The Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb, Done!

The first thing we did on Sunday morning, after arriving at our hotel in The Rocks area of Sydney, was go for walk.  The sun was bright, that brightness that only comes in summertime, which it was.  Summertime in December, I could get use to this.  I was feeling fairly good considering that we had just completed a twenty-five hour flight, not counting the two and a half hour layover in Dubai.  Everything we saw and would be seeing, was new to us.  I was taking it all in like a three year old in a pram. 

After walking approximately three minutes, we saw a building with the words "Bridge Climb Sydney" on the window.  Oh no, here we are, front and center.  My nemesis.  My nightmare.  My fears.  I need to overcome here and now.  Jeremy knows I'm terrified but he also knows that it is something that I want, maybe need, to overcome.  Without even discussing it, we walk in, and get in line.  Around the waiting area, they have pictures of all the famous people who have climbed the Bridge, from Prince Harry to the cast of Glee.  I saw Steve Irwin, "The Crocodile Hunter".  He is so cute, smiling happily for the camera.  I get kind of sad looking at him, but know he didn't die on the Bridge.  I then see Oprah.  Ok, I love Oprah.  If Oprah can do it, I can do it.  Does that mean I can be a self made billionaire?  Well, maybe, but we can work on that later.  First, let's conquer the Bridge. 

"I don't want to climb right now.  I feel good, but I'm just not sure how the jet lag will hit me.  I'd rather wait a day or two,"  I said.

"I wasn't thinking about doing it now either, I just want to make a reservation," Jeremy said.

The sales clerk was very nice as she gave us the rules.  They are very strict on their safety issues.  The stricter the better in my book.  We are not to have anything alcoholic to drink the day of the climb.  We'll be give a breathalyzer test just to make sure we are legally sober. 

"Are you pregnant?" she asks.

"No," I said. 

I had actually heard her ask the 70-ish year old looking woman who was in line before us.  I wasn't offended knowing it must be a standard question.  The only thing that I'm more afraid of than heights and wind is my weight going up.  But she doesn't know that. 

We would need to go through a training exercise, and sign release forms before we were able to begin our climb.  All of that would take approximately an hour and a half.  Once we passed our exams, we would be ready to go.  We would be on the Bridge for approximately two hours. 

I secretly hoped I would fail the tests.

"When would you like to climb?" she asks.

"Twilight, on Thursday," Jeremy said.

Thursday?  Like in four days?  I have to think about this for four days?  Why can't we just do it and get it over with?

"What!  Thursday ... Twilight?  I mean, that is when it will be dark," I said.

"Sure, it will be cool," said Jeremy.

"Um, ok.  Do you climb the Bridge when it is raining or windy?" I asked.

"We climb in all weather, except lightening storms.  The price is $268, non-refundable," she said.

"Um, ok."  I handed over my credit card then started praying for a lightening storm.

You can't really go anywhere along the Sydney Harbour and not see the Harbour Bridge.   It is there, just like the Opera House, calling to me.  Except the Opera House calls in beautiful musical melodies.  The Bridge sounds more like a death knell.  I've had a paralyzing fear of heights and wind since I was a child.  I had hoped that climbing the Bridge would help me get over it.  So far, all it's done is darkened my sunny summer days down under.

On Thursday, at lunch, I had a pint.  I know, I know, I was not suppose to drink, but I was at the oldest pub in Sydney, The Lord Nelson, which makes it the oldest pub in all of Australia, and I wanted a pint.  I ordered a Nelson's Blood, the darkest beer they brew.  It was great, but the pub was more of tourist stop than a place for locals.  I headed out, back towards my hotel, hoping that my one pint didn't just ruin my Bridge climb.  Ok, did I hope it would or wouldn't?  But for $268, I didn't want to lose the money.  My frugal side was overtaking my fears.  Once back at the hotel, I tried to take a nap for the first time all week.  I wanted to be rested for the climb, but all I could do was toss and turn.  Now, I just wanted to do this thing.

We got to the office early, and watched the safety video as we waited.  Exactly on time, a perky Sheila eyes us up for our jumpsuits. (Jumpsuits, did she say JUMP?  Why can't they call it "feet firmly planted on the Bridge" suit?)  We sign our forms, get our breathalyzer test, which I passed without incident, and are given our suits.  We lock up all our loose possessions, such as watches, earrings, hair clips (including bobby pins) then walk through a metal detector.  They really do take their safely seriously.  We are now met by a 20-something man, at least I hope that he is at least 20.  He's going to be our guide up the Bridge, but first, we have to walk on the catwalks and climb the ladders. 

"Once we are out on the Bridge there will be eight ladders we have to climb.  It's better to get a feel for them here first.  The big rule, only one person on each ladder at a time," he said.

I go up the ladders, across the catwalk and down the other ladder with no issues.  Easy.  This is going to be easy, right!

"Ok, is everybody ready?  Now, who is afraid?"

There are only eight of us on this tour.

