Jerusalem hotels, restaurants, attractions, tours & events. Helping since 2008

No, that wasn't Spiderman you saw climbing down the building above Davidka Square on a recent Friday afternoon. It was just Yakov Goory turning the locals on to the excitement of rappelling and climbing, by helping them drop 18 meters off the side of the building. For just 20 NIS, anyone from four years old and up (excluding women beyond their third month of pregnancy) can get a bird's-eye view of downtown by hanging from a rope, an experience Goory says his customers first find scary, then exhilarating.

"I was looking for something fun to do in the downtown area," Goory explains. "Generally there are just the usual things going on there - a collection of clothing or food stores and cafes. I was looking for a fun attraction that would give a push to downtown, and I decided this might be something nice," says Goory of the experience of being lowered about four stories from the roof of the building to the ground.

Goory, 27, got his love for climbing and rappelling at an early age at the Hinnom Valley's climbing park, where he worked out as a teenager, and used it in his elite Golani army unit as well. After his army service, about three years ago, he launched his own tour company, taking groups out for hiking and rappelling expeditions throughout Israel.

"I'm a fan of running and climbing," he explains. "In both, you always feel you have another challenge ahead of you, something to aspire to. You can always train more and run faster, or find increasingly difficult trails to conquer," he explains. There are also local competitions, Goory's squad recently finishing second on one which saw them go 210 km. in 15 hours, from under Mount Hermon to the Jezreel Valley.

At first, building owners in the area weren't ready to give Goory the okay to use their properties, thinking he was, as he recalls, "a little crazy." But in the end, the proprietors of the Davidka building agreed, and shop owners in the area are pleased with the way the attraction has increased their business, he says.

After taking the elevator in the adjoining Super Duper store to the top, Goory and his associates attach the necessary equipment to participants. "The people who come up to the roof usually say, 'Wow, I didn't think it would be that scary, or so high.' But when they pass the first section, their fear subsides, and they realize it's safe. It's only scary at the beginning. But for those who understand, it's fun to come right up and try. It's an enjoyable experience."

While he's focused on the Davidka for now, Goory has his eye on another Jerusalem landmark: Zion Square, where "I hope to do something one day." He laughs at being called Jerusalem's Spiderman, but with his determination, a Zion Square event may not be far off. Meanwhile, the Davidka drop is meant to "simply promote rappelling and climbing. Rappelling once is fun, but using it for more difficult climbing expeditions is the most fun of all, to see how you can be up to the challenge."

Goory welcomes participants on weekdays from 15:00 to 19:00, and on Fridays from 11:00 to 15:00.