Bridge hopping
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Bridge hopping is a sport practised by punters (usually university students) on the River Cam in Cambridge, England, and on the River Thames in Oxford, England. The aim is to climb onto a bridge as the punt on which you are riding goes underneath it, get up to the top, walk across, and climb back down again into the punt (it is theoretically possible to jump, but the chances of the punt staying afloat or the person directing the punt staying in it are less than good).
College porters have been known to block hoppers' ways onto the bridge and force them to climb back down again. Of course, by this time the boat is already on the other side of the bridge, so the unfortunate hopper must now either swim to the bank or rely on the kindness of other punters to provide a lift.
Along the river Cam, the most difficult bridge to hop is the Bridge of Sighs at St John's College. The bridge is enclosed by quite a high ceiling, and stands high out of the water. However, if you can make it on to the bridge in the first place, the barred windows make it not too difficult to climb up the outside. Getting back down, however, can be hazardous at the best of times.
One of the easiest bridges is the Trinity Bridge, as it is quite low, has good handholds in the form of college crests standing out from the stonework, and provides places to stand at water-level. However, porters are often to be found nearby, so it pays to check that you won't be forced to stand at the bottom of the bridge asking people for a lift, having been sent back down from the parapet. The famous Mathematical Bridge at Queens' is also fairly doable.
External links
- St. John's College Official Website (http://www.joh.cam.ac.uk)
- Mathematical Bridge (http://www.quns.cam.ac.uk/Queens/Images/WinBridg.html)