DONE: NO. 26 - Climb over The Top of the O2

Task No. 26 - Climb Over the Top of the O2 done and  dusted.  A sweet thing to do, not actually scary, not challenging, just nice.  I was however hoping that the weather would have been nicer and we'd have great views over London.  Wasn't quite to be on this trip though.

Arrived ahead of my allotted time and was able to start sooner which was good as Stewart came with me and he didn't have to hang around for as long we'd thought.  I'll be saying thanks to Stewart many times over the next year as he's basically chauffeuring me and being my 'official' photographer and to be quite honest, without his backing and support I wouldn't be able to do half of this. 

So you book in and get geared up.  I actually thought I'd be wearing a boiler suit so didn't think about 'clothes' hence the granny cardigan.  Turns out you only get the boiler suit in the colder months - in the warmer months you get given a gilet.  You also have to wear climbing shoes - I wasn't sure for why to begin with but in the end it actually made total sense. I have to say though - the harness bit which you have to fasten really tightly - serious wedgie!!!!  Once on, don't even try to bend down.

So, eventually when you are all geared up you walk up a staircase to the start of the climb and although it does look quite steep it's absolutely fine.   Having already been up Pen Y Fan and Snowdon, this really isn't a climbing contest in the least.  I'm unfit amd HATE inclines but I didn't get out of puff once.

The cracking - but frustrating - bit is that you are walking up a seriously bouncy walkway.   And I LOVE bouncing.  Seriously love bouncing on things.  But, in the 'elf n safety' briefing you are told that  'tho it is tempting to bounce, we're all adults please don't bounce, that's what children do. And we're all adults and not children'.  DAMN -  not happy - I SO am a child!

Anyways, we started off on the climb.  It's damn bouncy, the shoes they give you have amazing grip so that was seriously appreciated, the actual climbing was a piece of 'p' the only slightly difficult thing was feeding your 'prisoner ball' through each of the latches but it was all sweet.

Didn't take long at all to get to the top of the O2. Piece of cake, though even although it was July the weather was rubbish.  My Mum apparently thinks this was some kind of hat or hair piece, though obviously, it's just my own hair - blowing in the wind.

The views were 'OK'.  One of the reasons to do this is that I spent what?  5-6 years living in the east  of London (Ilford) in the 90s and actually saw the 'Millennium Dome' being constructed.  We watched it going up, we visited it in 2000 when it was just the Dome and from then on I've watched how they've transformed what was actually a folly into an international concert venue   Me personally, I've been to see Carmina Burana, Neil Diamond and then the best - two Ennio Morricone concerts. 

Anyway, at the top you have a wee bit of time to spot landmarks and views mostly of Docklands and Greenwich - to be honest, you'll get better views if you use the Emirates cable car! Insider information!  I think overall though this is probably still worth it.