"Oh, I've done this twice before," one tiny local says.

"No worries, we are excited," a family from Texas announces.

"Um, I am," I said.

"Ok, well, you will stay up front with me," the guide says.

"Once we are on the Bridge, you cannot change your order.  Each person will be tethered to the Bridge and you cannot become un-tethered until we re-enter the building.  Make sure you are in the order you want your pictures taken."

"Everyone ready?"

I walk out out of the office, directly onto the Bridge.  I really didn't have a clue that the office was attached directly to the Bridge.  I'm fine, then we start walking.  There were plenty of party goers down below who were cheering us on and waving.  Wow, that does seem like a far way down, so I just looked straight ahead.

Once we are out on the real catwalk, the guide decides that this is a good time to stop and talk about the structure of the Bridge.  "blah, blah, blah," is all I hear.  I held on to the small side rails as tightly as I could, which seemed to get smaller as I stood there.  I stared at the I-beam slightly above my eye level.  As he blah, blah, blahed on, I decided to look down.  All that was between me and the rushing harbour down below was a very thin, metal, lattice catwalk.  My stomach was swirling faster than the harbor waters. 

"And now let's walk"

Thank God.

I'm ok as we are moving.  I don't look to the sides, I don't look down.  I just move forward. 

"Ok, here are the ladders.  Remember, only one person at a time.  I'm going to go first, and you follow," and then he scampered out of sight.  

I'm next.
 
Two other employees of the Harbor Bridge Climb company were there to make sure we didn't feel alone, which is how I felt, even with them and Jeremy besides me.

I started to climb.

Now let's just say that the practice area is nothing like reality.  As we climb up the skinny, metal ladders, there is nothing in front of us, on the sides, or to the back.  It is a skinny metal ladder suspended in the air ... all by itself.  Then comes the flying cars.  They have to be flying because we are up in the air, all by ourselves.  How can there be cars whizzing by me on both sides.  The ladder goes up through two lanes of car traffic.  I know I'm tethered, but it was all I could do to keep moving and focus on something in front of me, but there is nothing in front of me.  Our guide said there were eight ladders.  I was just finishing up ladder four and didn't know if I would be able to physically continue, when I heard him say, "Congratulations!  You made it!" 

"But I thought there were eight ladders."   

"There are, four up and four down." 

I take a deep breath realizing I'm done, but an even deeper breath when I realize that I'm now standing on the outside arc of the Bridge staring up the arc.   There is nothing in front of me.  I am posed to climb to the top.  I stand and wait ... and watch the traffic rush beneath me.  I wait ... and feel the harbor swirl below.  I wait ... and watch the sun set over Sydney.  I wait.  It takes time for eight people to climb up four skinny, metal ladders.  The guide now comes back to lead the group.  He can un-tethered from the Bridge.  It makes me nervous to see how he does this with such ease, but I trust him.  He's a natural up here, unlike me.  We start walking and get halfway up the Bridge, but must stop again.  The tour group in front of us were at the top taking pictures.  The guide started telling more stories.  This time I hear words, and not just blah, blahs.  The view is beautiful, and the stories of the men who built this Bridge are harrowing. 

It's time to move forward.  We climb the easy steps to the top.  Now it's time for the money shot.  The picture we all came up her for ... us with the Opera House in the background.  We pair off for the photos.  Yes, I've made it halfway, so I think. 

"Ok, now that your done, go stand in the middle of the Bridge and wait for the rest of us," the guide said. 

"Wait, we walk across the Bridge?  Don't we just take the pictures, watch the sunset, then all go back down the same way we came up?"  

"No.  We go down the opposite side."

I slowly turn and walk along the catwalk, another thin, metal, lattice catwalk, across the transverse of the Bridge.  The traffic, trains, and harbor all rush below us.  The flags of Australia and New South Wales whip above our heads.  The winds up here are strong, and we can see the rain coming over the horizon, but the sun is still setting in a brilliant show.  I cannot stop in the middle.  I feel wobbly, my knees are more than weak, my stomach is in my throat, and my eyes cannot see straight.  I don't even have a focal point up here.

"You are suppose to stop, Tam, stop," Jeremy shouted over the winds.

"I can't!  I'm going to faint.  Stay there, but I have to move on."

He followed me.  When we got to the other side, I was able to sit on a stair and regain my sense of balance.  

"You can go back.  If that is cool with you.  I just can't do it."

"No, I'll stay with you."

The next couple followed us, then the next, and the last.  We took a second set of pictures on this side with a twinkling lights of Sydney in the background.

"Isn't this the most beautiful sight you ever seen,"  the guide asks.

"Yes, yes it is." 

I could have talked about how it isn't New York, but I've honestly never climbed the Brooklyn or George Washington Bridges, and never will.  Yes, this is beautiful.  I'm at the top.  The wind did not blow me over, yet.  The Bridge as not collapsed, yet.  I've conquered my fears to some degree.  I was here, and still had to get down, but I had made it.