If you are into real spine chilling adventure, Sydney Australia’s famous Bridge Climb may seem a little tame. But if you love soft adventure with a lttle bit of heart pumping excitement, this could be just your ticket! However, it’s not for the fainthearted.
What is the experience like? I’ve done it and lived to tell the tale!
Picture this:
You’re standing right at the top of Sydney Harbour Bridge over 130 metres (400 feet) above the water. Down below the sails of the Opera House glisten in the afternoon sun and green and gold ferries leave white trails as they cross the broad harbour. In the distance you can see the “Heads” where the harbour meets the Pacific Ocean and to the west you can view the outline of the Blue Mountains.
Late in the afternoon and early evening is a special time. There’s something magical about watching the lights of the city come on as the day recedes. The dusk has an ethereal quality.
But whatever time you do the climb it leaves no one unaffected. It is an emotional experience.
How can you enjoy the experience? For starters if you experience fear of heights or are vertigo-prone this may be a terrifying experience and you should consider other options. But if you are reasonably fit, can climb stairs and have a sense of adventure, you’ll love it. It might even be the highlight of your Aussie travels!
To do the Bridge Climb, you’ll have to make a booking and arrange for a day or evening tour time. You then check in to the main office under the south portal of the bridge in Cumberland St, just a short walk from a historic area of Sydney known as “The Rocks”.
You are then given a comprehensive briefing and demonstration and asked about your current state of health. You will also wear a special “bridge suit” with safety harness which attaches to a cable for the entire climb route. All personal possessions including keys, coins, mobiles and cameras are stored in lockers. The reasons are obvious. Dropping your camera or mobile on a car speeding below can have disastrous consequences.
Before the climb, each group member is breathalysed, so save your celebrations until after the climb. Then the adventure begins. The first thing you will notice as you commence your climb, is the noise from all the vehicles as cars, trucks, trains and buses speed below you.
You will no doubt experience initial fear and wobbly legs as the first climb is very steep. But you have no need to worry. You are attached to the path railing by a safety harness, to avoid the risk of injury or death should you slip or stumble.
Time to enjoy the breathtaking views of the world’s most beautiful harbour. At the top of the “coathanger” you will stop for a group photo and have time to enjoy one of the best views in Australia. The sensation of seeing Sydney laid out beneath you is indescribable. Ferries ploughing through the harbour look like miniature bathtub toys.
Sadly, the descent then commences and all too soon, 3 hours later, you are back in the main office, sharing your adventure experiences and collecting your complimentary group photo and adventure certificate.
My Comments.
The bridge climb definitely ranks as one of my most unforgettable experiences, though I must admit it tested my spirit of adventure severely. However if you have a reasonable level of fitness (there are nearly 1450 steps!), this is a “must try” adventure. It could even be as they say in the brochure: “The climb of your life” The bridge climb is not cheap. However, if you are a visitor to Australia, this may be the only chance you will ever have to experience a unique Aussie adventure.
Bridge Climb is ranked in the Lonely Planet’s top 10 biggest adrenaline rush experiences. As an unknown traveller once said: “Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.”