Well, that was 15 May 2015, when I was walking on site of Iburi Line (胆振線, iburi sen).
I was walking through in forest, my sight suddenly became bright. It was inspection footway of high voltage transmission line. And I didn’t miss some small thing in this scenery.
When you look at the thumbnail, will it look just like H shaped pillars standing? But my suspension bridge radar is reacting very hard!
3 cables stretched between pillars, isn’t it? Use upper 2 cables as handrail, under one as support to weight. Strictly speaking, it is not a suspension bridge but a hanging floor slab bridge.
Look this, the wire clip is halfway measures. Is it safe to truly get on a person?
If it’s OK, the place to step is too narrow and I’m scared. Impossible. It’s impossible for me. I will get back Iburi Line again.
―― A million years later ――
I passed over so many many suspension bridges, but it’s first case that I can’t pass because terror. I think it will be unworthy to be called an suspension bridge lover, so I came back again to revenge. The shit located inspection footway between power line joinning west sapporo substation(西札幌変電所, nishi sapporo hendensho) and muroran substation(室蘭変電所, muroran hendensho) named muroran west main line(室蘭西幹線, muroran nishi kansen) No.165-1 tower and No.166 tower in Date city Otaki ward(伊達市大滝区, date shi ōtaki ku) administered by hokkaido electric power(北海道電力, hokkaidō denryoku), and it is passing Orowen branch river(オロウェン支線川, orowen shisen gawa). Now, the tower that standing in front of me is No.165-1. I’ll can approach from another side if so walk on inspection footway.
I could see. That bridge.
You see, in thumbnail it look just like H shaped pillars standing. But cable is tensing certainly. There is coarse bridge, not exist in anywhere mountain trail nowadays.
A diameter of cable is 10mm. So effective width of this suspension bridge is only 0.01m. It’s narrowest bridge I ever saw.
Main towers used old utility poles, and I need climb step bolts to stand on start point.
I’m ready to go.
Still, today I made safety harness with sling and carabiner, my head is protected by helmet. If you think i’m chicken, say what you want. Scary thing is scary.
It’s 20m with eye measurement. let’s challenge it. I putting power into my hands, walk one step at a time with three point mounting. My feet are trembling very much. If attach bottle containing fresh cream at my knees, I think tasty butter surely made when I arrive on another side. Despite I’m not being on the river yet. I noticed on the bridge, but the left cable is loose and can not be used for support. So I will cling to the right cable and cross. But the cable on the right is not tight enough, so when I make a mistake in putting my power on, I will be a position like when dodge of bullets of the matrix.
The time has come. But I’m over the river yet. Generally it is said that you can understand fashion sense with shoes, but this means I don’t have fashion sense. It’s right. Incidentally…I’m scared! If I fall down but I’m safe because height is only 3m, but I’m scared. I think that it looks ropewalking more than bridge.
Orowen branch river seen from on the bridge. They ought not to build such a scary bridge to cross small river like this. It is inspection footway means engineers cross the bridge with equipment on their back. I think walking in the river is safer than this bridge. Engineers in charge of this place should bring high boots.
I finished crossing over the river. When I get here, my fear lessen much.
A bit more to goal.
Finish!
Look back I can see the bridge and No.165-1 tower. I felt like I could climb the adult ‘s stairs one step.
I climbed to site of Iburi Line. The scenery that I saw that day. The transmission line tower and the bridge are no change now.
In passing I came to No.166 tower. The serious thing which noticed when now I was released from fear of height place. I must go across that suspension bridge to back again. And I was beaten by despair.