Sydney Harbor Bridge Credit: Charlotte Baird
See Sydney from the top of its most famous landmark and get a 360-degree views of this world-class city from the sky. Sydney Harbor Bridge is one of the most recognizable landmarks in the world, and along with the Opera House, is one of the most famous icons in the world. It makes the Australian city of Sydney instantly identifiable. On a slow day, about 300 climbers scale this colossal structure, and on a busy day, this number can rise to 1200. The chance to climb to the top of this mega feat of engineering is a must-see item on any Australian adventure.
Preparing for the Harbor Bridge Climb
The bridge climb costs from $198 Australian per adult and the climb itself lasts around three hours. Other packages can be booked for special occasions, ‘express’ climbs or night climbs, and the climb is suitable for people of most ages with a moderate level of fitness. The route begins in a holding area where a video of the climb preparation and planned route plays on a reel to familiarize climbers with the procedure ahead.
Climbers then proceed to an area where they stand in a circle and introduce themselves briefly to their fellow climbers who will form their team for the next three hours, while the climb leaders organizes safety climbing suits for everyone in the group. These suits and the equipment are mandatory for safety reasons as nothing loose or not attached to the climber can be taken onto the bridge.
Unfortunately this means that cameras cannot be taken up the bridge, an unavoidable disappointment for many. Each climber, however, gets a souvenir photo and certificate of achievement at the end of their trip to remember their experience, so everyone has a long-lasting record of their day.
Scaling Sydney Harbor Bridge
Sydney Opera House and Harbor Bridge Credit: C. Baird
After suiting up, every climber is equipped with a radio to listen to their guide’s commentary, lanyards to secure glasses and keys, weather-proof clothing if needed, a baseball cap clipped to their suits and a safety belt with several attachments. The guide leads every climber through a practice section for the most technically difficult part of the bridge, and goes through the correct method for ascending and descending ladders.
Each climber is asked to complete a health and safety questionnaire prior the climb, and anyone who has expressed a fear of heights chats to the climb leader to ascertain the severity of their phobia. Those with the most severe phobia are asked to climb at the front of the team nearest the climb leader, with their friends and family, so that they are near the climb leader for support if needed.
The climb starts along a walkway leading to the main section of the bridge, several meters above a main road where climbers can look down through the mesh walkway and see pedestrians walking along in the street below. After squeezing through a few tight sections, there are 4 steep sets of stairs to climb before arriving at the main arching section of the famous bridge for the final climb to the summit.
The climb could be done quite quickly if needed but there are several stops for climbers to take in the view and to hear some details about the construction of the bridge form their climb leader. There are also several photo calls along the route organized by the guides, so that these photos can be bought at the end as a reminder of this once in a lifetime Sydney experience. For a good choice of hotels with discount prices, visit Hotels in Sydney for more information.
