Birthday Treat part
2
Yesterday was second part of DaddyHens birthday
treat – a walk over the O2 or should that be the Greenwich Arena as we are
still in Olympic mode. Anyway it’s the O2 to me. http://www.theo2.co.uk/upattheo2
There are some criteria which need to be met
1.
10 years or
older – Check – with a few years grace
2.
A minimum
height of 1.2 m – check by ¾of a metre
3.
A weight of
less than 130kg/21 stone/286lbs which is the maximum weight our harnesses can
bear. – check – a few stone to spare
4.
Able to
wear a harness which has a maximum width waist of [125cm] and a maximum upper
thigh width of [75cm] which are the maximum measurements of our harnesses. –
check although having well developed thighs I did have to get the tape measure
out!!
We booked in, completed the necessary H&S
forms. Watched the safety video (cheesey to say the least), donned the blue
nylon boiler suits (nylon in this heat not a good combo) and the harness. Long
hair had to be tied back, bags etc placed in lockers – only small camera that
can fit in small pocket on can be taken up or phones. No bags or large SRL
cameras allowed.
BIL#1 had climbed the day before and had given us
some tips on what to wear; sturdy trainers or walking boots, thin t-shirt and
shorts or leggings, as the boiler suits are very hot.
Jeremy our guide attached us to the safety cable
and showed us how to get past the wire joiners (I can’t remember their official
name) and we were off.
The start is VERY steephill going up was really
hard work – gee whiz it was very very steep; pulling with one hand on the wire
rope and swishing along the metal attachment thingy (I can’t remember its name);
it’s hard work. On our trip there were
about 12 people most where young, I’d say in their 30s however, there was an
older women who was probably in her 60s who did very well. It hard work pulling yourself up the steep
start and remembering to swish along the metal thingy, if you don’t compress
the metal thingy it clamps on to the wire and you come to halt.
Its flattens off a little after the initial walk up
the side and it’s a little like walking on a trampoline its very springy and there’s
an urge to bounce; which Is not allowed!!
I’m not good with heights but I was concentrating
so much on the metal thingy and hauling my body up the hill that I didn’t even
notice the height.
The platform at the top has wonderful views; Jeremy
unclipped us so we could walk around freely and take photos. The views are spectacular - around
the perimeter are skyline information panels.
The view from the platform was stunning, canary
wharf with the shard peeping through
The helter-skelter (ArcelorMittal Orbit), the Olympic
stadium just about visible and the Aquatics centre
Royal Naval College and Greenwich
Down the Thames to the east; Thames barrier, Woolwich,
North Greenwich pier and Antony Gormley's Quantum Cloud, you may ask it’s
the monstrosity to the right of the pier, if you squint you can see an figure
of a man in the centre. Squint harder he
is in the middle.
Excel centre, DLR red train, cable car
St Marks Victoria dock – a significant church for
DaddyHens family; paternal Great Grandfather is named on the WW1 Memorial, MILs
marriage, DaddyHens christening – sadly it’s not a church any longer but a
music hall – but at least it’s still being used.
London’s only lighthouse – Trinity Buoy Wharf. The pier on the foreground is part of London's longest pier
Sky kiss
MummyHen
X
