The Bridge Climb

Friday – Sydney (Day 16)

Thank goodness for Dori. That little blue fish from Finding Nemo helped me climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

I stepped up to the ladder, noticeably shaking. I began stepping up. Breathe in. Breathe out. “Just keep swimming,” I said. I’m not sure where it came from, but I chanted it in my head over and over. “Just keep swimming.” Step. Breathe. Step. “Just keep swimming.”

And soon, the four sets of ladders were below me.

Climbing the Sydney Bridge was awesome! And well worth it. But the first part was a tad scary. Once that was done, it was simple easy steps up to the top.

We began at the Bridge Climb office, where we signed the usual liability forms and handed one-piece jumpsuits reminiscent of childhood PJs (without the footys). We then loaded up with a hat, clipped to the suit in case it was cold, a rain jacket in a little bag, also clipped to the suit. The guide added a fleece, too, and a radio. All of this was strapped to a big utility belt. The fleece and rain jacket pouches banged against my bottom, making me feel like a pack mule (or camel) and about as attractive. The belt also had a latching device to hook us to the bridge cables so we would not, hopefully, plummet 134 meters to the sea.

We did a practice run on indoor ladders with the latch, which glided along smoothly and felt like dragging a puppy by its leash. And then off we went. The Bridge Climb building is at the bridge base, so we walked through a tunnel right onto the bridge’s underside. I was slightly nervous, but not too bad as we walked the narrow path over the street, looking down on cars and people.

The dicey part was the catwalks and ladders that take you from the bridge’s underside to an area above street level. Catwalks never seem very stable to me, and the fact that I can see through them doesn’t help! I’m not sure why the ladder was so tough, but Dori’s chant kept me slowly moving.

Once past the ladder, I forgot my fear and began to have fun. The climb takes you over the top of the bridge arch (span of 503 meters), but the series of steel steps are set at an easy incline and placed over the bridge’s opaque, thick steel. I felt very comfortable, slowly walking up behind the group.

And the view was worth the initial fear. The sun, a stranger for the past day, broke through the clouds, giving us a perfect bright view of Port Jackson, the Opera House and the surrounding city. We slowly climbed the steps, pausing once in a while for our loquacious guide Richard, who fed us the facts and many stories as if telling them for the first time. In fact, he’s done the climb more than anyone else and has been with the operation since it opened.

As we walked up the arch past the Opera House, we each paused for photos. At the top, we took more photos, along with a group shot. We weren’t allowed to bring our own cameras, partly for safety and, I’m sure, partly so they can charge a large fee for the photos you want to buy once you’re done.

We stood up there for about two hours, enjoying the views and listening to Richard talk of the famous people who’ve done the climb, from Terri Hatcher to Oprah to Olympian Usain Bolt. He also regaled us with a slightly odd story of two ravens who’ve built a nest there, showing us their home and trying to count this year’s eggs.

I was a little nervous as we approached the ladders for descent, but I found it easier to go down. Just don’t look at the ground. Soon, we were walking back through the tunnel to the prep rooms, relieved to finally take off the hefty hip gear.

Ravenous, Leo and I grabbed some lunch nearby before walking back to the hotel for a break. After all, we’d just climbed multiple ladders and 465 steps!

Our afternoon was low key. One of Leo’s cousins recently moved to Sydney from New York.  We called Neil up and met him at a nearby park, from where we hailed a cab to one of Sydney’s famous beaches, Bondi. (Pronounced Bon-die.)  The water is still too chilly here for swimming, but it was a gorgeous stroll and good for people watching.

We completed the day with one of our favorite activities: afternoon beers by the water, followed by dinner.

Today (Saturday) we’re at the airport, about to fly to Brisbane for a quick peek before our final stop in Cairns.