In this slightly jarring photograph, we see the steep climb ahead for those wanting to scale to the top of a cooling tower. This particular tower is located in Tennessee and is now abandoned.

If you look about two thirds up the tower, you’ll notice a platform and that the ladder now juts outwards. To complete the climb you actually face away from the tower. This is due to the shape of the cooling tower, which is known as a hyperboloid structure.

Wikipedia explains:

Hyperboloid cooling towers have become the design standard for all natural-draft cooling towers because of their structural strength and minimum usage of material. The hyperboloid shape also aids in accelerating the upward convective air flow, improving cooling efficiency. These designs are popularly associated with nuclear power plants. [Source]

If you dig this kind of ‘urban exploration’ be sure to check out the rest of aurelie’s set called Abandoned TN