British Daredevil Climbs 1,280ft Crane in Dubai—Only to Discover It’s Slippery with Grease

Free climber Adam Lockwood, known as “Nuisance” on YouTube, recently risked his life scaling a crane perched over 1,200 feet above Dubai’s skyline—only to discover mid-stunt that it was slick with grease.

In a video shared on his channel, the 21-year-old from Manchester documented his heart-pounding ascent, which began with him sneaking into the Il Primo residential skyscraper disguised as a construction worker.

Lockwood, who has a history of high-altitude stunts, avoided detection by real workers and climbed all the way to the building’s rooftop crane—standing 390 meters (1,280 feet) above ground.

As he began climbing the crane, he realized something terrifying: the entire structure was coated in grease, making it nearly impossible to grip safely. Despite this, he continued the ascent, at times hanging one-handed from steel beams and even performing an upside-down pose with his legs hooked over a bar.

He described the climb as “surreal” and claimed he entered a kind of meditative state, blocking out the fear and focusing only on the next move.

“I’m Not Doing That Again”

Lockwood initially encountered a worker who challenged him, but managed to convince the man—using a bit of improvisation and Google Translate—that he was on-site for work and had forgotten something. The bluff worked: the worker directed him down the stairs and left, at which point Lockwood simply switched stairwells and continued upward.

“I didn’t want to walk up 77 floors in 45°C heat,” he explained, “but I ended up switching stairwells eight times because I kept bumping into workers.”

During the nearly two-hour climb, Lockwood paused at water taps to cool his head and stay hydrated in the sweltering conditions.

By the time he reached the crane, he realized his GoPro only had 20% battery life left—barely enough to capture the footage of the death-defying stunt.

Once at the top, Lockwood quickly discovered that what he thought was dust was actually grease. This made every handhold and foothold precarious.

“I had four moments where I nearly slipped,” he admitted. “Even coming back down, I had a few more close calls.”

Why He Keeps Climbing

Despite declaring “I’m never doing that again” after returning to solid ground, Lockwood said the experience was still worth it.

“Dangling off the tallest crane in Dubai, right next to the tallest building in the world—it was unreal,” he said. “I know what I can do, and it’s something almost nobody else can. So I feel like I have to make the most of it.”

Lockwood acknowledges the dangers and legal risks, but says the thrill and the views from such incredible heights are what keep him going.

“It’s something that’s kept me alive,” he said. “The challenge of getting into places I’m not supposed to be and pushing my limits—it’s addictive. And I don’t think I can stop.”