One of the biggest tourist attractions in Sydney is the Sydney Harbour Bridge. There it stands at the Quay Side all majestic and quite frankly massive. You can walk over the bridge as a pedestrian to get to the other side of the harbour. However why would you want to do that when you could climb the bridge!!!!!!!
I am not frightened of heights (I mean I have done a parachute jump for gods sake) but even to me this looked quite daunting. Its 136 metres above sea level and is one of the largest bridges in the world. There is a company called Bridge Climb that have based themselves there and basically they give you training and then you climb the bridge.
The Bridgeclimb is a totally professional affair and it costs $155 dollars (about 70 pound at the current exchange rate) to do it monday to friday or $175 dollars at the weekend. We just turned up expecting to be able to do it and there were fully booked (to give you an idea of how popular this this groups of ten climbers go up every ten minurtes from 6.45 am until 8.45pm.) Anyway we booked to do the bridge the next day and decided on 6.55am as we thought it would be a bit cooler at that time - although there are water fountains at various points along the bridge.) To book the bridge you can either go along in person or via their telephone
hot line or web site.
When you turn up for the climb you have to sign a declaration that you are physically fit and do not suffer from angina, heart problems etc and then you have to take an alcohol breathaliser. Your limit must be under 0.5 and if you are over that you are not allowed to climb. Its worth pointing out that they breathalise you after taking yourmoney as its non-refundable so if climbing early in the morning like we did its worth making sure that you don't overdo the Gin and Tonics the night before.
You are then given suits to wear - these are very unattractive grey boiler suits but they are weather proof and heat resistant. You are allowed to wear sunglasses or reading glasses but these must be attached to the back of your boiler suit and no wrist watches etc are allowed to be worn - far enough I suppose when you are walking 136 meters above cars and pedestrians on the bridge. You are also given a headset that is optional as to whether you wear it or not but the climb leader can then talk to you and point out places of interest enroute (Like the prime ministers house, the old Fort Denison that used to be a prison etc) I am asthamtic and again you are not allowed to carry your inhaler yourself in case you drop it but the climb leader carries it for you.
All climbers are given a harness and you are attached to a safety rope, the good thing about this is that you get an instructor to 10 people and they look only after you. Fleeces and weatherproof jackets are available as are hats and hair bands to wear while you climb. You get some intensive training on how to hook yourself onto the rigging and how to walk up the ladders etc and then you are off.
The climb in total takes about 3 and a half hours but this includes all your training first and getting the gear on so you would need to allow half a day to do it really - then you are off.
The views from the bridge really are amazing and you walk up one side right to the very top where the Australian flags are and then cross right over the middle of the bridge and walk down the other side. You get an all round view of Sydney as you climb up one side and down the other so its impossible to miss anything. The climbers that take you are also really knowledgable so can tell you most things about the bridge that you would want to know - (like did you know that all the steel is really straight but has been joined togewther to make a curve and that 80% of the Steel came from England.)
I don't think you need to be an olympic athlete to do this climb but a certain degree of physical fitness is required as it is quite strenous and there are a lot of steps and ladders to walk up and down (over 1400 in total they told us.)
You can't take your own cameras onto the bridge but the instructor takes a group photo that is given to you complimentary and they then take lots of pictures of you are there really is no obligation to buy them - although we did and how often do you getyour photo taken at the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge - however we didn't feel presured to buy them and our instructor even said I will take lots so you have the option but don't feel you have to purchase them.
The photos were $15 dollars each or 2 for $29 so we did what a lot of people do and buy them and then scan them in - I am sure this is illegal but everyone does it apparnetly - that way if there is two of you you need one buy one set of photos. I found they were not pushy in trying to sell the photos they let you look at them all digitally and its really up to you whether you purchase them or not. You end up in a souviner shop as well (quite crafty) but again this is very reasonably priced and I bought some postcards to send to people that show the bridge saying 'I climbed it!!"
This in my mind is a fantastic day out in Sydney. The motto of the climbers is that they will only go as quick as the slowest person and I certainly didn't feel rushed to get to the top and we had lots of breathers on the way up and down as well. When we reached the top I have expected to be rushed but we spent a good 20 minutes up there admiring the views and looking at landmarks - we probably could have spent longer but it was getting a bit hot up there.
The bridge is also made of solid steel so where you are putting your feet is solid - I had visions of my feet losing their grip and falling through the holes but its solid steel so theres no chance of that - also quite good if you wanted to cure your heights phobia - after all if you look down you will only see stell and your feet - you have to actually look over the side if you want to see the cars below you.
I am not sure if there is a minimum age to do this - I have a feling it might be 16 for insurance reasons and there is no upper age limit - apparently a year ago a 100 year old lady climbed it.
If you are in Sydney then you must do this. It is not widely publised although we found the details for this in the Lonley Planet book and in our hotel. The staff are all lovely and don't pressure you into joining in if you don't want to. The bridgeclimb is situated in the Rocks Area of Sydney and although pricey this is definatley one exercusion that you should definatley build into your financing.
The feeling of a cold beer to celebrate is amazing if not a little frightening as you then see everyone doing it and realise that they look like little ants on the top of the bridge.
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great review, I definately want to go to sydney at some point and I'll be planning on going up there!
Tricia24 24.10.2006 17:46
I only learnt about this the second time I was in Sydney and by then I'd run out of time. Am going back next September and this is on my must do list. Shame you can't take your own camera, but I guess if you dropped it...Thanks for the info. Triciax
aestro 20.10.2006 22:26
Wickid op. Im going to be dreaming about the bridge tonight. depite the fact its on the other side of the planet.
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