The Discovery Climb – a new way to climb the Coat Hanger

Kingsley Mason, TravelMole’s interpid adventure correspondent braved the elements and the engineering of the Sydney Harbour Bridge this week by testing out BridgeClimb’s new climb, “The Discovery Climb”!

Two years in the planning, BridgeClimb today launched ‘The Discovery Climb’, which means that people seeking adventure atop Sydney’s famous Harbour Bridge can now choose from two different climbing experiences.

They both allow climbers the choice of climbing at dawn, during the day, at twilight or at night and both offer sensational views from the top of the bridge; however, the main difference is how the climbers reach that oft seen flashing aircraft beacon at the summit….  But fret ye not, the great thing is that both paths lead to happiness!

The design of the bridge can help to explain – basically the arch is composed of an ‘inner arch’ and an ‘outer arch’ connected by a series of steelwork panels, with stairs and catwalks on the top of both these arches.

The Bridge Climb is the original climb, it takes climbers ‘up and over’, with the route along the top of the outer arch the whole way.  The ceiling is the sky itself, with unfettered views all the way up.

The Discovery Climb focuses on the inside of the bridge, ie the superstructure itself, with the route along the top of the inner arch until close to the top, at which point a staircase, referred to as ‘Highrise’, takes you up to emerge on the top of the outer arch next to the beacon, referred to as the ‘Sundeck’!

The Discovery Climb allows climbers to experience the sheer engineering genius of the bridge up close and personal and will appeal strongly to anyone who wants to see the very heart of this iconic and world famous landmark. 

The feeling is one of like walking through a steel cathedral, with the different angles of the steel sections providing climbers a real sense of this iconic structure.

So which climb is the right one for you?  In my humble opinion, if you like to go somewhere by the most direct route, love big open skies and like to keep a steady focus straight ahead, ie not too sure about heights(!), then the original BridgeClimb is probably the one for you.

If you are an engineering-oriented person and the relationship is currently a bit tricky, this climb may perhaps cause one too many “Ooh Ahhh – look at that!” moments (this particularly applies to males – apologies to all Molettes, this is not meant to be sexist, but you may actually start thinking “He doesn’t say that about me with such passion, but remember you and he are firmly clipped on!!”)

The Discovery Climb has no ladders, only stairs, which is a big plus and it has lots of twists and turns to further enhance the experience! 

However, there are a couple of short sections around the decking, one known as ‘Crazy Cottage’ where looking down is probably not the best thing to do – depending of course on your point of view (literally!). 

Climbers can see exactly where the two halves of the arch are joined and wonder what individual stories lie behind each section, if not each rivet…

Ross, our guide, reflected the attitude of the whole BridgeClimb team, enthusiastic and professional, and a great advertisement for Australian Tourism, keeping us supplied with plenty of interesting information on both the coat hanger and the harbour. 

Safety on the climb is the number one priority at all times.

The only time that I was glad to be a ground-dweller was when I stepped out from the protection of the Pylon onto the catwalk over the water far below! 

It was actually very good in the context of the walk, as when i reached the arch, any feelings of anxiety steadily diminished.

The Discovery Climb also uses a new ‘slider system’ to ensure the safety of climbers.

It has been a long journey for BridgeClimb’s founder Paul Cave with after spending ten challenging years resolving the many issues around establishing BridgeClimb, and a further nine successful years and numerous awards later, Paul has realised another step in his vision with the launch of The Discovery Climb.

Paul is justifiably proud that 17% of BridgeClimb’s business is derived from repeat customers and that twelve people climb the bridge every 10 mins.  Indeed, during December & January, climbing operations are happening 24hrs (Except New Year – can’t have climbers shooting heavenwards on a skyrocket!)

Asked when he best liked to be on the Bridge, Paul said he preferred night time due to the ethereal feel to the bridge. 

The whole climb experience from start to finish (including pre and post climb activities) takes around three and a half hours and it is well worth joining the 1.8 million who have already climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge with BridgeClimb.

Report by Kingsley Mason