a nerve-wracking adventure

[j_b]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=572&ncid=811&e=3&u=/nm/20031103/lf_nm/australia_bridge_dc

 

Bridge Climbers Become Part of Sydney's Landscape

Mon Nov 3, 8:29 AM ET

 

By Belinda Goldsmith

 

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Day and night, a few lines of tiny figures the size of gray ants can be spotted scrambling up the arches of the iconic Sydney Harbor Bridge.

 

With breathtaking views of the city's spectacular harbor and Sydney Opera House, the world's first commercial bridge climb is attracting more than 300,000 climbers a year with its success prompting its founder to look overseas to start similar projects.

 

[...]

 

In October 1998, his first paying customers scrambled up a series of steel catwalks and ladders to the top of the 12-lane bridge, first opened to traffic in 1932.

 

 

There's been no looking back. More than 300,000 climbers a year now pay up to A$225 ($160) each to trek up the bridge, with BridgeClimb celebrating its millionth climber in April and reported to have posted turnover of A$50 million last year.

 

 

Cave said about 60 percent of climbers were from overseas, with Britons making up the largest proportion of climbers followed by Americans, while 20 percent were from Sydney and its surroundings and 20 percent from elsewhere in Australia.

 

 

A recent survey in Britain found climbing Sydney Harbor Bridge ranked 12th on a list of 50 things people wanted to do before they died. Swimming with dolphins was first.

 

[...]

 

Cave, who owns 30 percent of the BridgeClimb with five partners, said he was looking for similar projects elsewhere but declined to give details of exactly where in the world.

 

But the only venue to be made public to date is New York's Brooklyn Bridge when the city's mayor, Michael Bloomberg, announced talks were ongoing. This is now not certain.