I didn’t discover that I liked rollercoasters until Mr O insisted that we go to an amusement park for his birthday when I was already in my 30s. My parents were not fans of any of that kind of daredevil adventures and my dad certainly wasn’t a fan of spending money on anything he considering frivolous so it just wasn’t something I experienced as a child. Since that visit though I have been a little hooked on adrenaline boosting adventures and Mr O knows this, which is why I was ecstatic when he booked us a ride down the ArcelorMittal Orbit slide as one of my Christmas presents.
The slide is part of the ArcelorMittal Orbit, which is the tallest sculpture in London and was designed by Anish Kapoor as part of the Queen Elizabeth II Olympic Park for the 2012 Olympic Games. The slide itself is the tallest and longest tube slide in the world.
It’s hard to describe how imposing the sculpture is as you get closer to it but if it helps with scale, it is taller than the Statue of Liberty.
We couldn’t take photos or videos going down the slide for safety reasons but the video below gives and idea of the start of it. You strap into some safety gear, get onto a helter skelter style mat and it’s off the edge into the dark abyss.
The ride itself is exhilarating. It only lasts 45 seconds from top to bottom and you never know what is coming as it twists, turns and lurches through both dark and clear parts of the tube. I loved it and probably would have gone ten times if I was allowed.
After the ride you can go up to the two observation decks and look out over panoramic views of the city. As it was a clear the view was a amazing and for those who are less enamoured with the idea of flinging themselves down a metal tube, you can just buy tickets for the view.
Find out more and book tickets here.
abbiosbiston 
I’m not one for thrill rides or amusement parks, but that slide would definitely be something I would do. 45 seconds is a long time sliding, so must have been great. And such a good location too, with those views.
In 2000, I went down a toboggan slide, near Beijing. You sit on small platform, and have to use a brake handle between your legs, when it gets too fast. I really enjoyed that. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
This looks more my speed.
It was so much fun! The toboggan slide looks great!
I’m nauseous just looking at it. Cool, though! I bet my students would love to try it when we visit this upcoming July.
I’m sure they would! I’d suggest booking now because it gets full fast. Believe it or not, they actually did research into how many turns the average person can go through before they throw up… and then designed it with less.
Cool. It’s a unique design.
That looks amazing. I’m so excited that you rode it, and I can live through your description. I’m claustrophobic, so inside a tube wouldn’t work for me. I have gone down mountain slides before, where you slide in a sort of toboggan on a track. I’m too old for roller coasters now. Too many joint issues.
Thank you for sharing about this slide. I’d never heard of it before, so I learned something new.
It would definitely be a very unpleasant experience for someone who is claustrophobic! We both had a blast though. It was so much fun.
I’ve done it. I loved it too. The description took me right back. Thanks.
It’s definitely a London must do right now!
It’s cool it’s still there. I read it was only temporary.