Jacob's Ladder

Hello. Today I am going to introduce you to Jacob's Ladder, a tall and steep staircase close by King's Park, which goes up the cliff face of Mt. Eliza. The view from the top is pretty amazing. You get to look out across the Perth skyline and the parkland below. In the photograph you can see me and my little sister, Violet standing at the bottom of Jacob's Ladder. Violet is the one on the left with the pink and brown T-shirt on.

We went to Jacob's Ladder early one Saturday morning in winter. It was exceptionally crowded, with loads of adults going up and down, and up and down, as you can see in the photo. We started from the top at the cul-de-sac end of Cliff St, and Mum told me it would be a long walk and would probably tire us out. On the way down I didn't know what she meant. 'This is easy,' I thought and went down with a hop, skip and a jump. But on the way up I realised what she had meant, for the climb was tiring! Two hundred and forty-two steps doesn't sound like a lot, but it is.

When Jacob's Ladder was first made by Joseph Huck and his sons in 1909, the steps were constructed with cheap wood and the staircase was not very stable. Over the years it began to fall apart and eventually, in 1961, the Perth City Council closed it down. Several years later it was rebuilt but this time they used concrete, so the steps were firm and the staircase was less likely to collapse. Then it was safe to walk on.

So why did I agree to climb down and up Jacob's Ladder? I did it for experience, and to warm up as it was freezing cold early in the morning. And I know why the adults were doing it too. You can see in the photo that most of the adults are wearing their gym clothes and  jogging. It is a popular way to get fit and healthy as they race up and down.



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