Up at the O2, North Greenwich
We climbed an icon - and it felt adventurous.
Review
When we told our friends we were going to climb over the O2 Arena, the
first thing they said was “Oh, like in James Bond?” This instantly
panicked us, as we recalled James Bond actually breaking one of his
precious limbs trying to navigate the iconic white building. Could this
be our plight, too? It certainly looks like a huge bouncy castle,
but perhaps it would be a little more treacherous than that?
Well, on arrival at Up at the O2 “Basecamp” we filled out reams of paperwork while watching a safety briefing video from a slightly batty and obviously fictional explorer, from the other side of the O2. Then came the most exciting part: getting kitted out for our adventure. You may think that you need to take a camera for the breathtaking views, but Itchy found it equally useful to take embarrassing pics of our other half in what can only be described as a bright blue jumpsuit, complete with harness and hiking boots. Fit. (A word of advice: if you plan on borrowing hiking shoes, bring your own thick socks. They hurt a hell of a lot without them as they rub on your unprotected feet. Boo.)
After a little more training, our trip over the O2 began. Feeling secure in our slightly kinky harnesses, we ascended the building on slightly bouncy (but whatever you do DON’T BOUNCE as you’ll get in trouble…) blue walkways. These were quite steep at first but became a little less so as we got towards the “summit”. Itchy was genuinely surprised at how steep it was, as we had imagined it was an activity suitable for any old tourist, no matter how large or American they were. (So, not the best place to take your slightly overweight uncle for a birthday treat – nobody wants to rescue a middle-aged man in a harness.) Another tip for those of you wanting to experience Up at the O2: if it’s a hot day, wear AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE under that jumpsuit (without getting arrested or offending anyone too much). It gets bally hot up there and we don’t want it to ruin your experience.
Once we reached the top, Itchy was happy see a wonderful panoramic view of London, complete with viewing platform explaining the sites. We also saw it as a great opportunity to take a silly amount of photos and publicise our adventure to the world via every social network available. (Thank god they provide a phone pocket in the jumpsuit, eh? Anyone would think the attraction was run by a mobile network… oh.)
The ascent was event more challenging in places, causing our poor little un-socked feet to rub quite painfully in our sexy hiking boots. This didn’t dampen our spirits as we journeyed down in a sort of abseiling fashion. Itchy genuinely felt a sense of achievement as we de-jumpsuited and returned our now-familiar harnesses.
So, to recap: we had a great time on this unique adventure, but we wish we’d been told to a) wear less clothing, and b) bring thick socks. But, now we know, YOU CAN KNOW TOO. No worries, readers, it’s our job. We’re here for you.
Tickets are available here for £22 per person.
Have you experienced Up at the O2? What did you think? Or do you really want to go but haven’t got round to it yet? Let us know in the comment box below.
Well, on arrival at Up at the O2 “Basecamp” we filled out reams of paperwork while watching a safety briefing video from a slightly batty and obviously fictional explorer, from the other side of the O2. Then came the most exciting part: getting kitted out for our adventure. You may think that you need to take a camera for the breathtaking views, but Itchy found it equally useful to take embarrassing pics of our other half in what can only be described as a bright blue jumpsuit, complete with harness and hiking boots. Fit. (A word of advice: if you plan on borrowing hiking shoes, bring your own thick socks. They hurt a hell of a lot without them as they rub on your unprotected feet. Boo.)
After a little more training, our trip over the O2 began. Feeling secure in our slightly kinky harnesses, we ascended the building on slightly bouncy (but whatever you do DON’T BOUNCE as you’ll get in trouble…) blue walkways. These were quite steep at first but became a little less so as we got towards the “summit”. Itchy was genuinely surprised at how steep it was, as we had imagined it was an activity suitable for any old tourist, no matter how large or American they were. (So, not the best place to take your slightly overweight uncle for a birthday treat – nobody wants to rescue a middle-aged man in a harness.) Another tip for those of you wanting to experience Up at the O2: if it’s a hot day, wear AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE under that jumpsuit (without getting arrested or offending anyone too much). It gets bally hot up there and we don’t want it to ruin your experience.
Once we reached the top, Itchy was happy see a wonderful panoramic view of London, complete with viewing platform explaining the sites. We also saw it as a great opportunity to take a silly amount of photos and publicise our adventure to the world via every social network available. (Thank god they provide a phone pocket in the jumpsuit, eh? Anyone would think the attraction was run by a mobile network… oh.)
The ascent was event more challenging in places, causing our poor little un-socked feet to rub quite painfully in our sexy hiking boots. This didn’t dampen our spirits as we journeyed down in a sort of abseiling fashion. Itchy genuinely felt a sense of achievement as we de-jumpsuited and returned our now-familiar harnesses.
So, to recap: we had a great time on this unique adventure, but we wish we’d been told to a) wear less clothing, and b) bring thick socks. But, now we know, YOU CAN KNOW TOO. No worries, readers, it’s our job. We’re here for you.
Tickets are available here for £22 per person.
Have you experienced Up at the O2? What did you think? Or do you really want to go but haven’t got round to it yet? Let us know in the comment box below.
