Stepping into the Sky: I Experienced The New Overhang at Malahat SkyWalk on Vancouver Island, and Here’s What It’s Really Like
I kept hearing the same question in the days leading up to the grand opening of The Overhang at Malahat SkyWalk: “Are you going to do it?”
I seem to lack whatever self-preservation instinct triggers a fear of heights, so for me, there was no question—I would absolutely be one of the first visitors to step out into the first-of-its-kind glass viewing cube at the very top of the SkyWalk’s Spiral Tower. It’s not every day that you get the chance to stand 250 metres above sea level with only six centimetres of glass between your feet and the water and forest views below.
“We really can’t wait for you to be thrilled—or freaked out,” said Malahat SkyWalk General Manager Nathan Bird during his opening remarks at the launch event.
First things first: coffee. I grabbed a latte from Happy Camper, the onsite coffee shop tucked into an Airstream trailer, and began my walk along the 600-metre elevated boardwalk towards the Spiral Tower. Like the tower and The Overhang, this boardwalk is fully accessible to wheelchairs and strollers, with no more than an eight percent incline as it rises into the branches of the arbutus and Douglas fir forest.
Along the walkway, I passed driftwood sculptures of forest creatures by local artist Tanya Bub. My favourite was a family of foxes clustered on a mossy rock just before the entrance to the Spiral Tower.
I took my time walking up the 10-storey corkscrew of the tower, soaking in the views that became more expansive with every turn. At the top, I paused to watch eagles and hawks soar below.
After the official ribbon cutting to open The Overhang, I patiently waited my turn to step out onto the glass. And then, there it was: the forest and Saanich Inlet directly below my feet, with Finlayson Arm and views of the Gulf Island stretching out into the distance. I walked all the way to the edge—more than two metres out from where the cube meets the tower—to get the full experience of floating above the landscape. I felt confident lingering over the views, knowing that The Overhang has a steel support frame and five panels of structural glass.
“We’ve worked out the math,” Bird said. “You can fit about two and a half elephants in there in terms of weight—but good luck getting two and a half elephants in there for size!”
Feeling brave after stepping back out of The Overhang, I proceeded to the SkyWeb, a slightly bouncy net stretched across the top of the tower. Kids were running across it without fear, but adults trod slowly, including me, as the wobbly feeling made me a little more nervous than the solid glass of The Overhang had.
For the way back down, I opted to take the Sizzler Slide, a 20-metre spiral tube that cuts the descent time down to about 10 seconds. It’s definitely a lot bigger than anything I remember from childhood playgrounds, but it still felt like throwback to my youth, and I had a big grin on my face as I tumbled out the bottom.
Since I was feeling like a kid again, I decided it only made sense to end my visit to Malahat SkyWalk with an ice cream cone from Softys, housed in another shiny Airstream. After devouring the chocolate-and-vanilla vegan soft serve, I took a few minutes to explore the local brands in the gift shop on my way out.
In the end, almost everyone made it into The Overhang, although a few took some coaxing and some didn’t want to look down. For me, looking down was the best part. I’d do it again in a heartbeat—assuming The Overhang is not already occupied by two or more elephants.
Learn more about Malahat SkyWalk and its latest attraction The Overhang here.
