Just two weeks after Oprah did it, we also climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge!!!
We flew in to Sydney on a sunny afternoon on Boxing Day (26th Dec 2010). I had booked a twilight climb thinking we'd get to see an amazing sunset from the top of the bridge. I should've known better!
We arrived at the Bridge Climb centre at 6 pm and went through the safety protocols - filling out medical forms, getting breath-tested, etc. before starting the lengthy process of getting kitted out in all the gear - special grey suit, belt with multiple clip attachments - safety belt with clip to keep us attached to a steel rod all the way, raincoat clipped on, cap clipped on and headset to hear the commentary from our guide along the way.
Its a long way to the top...
The climb starts out along level platforms under the roadway. Then a series of vertical ladders have to be scaled - with only one person at a time allowed on each ladder. Once you get past the ladders you find yourself at the bottom of the arch with an seemingly endless set of steps to be climbed. About half way up the bridge we could feel the southerly change blowing in from the Blue Mountains. The sky began to get darker and darker and we could hear thunder in the distance. We had our individual photo taken about 3/4 of the way through the climb. By this time it was blowing a gale and pouring buckets of rain!!! Thank goodness the wet weather gear they provide is top quality!!! What a great experience we were having - nothing like we expected!!!
We had 14 people in our climb group and after we made it to the top we had to wait for another set of climbers to have their group photo taken. By this time a message had come through to our guide to tell us we had to get down off the bridge immediately because the lightning storm was closing in on us fast!
We had to turn around and head back down the bridge the way we had come without getting the group photo taken or crossing from one side of the bridge to the other. It seemed to take forever to get back down off the arch, down all the ladders and back onto the platforms under the roadway. After arriving back at the bridge climb centre and removing all our gear we were told that due to the weather issues our climb was classed as incomplete. What fantastic news!!! This means we get to fly back to Sydney some time in the next 6 months and climb the bridge again - for free!!!
