Barry Billcliff, a modern-day adventurer and pilot, has built a reputation for himself through his daring escapades worldwide. From climbing iconic landmarks to escaping life-threatening situations, Billcliff’s experiences highlight his pursuit of adventure and the risks he’s willing to take to push the boundaries of what is possible.
Escape from the Great Pyramid of Giza
Billcliff lives a life of adventure and discovery, exploring the world’s famous landmarks and uncovering hidden truths, even if it means risking his life. Embracing the thrill and danger that come with each adventure, the pilot finds that his near-death experiences and discoveries make every moment more memorable.
One of Billcliff’s most harrowing experiences occurred in Egypt, where he climbed the Great Pyramid of Giza. Billcliff recalls how this feat quickly turned to danger when inspectors arrived, intent on arresting him for his climb. However, thanks to the quick thinking of his tour guide—who also happened to be military personnel—they created enough doubt in the inspectors’ minds to delay their action.
As higher-ranking officers approached, Billcliff and his guide escaped on camelback, blending into the crowd and successfully leaving the place.
Billcliff mentions, “It was a heart-pounding experience. Seeing the pyramid from above was exhilarating, but the rush of narrowly escaping the authorities added a whole new level of thrill.”
Adventures and Near Misses
From breaking into Windsor Castle, Sydney Opera House, and Darwin’s Observatory to exploring lava tubes on the Big Island in Hawaii to climbing Sigrid Falls in Puerto Rico to breaking into a movie set in Maui, where “Kong: Skull Island” and “Jurassic Park” were filmed, Billcliff’s thrill-seeking nature has put him in precarious situations.
Billcliff recalls how, after rearranging skulls in a crypt in Paris, he was chased through the Colosseum in Rome dressed as a gladiator. He got lost on the streets of Turkey and almost died from food poisoning in Calhoun.
In Cairo, he nearly faced arrest for taking pictures inside a tomb, which locals believed captured a portion of the soul. His escape involved throwing money on the ground to distract the locals, allowing him and his companions to flee. While in Los Angeles, he was chased by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) after urinating on the Hollywood sign.
However, Billcliff’s dangerous encounters didn’t end there. In Mexico, he and his friends were held at gunpoint by a drug cartel after stumbling into a poppy field.
Despite being zip-tied and threatened, Billcliff’s Spanish and his friend’s Southern charm convinced the captors to release them. In Bali, he was also dragged out to sea on a manta ray, escaping when another boat found them and brought them back to safety.
Yet, in all this, Billcliff was able to overcome. “Those near-miss and death-defying escapes remind me how exciting life can be. Each time, I learned something new about myself and the world around me.”