Stairs. Not a word that sparks much excitement. We climb them all the time without even thinking. If you do feel anything at all, it’s usually just the burn in your legs after one too many steps or the sudden jolt of missing one. But there are places where the simple act of going up or down can get your hearttrulyracing—not from the effort, but from sheer fear.You can find them in a Facebook group called‘Death Stairs’which, as its name suggests, is dedicated to sharingterrifying staircases. Picture this: flimsy ladders reaching for the sky and slippery rocks clinging to cliff edges. If you’re curious, we’ve gathered the most spine-tingling posts below. Fair warning though, you might want to hold onto something first.This post may includeaffiliate links.
Stairs. Not a word that sparks much excitement. We climb them all the time without even thinking. If you do feel anything at all, it’s usually just the burn in your legs after one too many steps or the sudden jolt of missing one. But there are places where the simple act of going up or down can get your hearttrulyracing—not from the effort, but from sheer fear.
You can find them in a Facebook group called‘Death Stairs’which, as its name suggests, is dedicated to sharingterrifying staircases. Picture this: flimsy ladders reaching for the sky and slippery rocks clinging to cliff edges. If you’re curious, we’ve gathered the most spine-tingling posts below. Fair warning though, you might want to hold onto something first.
This post may includeaffiliate links.
“Welcome to Death Stairs, where ascension is perilous and descending is deadly,” reads the bio of the Facebook group that has 382K followers. Despite the ominous tone, the members often lighten the mood with theirhumorouscaptions.
To learn more about ‘Death Stairs’,Bored Pandagot in touch withJeroen PuijnandGreg Wilson, two regular contributors. The fascination behind the group remains a bit of a mystery, they admit. But one thing’s for sure: the trickier the stairs, the more people seem to love them.Jeroen, being Dutch, isn’t easily impressed. In the Netherlands, a small country that historically had to use every inch of space, narrow and steep staircases are a common feature.For context,Dutch home steps are typically 15 cm deep, which is about 6 inches—half the recommended safety standard. You can’t even put your entire foot down. Yet, as Jeroen notes, everyone there is simply used to them.
To learn more about ‘Death Stairs’,Bored Pandagot in touch withJeroen PuijnandGreg Wilson, two regular contributors. The fascination behind the group remains a bit of a mystery, they admit. But one thing’s for sure: the trickier the stairs, the more people seem to love them.
Jeroen, being Dutch, isn’t easily impressed. In the Netherlands, a small country that historically had to use every inch of space, narrow and steep staircases are a common feature.
For context,Dutch home steps are typically 15 cm deep, which is about 6 inches—half the recommended safety standard. You can’t even put your entire foot down. Yet, as Jeroen notes, everyone there is simply used to them.
Jeroen says the scariest stairs he encountered weren’t in the Netherlands, but in Greece. Located on one of Crete Island’s famous gorges, they were very wet. Jeroen found himself seriously struggling with keeping his balance on the way down.
On the other side of the world, Greg, whoplays in a jazz bandin Pittsburgh, has faced many vertical obstacles since moving to the city with his partner four years ago.“We’ve encountered crumbling concrete city stairs, residences with all number of stair-related code violations, and piles of bricks or rotting wood being passed off as ‘stairs’,” he says.“I see our laughable state of regulatory oversight as a microcosm of the downfall of the American empire, and [the group] manages to make a big heavy topic like that feel like something we can laugh about”.
On the other side of the world, Greg, whoplays in a jazz bandin Pittsburgh, has faced many vertical obstacles since moving to the city with his partner four years ago.
“We’ve encountered crumbling concrete city stairs, residences with all number of stair-related code violations, and piles of bricks or rotting wood being passed off as ‘stairs’,” he says.
“I see our laughable state of regulatory oversight as a microcosm of the downfall of the American empire, and [the group] manages to make a big heavy topic like that feel like something we can laugh about”.
Greg had a near-death stair experience once when his dog rushed past him, causing him to trip down to his garage. The wooden beams supporting the stairs gave way, and he landed on his side, breaking two ribs. It took nearly half a year for them to heal completely.
“I guess we probably get a small smug sense of satisfaction being able to identify when something is wrong and unsafe, even if it’s blatantly obvious,” reflects Greg.
Jeroen finds it ironic that stairs, whose primary goal is to be functional, sometimesend up being poorly designedand dangerous to use. Surprisingly, experts say they’re one of the most challenging elements to get right.Danish Design Reviewexplains that stairs are hard “to modify if other parts of the scheme are changed as the plan develops. It becomes a difficult game of consequences—change one part and another no longer works”.
Jeroen finds it ironic that stairs, whose primary goal is to be functional, sometimesend up being poorly designedand dangerous to use. Surprisingly, experts say they’re one of the most challenging elements to get right.
Danish Design Reviewexplains that stairs are hard “to modify if other parts of the scheme are changed as the plan develops. It becomes a difficult game of consequences—change one part and another no longer works”.
The designs we see on ‘Death Stairs’ are truly in a league of their own. But while they may be entertaining to look at, it’s important to remember that navigating them in real life can be a different story. So be careful out there and watch your step!
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