To put it simply Bridge Climb, as a company, first came into being in 1998 with the sole purpose of providing climbs of the arch of the Harbour Bridge as a tourist attraction. This was not an easy undertaking as not only did the safety of the tourists have to be taken into account, but the cars and trains travelling beneath them as well.

There were other difficulties such as easy access onto the bridge, and how to provide the service without changing the bridge. The problems were overcome in a variety of ways. The South Piers, which are not load bearing, had access tunnels drilled through them and concrete poured in to stabilise the area, and a series of rails were added as anchors for the climb. Also, suits were made for use by climbers in order to prevent them taking up something that could fall onto the traffic below.

Voila! We have Bridge Climb.

I climbed the bridge myself in 2000. I decided to start out the new millennium at the top of the bridge, and in the middle of the harbour. I did it to see if I could, basically. I rocked up to the Bridge Climb offices early on the 2nd January, for the first climb of the day, scheduled to commence at 7:45am.

If you intend to do this yourself, leave at least half a day. There are things you'll need to do before the climb even commences. The first thing they do is an orientation, followed by a breath test. You aren't allowed up on the bridge with any alcohol in your blood. If you intend to go on a bender the night before then you might find yourself in difficulties.

The next stage is to get yourself fitted out for your climb suit. This suit goes over any clothes you are wearing. If you are doing the climb in the summer months I suggest that you wear something light, The suit is all synthetic and doesn't breathe at all.

Once you are all suited up, with the guide for your tether, you are sent up a gantry to get an idea of what the climb will be like. when climbing the bridge you are tethered to it. There are only two points on the bridge where you can remove the tether - at the beginning of the climb and the end of the climb. It will go with you the full way. Your chances of falling off are remote.

The other thing you should be aware of is that cameras aren't allowed on the climb. The guide has a camera and you can purchase photos after the climb has finished.

You then leave the Bridge Climb offices and walk down the road to the entry to the Harbour Bridge. The first take you through the pylon, which is where I got my first surprise. The pylons were supposed to be filled with concrete, but when drilling commenced it was discovered that a little cost-cutting had been done and instead they were filled with debris from the construction of the bridge. In order to finish the tunnel, the area had to be filled as originally intended, and in among this historical curiosity is a lone boot, most probably thrown in when it no longer had any use to the owner.

Once you leave the tunnel you are tethered to the bridge, and then begin slowly climbing up a series of ladders and gantries that takes you to the base of the arch. The climb up these ladders is short and easy.

Once on the bridge itself we commenced a gradual climb. While in photos it looks steep, in reality it isn't at all. The guide took it slowly, and we stopped at least four times. One of those times was because we had a person in our group who was scared of heights, and she needed the break to get orientated. The rest at points up the bridge gives you time to get your breath back and enjoy the view.

It took about 45 mins to get to the top and the view was spectacular. We stopped at the summit and just enjoyed the scene. It was a clear, clear day and early in the morning. Being midsummer and just after New Years most people were on holidays and there was less pollution. To one side we could see right out to the ocean, and from the other side up as far as Homebush, which in 2000 was the site of the Olympic Games.

After the break we walked across the bridge, underneath the flags and began our descent. This part of the journey was taken just as slowly, and it was great being in the first group because we got to set the pace.

The end of the climb is a reverse of the beginning. At the bottom of the bridge there are another series of ladders and gantries, and a trip through another tunnel. Back at headquarters we removed our climb suits and got our photos. You can purchase additional photos at the giftshop as well, if you are so inclined.

If you are thinking of taking Bridge Climb put aside half a day to do so, because it takes a good four hours, but well worth the trouble even if you aren't fit. Believe me, I wasn't.

I thought Bridge Climb was great. They were very professional and the guide was entertaining and you cannot beat the view. I had a fantastic time.

The climb I did was 8 years ago, now, and since then they've added to the tours you can do:

They have a night climb, and a climb that goes from underneath the traffic platform and then up, via a spiral staircase, to the top of there bridge. You can see more about these at their website.

If you are thinking of doing the climb in Sydney make sure you book beforehand. They are usually booked months in advance, and you'll need to secure your place.

Enjoy!