Climbing the Pyramids of Egypt

Scaling the Great Pyramid of Cheops

For nearly 5,000 years, the pyramids of Egypt have instilled wonder and awe in mankind. In the last half a dozen centuries, they have also become a tempting lure for many to climb them - especially the Great Pyramid of Cheops.

Pyramid climbing had been permissible up to the 1980s, until Egyptian authorities forbade it following the deaths of several climbers. Despite the ban, the Great Pyramid is still climbed periodically as Graham Hancock, author of Fingerprints of the Gods, had done, generally in the dead of night.

Interestingly enough, the leading nationality of these thrifty nocturnal climbers are the Japanese, who have made pyramid climbing virtually a profession. Never Give Up! is the Japanese climber’s motto for surmounting the pyramid, as written in the book Never Give Up! which was a compilation of various personal accounts and advice from successful climbers, written in both Japanese and English. In addition there were detailed maps on how to sneak into the area and which side to climb.

The temptation to climb proved too great for me to ignore. I had climbed pyramids in Mexico and a minor pyramid or two in Egypt, but what were these pitiful things compared to the Great Pyramid of Cheops?

The Great Pyramid of Cheops

At 450 feet (135 meters), the Great Pyramid is nothing to sneeze at, especially when you’re clinging to the side of it for dear life in the dark, 200 feet up and a sneeze would send you tumbling to the ground in a broken bloody heap. Before going, I diligently consulted the Japanese book for the necessary information.

Around three in the morning, I and another American, Greg, sneaked onto the pyramid grounds. We had both taught English in Egypt for nearly a year and decided we had to climb the pyramid before we left.

Our ninja skills must have been a wee bit rusty because the guards caught us. They harassed us at first with threats of jail and fines, but they soon softened up and asked for a friendly bribe. In the end, they let us go once they realized we didn’t have any money.

We waved goodbye to them, walked out of sight, then sneaked back in. This time we skirted wide around, running along the open area between the Sphinx and the pyramid of Khafre/Khephren.

Never Give up!

The Japanese book had listed the southwest corner of the pyramid as the safest place to climb. Here the pyramid resembled a high-stepped staircase of steady, firm blocks. It makes for easy climbing, but we made the mistake of scaling straight up the middle of the west side rather than the corner, because we were afraid of being spotted again.

It was tricky business, as our feet kept slipping out from underneath us and our hands kept losing their grip from time to time. Our only comfort was that we had promised each other if one of us should fall to our horrible gory demise, we would not scream out during our death plunge so as to give away the other.

We eventually achieved the summit in about half an hour. From our vantage point, we could see the lights of Cairo twinkling in the near distance. We were not there long when three Japanese climbers suddenly popped up. They had taken the proper route, so they were more relaxed both physically and mentally.

Kheprhen’s Pyramid loomed massively near while the Sphinx looked upon on us. Behind us the desert stretched into the nothingness of sand. After soaking in the sights, we descended. We got caught again, but this is the normal procedure at this stage of the venture. Fortunately it wasn’t the same group as before.

They took us to a guard station and made us sit there for an hour. Disappointed with our lack of entertaining answers, the captain left. After sitting around for another half hour, we finally just got up and left as well. The guards made minimal protests to our departure. We were confidant they wouldn’t shoot us, but, just in case, I bravely made sure Greg and the Japanese were blocking me from the guards’ line of fire as we walked away.