Outward Bound Makes History with The Big Rappel

On Monday, May 6, a fearless few became the first in history to make a rope descent of the world’s most famous skyscraper, The Empire State Building. This incredible feat — the first of its kind — is a proud collaboration between the Empire State Realty Trust and Outward Bound.  

The Big Rappel, and the Empire State Building itself, is a symbol of what can be accomplished when determined people come together to do the seemingly impossible. The funds raised from this event will go toward providing transformational learning opportunities to young people in New York City and across the globe through Outward Bound. Participants’ total donations so far exceed $3 million. 

Jared Leto kicked off The Big Rappel on Monday morning, a descent which spans nearly 900 feet from the building’s iconic spire down to the 30th floor. 

“Recently, I climbed up the fin of the Empire State Building to announce Thirty Seconds to Mars’ world tour and now as the tour begins, I’m excited to head the opposite direction and rappel down to shine a light on the incredible work of Outward Bound.” said Jared Leto. “I’ve always admired Outward Bound and how they inspire people around the globe to transform their lives through adventure, challenge, experience, and discovery.” 

Globally, Outward Bound seeks to change lives through challenge and discovery, by encouraging students to push the limits of what they thought they could do. The Big Rappel is a one-of-a-kind example of this ethos of embracing challenges and seeking out unique opportunities for personal growth and self-discovery. 

“The same spirit of challenge, adventure and support that is guiding our rappelers today is alive and well in our city’s public schools, thanks to the transformative work that NYC Outward Bound is doing to change the trajectory for thousands of students each year,” said Gifford Miller, Chair of NYC Outward Bound Schools’ Board of Directors.

One of the youngest rappelers, Jennifer Lopez, is a 2018 graduate of WHEELS, a NYC Outward Bound public school in Washington Heights. Jenni speaks fondly of her high school experience, remembering the tight-knit community at WHEELS and the opportunity to attend a challenging and life-changing 14-day backpacking and whitewater canoeing trip at North Carolina Outward Bound School. 

“Outward Bound has provided me with a lot of firsts — from my first time whitewater rafting, to becoming the first in my family to go to college. Because of Outward Bound, I’m always welcoming the next challenge in my life, including The Big Rappel,” said Lopez.