(FORTUNE Magazine) – PEOPLE LIKE TO SAY I SCALE BUILDINGS. IT SOUNDS very Spiderwoman-y, but truthfully it's not. We do industrial rope access, mostly to gather data and documentation for the preservation of historic buildings in the Northeastern U.S. I was a structural-engineering student at Cornell and taught rock climbing there. I had taken a job with Andersen Consulting; then I met the guys from Vertical Access and was just hooked. At St. Patrick's (pictured above) the archdiocese hired us to do a survey of the stone on the towers--especially at protruding elements like gargoyles and finials. We carry an acrylic sounding hammer to test masonry, and we take notes on tablet PCs. We also worked on the Chrysler building, spraying water on the joints between some of the panels to see whether they leaked. It's incredibly safe work. I'm more worried about getting hit by a bus in New York. But I spend a lot of time convincing my father it's safe. My parents have actually come on-site--I thought it would make them feel better to see that there are two ropes, safety devices, and backups. It didn't. My father says he now has visuals for his nightmares. -- Interview by Abrahm Lustgarten