ADVENTURE HOLIDAYS
The BridgeClimb, Sydney
The iconic Opera House might be the defining image of
Sydney’s magnificent harbour but the neighbouring Harbour
Bridge is spectacular in its own right, and you can climb it
too. The steel-arched bridge, nicknamed The Coathanger,
carries two railway lines and an eight-lane highway, connecting
Sydney with its suburbs.
The BridgeClimb takes around 3.5 hours, walking a total of 1.8km
and climbing 1,439 steps, but a good portion of this time is spent
in preparation. By the time I’d been breathalysed, listened to a
safety and equipment briefing, been divested of my jewellery
and donned the obligatory grey boiler suit, I was a nervous
wreck. Then after putting on my radio headset and harness
with its attached static line, that you hook to the structure, I was
ready for my ascent. With my small team we zigzagged our way
through the bridge’s inner girders and climbed steep ladders
before finally arriving at the summit, 130m above sea level. The
breathtaking panoramic views of Sydney harbour, however, are
well worth any pre-climb worries. It is no wonder, as I learnt,
that 1,700 marriage proposals, and, in June, the first wedding (a
Glasgow couple) have taken place on the bridge. To date, over
two million people including Kelly Osborne, Kylie Minogue, Justin
Timberlake and Nicole Kidman have completed the BridgeClimb.
And to prove to any disbelievers back home, you can show off
your commemorative certificate and summit photograph.
www.bridgeclimb.com · www.seesydney.com.au
Inca Trail, Peru
For many of us, perhaps, camping is something left to festival-
goers and hardy outdoor types. Even if you’re not the world’s
keenest camper, it’s worth making an once-in-a-lifetime
exception to walk the Inca Trail, which finishes at the gates of
the lost Inca citadel of Machu Picchu, recently designated as
one of the ‘New Seven Wonders of the World’.
A walk along this old Inca path in southern Peru allows time to
soak in some stunning mountain scenery and visit several Inca
ruins. With the right tour, an army of porters and a guide are on
hand to carry your backpack, put up your tent and cook you
delicious meals. My style of camping!
Most people spend a few days acclimatising to the altitude in
the bustling market town of Cusco before embarking on the
three or four night Inca Trail.
The first day of the trail is a fairly leisurely walk along the Sacred
Valley of Urubamba, which, unfortunately, lulled me into a false
BridgeClimb, Sydney © 2006 OTTTO Holdings
sense of security. I was beginning to wonder why I’d been told
91
/
90
i-on_Edinburgh_34_Oct08.indd 91 26/9/08 13:16:07
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116