The Syndey Harbour Bridge Climb
Written: Aug 17 '99
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: Exhilarating views
Cons: expensive, strenuous
|
|
|
| kristin's Full Review: Sydney |
Climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge
My husband and I recently returned from our honeymoon in Australia, some of which was spent in Sydney. One of our most memorable activities was climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge. I'm not talking about just climbing up the interior of one of its pylons peering out the top; I'm talking about climbing on the very top of the outside of the bridge.
When my husband first suggested we do this, I thought he was insane. As I peered through the telephoto lens of my camera, I saw people in body suits tethered to the bridge, making their way to the top. Crazy! But since we were walking around the neighborhood anyway, we decided to see what it was all about.
The activity is called The Bridge Climb, and was opened to the public late last year by an Australian entrepreneur. Apparently, the idea dawned on him while the City Planning Office led him and a bunch of VIPs to the top of the bridge. He asked if he could start a business by opening up a climb like that to the public, and was given 167 reasons why he couldn't (mainly safety concerns). He quickly checked off all 167 reasons and started The Bridge Climb. The company is leasing the rights to do this from the city for 20 years, after which the contract is either ended or extended.
You can sign up for a day climb or night climb: They offer more day climbs, but the night climbs are becoming more popular and fill up way in advance. Our guide told us that it's a very different experience at night - more nature-oriented. If you are planning on doing this over the weekend, you will need to sign up a few days in advance, since those slots go first. The cost is about 90 Australian (65 U.S.) dollars per person, which is a bit steep, but definitely worth it. The climb will take you a good 3 or 4 hours. The Bridge Climb staff takes safety very seriously, and there is a lot of training involved.
My husband and I returned for our scheduled climb at 3:30pm. Make sure not to have any beer or wine at lunch, because you are subjected to a breathalyzer test before the climb. Also, wear sturdy walking shoes and comfortable clothes.
Once we signed in, we were led into a waiting room with eight other people and an instructor (each tour holds a maximum of 10 people.) There, we filled out forms that asked us for general and personal information (i.e., whether we were scared of heights, depressed, suicidal, etc.). The instructor then gave us each a breathalyzer test and a brief overview of what we were to expect for the next few hours.
Then we were led into another room, where we were sized up for climbing suits (a gray jumpsuit that zips over your clothes). We put all of our valuables into a locker and secured everything else (i.e., glasses and hats) onto our bodies so they wouldn't fall off during the climb. The Bridge Climb provided us with coats, hats, and scrunchies, and made sure that everything was carefully attached to our suits. Last but not least, they provided us with radios so we could hear our tour guide.
Once we were outfitted, we learned how to climb the bridge. Each person is secured to the bridge by a harness and a belay. If you slip backwards, the belay will catch and stop your fall. The harness is locked onto your body, so you can't pull it off in a panic. We trained using the belay on a mini-bridge structure within the building and then headed off for the climb.
The very first part of the climb is not a climb at all, but a stroll over a catwalk. This is a good test for people who might think they are scared of heights. You can turn back at any time, but it's best to do it as soon as possible.
Once you get over the catwalk, you are asked to climb a ladder up to the curve of the bridge. This, in my opinion, is the scariest part of the climb. Not only do you have to climb straight up, as you reach the top of the ladder, you emerge in between 6 lanes of car and train traffic. This noise is deafening, and the shock of seeing all of those cars is a bit much. However, if you can get through this part, the rest is quite beautiful.
The incline of the bridge isn't very steep, so you won't get too tired out. Plus, the tour guide makes numerous stops along the way to give you a rest and to let you gaze at the bay. She also takes photos of you from time to time on a digital camera (you're not allowed to bring your own), which you can buy for a hefty price after the trip. We actually bought a couple, and I'm glad we did -- there's nowhere else in the city that you can get a view like that.
We started our descent just as the sun was setting. I highly recommend going towards the end of the day - the sun isn't too hot, and you get to catch the skyline as the sun goes down. I would definitely take along one of the jackets that they offer you though, because the wind can pick up toward the top. If you don't' feel like wearing it, you can just crush it into a little belly pack that they provide for you.
Anyone who is in reasonable shape can make this trip. At the end of the day my legs were a bit sore, but I definitely wasn't too tired.
If you're looking for a bit of excitement in Sydney, take this tour. You'll be glad you did.
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
kristin
|
|
Member: Kristin Pratt
Reviews written: 6
Trusted by: 90 members
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.