worse. Not equipped with enough knowledge, the climber may keep thinking that he or she may slip and fall. That’s how the fear factor sets in.

It is the conquest of this fear that adds charm to buildering. However good the climber, there’s always another building, another challenge that’s just beyond his scope ? just a shade harder. But then, the climber can’t rest in peace until he defies the vertical limits of concrete and achieves the impossible. Spectacular acts of buildering, such as free climbing skyscrapers, are usually accomplished by lone, experienced climbers, sometimes attracting large crowds and media attention.

As far as the dress code is concerned, long trousers and shirts are preferable to shorts and T-shirts. The knees and finger knuckles are the most vulnerable areas, and long trousers are likely to save the climber from many a scratch or graze. The flair or the length of the trousers should not disturb the climber or he may end up entangling his toe or heel in his trousers at a critical moment. For footwear, a pair of black gumshoes is ideal.

Ideally two people should go climbing. Three is a possible number but is a little cumbersome. Two people climbing together not only get to know each other’s strengths and weaknesses but can also provide moral support. Essentially a solo sport, buildering is gradually gaining popularity as a group activity. As in more traditional sports like rock climbing, routes are being established and timed for competition.

However, buildering is yet to be legalised as an adventure sport. One hopes that responsible behaviour on the part of avid climbers legalises and promotes this unconventional adventure sport in the near future.