Sydney Harbour BridgeClimb: Climb High Above Sydney!

The Sydney Harbour Bridge is, without a doubt, one of the most iconic bridges in the world.  Not to mention one of the most beautiful as well.  Nicknamed “the coathanger” by locals, it is renowned for both its size, simple shape, and being one of the first major man-made marvels built in Australia; a structure that defined Sydney long before the Opera House.  But what makes this bridge famous is the fact that people are welcome to scale this  structure, courtesy of Sydney Harbour BridgeClimb.  Provided off course you pay a somewhat hefty fee and you’ve got nerves of steel!

I had already loved glancing at this arched wonder from down under, but I had to see this bridge, up close and personal!  Having not done the BridgeClimb before on my first trip to Australia, I decided on my return to Sydney that I would not pass up this opportunity.  One phone call and a credit card payment later, and I was set to climb.  The company warned me that the climb would take place, rain or shine!

It was a Tuesday morning when I headed out to The Rocks, to the visitors center at Cumberland Street.  The adventure began with a jumpsuit fitting; talk about “one-size-fits-all!”  Then, our bridge leader suited us up with harness, headsets that were our walkie-talkies, and the all important karabiners that attach to your harness so you stay clipped to the wire.  We were given a practice run on a simulator (we were given a chance to climb a mock version of the kind of steep ladders that we’d be climbing).  Let’s just say that years of climbing attic stairs prepared me for such a challenge!

The hardest part of the climb was actually the numerous narrow stairs and really steep ladders!  Angled at around 60 degrees or so, it was a near vertical climb; just staring up at the numerous ladders gave me a mild case of vertigo.  In between steps, I kept having to repeatedly pat the  ladders and bars around me to make sure I wasn’t falling, even though I was tethered to the bridge.

Nonetheless, I finally made it to the final leg of the journey: climbing the top of the bridge’s arch.  That was actually the easy part, because there were no narrow passages, ladders, and it wasn’t as steep as looked from below the bridge.  I couldn’t wait to reach the top; I was so psyched about reaching the Australian flags at the zenith, I practically ran up past all the other climbers!  It was a triumphant moment to say the least!  The view, by the way, was, as Blinky Bill would put it, “Extraordinary!”  Sydney is already a beautiful city, but seeing it from hundreds of feet above Sydney Harbour, all you can do is stare in awe of such a picture-perfect metropolis!