The Giza Complex (Necropolis) is an assortment of ancient pyramids, temples, and tombs in Cairo, Egypt. It attracts over fourteen million tourists annually and is Egypt's primary tourist attraction.
Otherwise known as the tomb of the pharaoh Khufu, the Great Pyramid of Giza is 138.5 metres tall, making it the tallest of the pyramids. It is what many consider the most important historical landmark in the world.
In 2022, Mello, Eskilite, and I set out to climb the Great Pyramid, the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World still standing.
I flew to Cairo in March, landing at midnight and immediately catching a taxi to our other goal of the trip, Iconic Tower, where Mello and Eskilite were waiting for me. Iconic Tower is the tallest building in Africa and was under construction during our visit, so it made sense for us to try it. We succeeded in that climb and watched the sun rise over New Cairo.
After climbing one of the sketchiest cranes I have ever climbed, I rolled my ankle in the stairwell and hobbled out with my arms around the shoulders of the other two. Security questioned us at the gate as we were leaving, and we made up the excuse that we had to go and get our hard hats from the car, which somehow worked.
We travelled to Cairo, picked up ankle supports, ice packs, and painkillers, explored the local area, and headed to our accommodation. We had an Airbnb in Abdeen, a lively area. Satellite dishes littered the rooftops, and the sound of traffic polluted the air.
While I was resting, Eskilite went out to explore a depot and took chase from a guard on the tracks. He managed to fall in a gap between two sleepers and injured his legs very badly. Once he returned, we both lay on the sofa with ice packs strapped to our legs, feeling sorry for ourselves.
The following morning, despite our injuries, we went to the Giza Complex to determine a route for our climb. Travelling there was chaotic. The beeping of car horns was a constant, and road rules were few. My first observations of the city were the trash lining the streets and the seemingly starving dogs on each corner, ribcage on show.
Eventually, we spotted the Great Pyramid from the road, and our eyes lit up.
Once inside, we posed for photos, took in the sights, and avoided the nagging tourist touts (mostly successfully) before working out a plan.
Photo by Eskilite
Although fixated on the big climb, it was interesting to see the other features of the complex. The hieroglyphics and the Great Sphinx were especially impressive.
Looking back, I wish I had paid for the internal tour of the Great Pyramid, but I was too focused on the external.
Signs below the pyramids read: "Climbing monuments is a crime punishable by no less than one-month imprisonment and a fine of no more than 100,000 Egyptian Pounds".
Climbing the pyramid was first banned in 1951 by the Egyptian government. Since then, restrictions have become tighter and harsher punishments have been introduced. As of 2019, anyone caught climbing it can face years in prison and a hefty fine.
We stood at a viewpoint overlooking the 'pineapple garden' as we made our final decisions about the plan. We would return at night and hop the fence to sneak in.
Once we agreed on a suitable route, we left the compound to try some rooftops with a view of the pyramids. After a few failed attempts, and some Google-translated social engineering, we found ourselves on the roof of an apartment building.
Eventually, we went back to our accommodation and ordered food. I ate a wrap which, despite my requests, had milk in it (I’m lactose intolerant). I then fell asleep, clutching my stomach.
We awoke at midnight and caught a cab to a road near our entry point. The area was an absolute slum: ruined buildings, angry stray dogs and sketchy characters hanging around.
As we approached the fence, we turned a corner and passed five guys sitting on a rock and having a smoke. Upon reaching our entry point, we were out of their sight. Blocked by a building, I climbed the chain-link fence and hopped down on the other side. Mello and Eskilite followed. It was a quiet morning, and the sound of us climbing alerted the friendly locals to our whereabouts, making a big fuss as they approached. They shouted and pulled at the fence, eventually finding a small hole to go through to reach us. We tried communicating our intentions, but they didn't seem to understand and began searching under nearby rocks as if we had hidden drugs. At this point, they were so loud I was concerned we might attract the attention of security or police. We offered them money to shut up, but when one of the guys agreed on a price, another raised it. Realising this was going nowhere, we left the area to avoid jeopardising our climb.
We did a lap, said hi to some dogs, and went for it again. I shook the fence to see if we'd attract any attention from the locals, but they seemed to have moved on. Go time.
We followed the discussed route, ducking under CCTV cameras with ease and clambering up one of the smaller pyramids to get an idea of where security was. From there, we noticed that dogs were surrounding the pyramid. Initially, we thought these were guard dogs, but it seems they were strays. They barked continuously, but we were unsure if it was because of our presence or if that's just what they do. We waited for a human response to the commotion, but no one showed, so we continued.
I sprinted towards the big triangle like an excited kid while the barking dogs watched in disbelief. As I climbed the pyramid, adrenaline kicked in, and I forgot about my painful ankle. I was significantly ahead of the others and couldn't spot them when I looked down. Fog engulfed the pyramid, and light from the security hut illuminated the sky. I couldn't see anything apart from the bricks before me, but I kept climbing. Suddenly, I heard a voice over a megaphone from far below. At first, I thought the others might have gotten caught, but after a while, I realised it was a prayer broadcast.
Panting, sweating, and flush with elation, I made it to the summit. I had no view whatsoever, but I was on top of the Great Pyramid of Giza. After five minutes of staring into nothingness, the others joined me at the top.
Fog mixed with darkness, making it incredibly hard to get photos.
Mello and I made the reckless decision to stay for sunrise. We would be visible once the sun rose and the fog had cleared, which was risky, but we decided it was worth it.
After overstaying our welcome, we rushed down the steps of the pyramid. We were very exposed, and I was preparing myself for a run-in with an angry and armed security guard. The fog had mostly cleared by this point, so I stopped to take one final photo with my phone.
We moved fast and somehow made it to the fence without being seen. We hopped back over, got in a taxi, and were away. Looking out the back window, we spotted a security guard leaving a building we had passed on our way out. We got lucky.
