Urban Mountaineering with Up at the O2!

Mount Everest. Ben Nevis. Snowdon. For centuries these have been climbed by daring adventurers and now London has it’s own answer for urban explorers, scaling across the 02 arena!

Famously first opened as The Millennium Dome, The 02 arena has become one of the most famous live music venues in the world with artists including The Rolling Stones, Beyonce and Prince crossing it’s stage to name just a few. Over the years it has also become an entertainment destination with amazing food and fun on offer and there are plenty of hotels near the o2 if you want to extend your stay. In 2012 it added a whole new adventure with Up at the O2.

Up at the O2 allows you to climb over this amazing monument and take in it’s incredible views from the top. Arriving at base camp you are given a quick health and safety briefing before you meet with your guide and get kitted up! Included in the price of the ticket is all the kit you need, including the climbing equipment, gilet and climbing shoes. There is storage space for your shoes, bags and other personal items so they can stay safe while you climb. The gilet has a pocket to keep your phone but be aware that you won’t be able to take larger items that don’t fit in this pocket so leave your camera at home.

Soon you are ready for the fun to begin! Our guide Mark (Ozzy) did a great job at instructing us on our climb and making sure everyone was having a great time as well as telling us facts about what we could see along the climb.

One thing that I wasn’t expecting was how bouncy the climb was! Yes the O2 does look like a giant trampoline and they have kept this feel with the climb. While it is steep in some places there are plenty of chances to stop along the way so it isn’t too strenuous and no one is made to feel rushed to get to the top. Plus it is all worth it when you see the view!

We had an amazingly clear day on our climb so we could see really far on all sides and of course get those all important Instagram shots! There are also information plates around the edge of the viewing platform to inform you of what landmarks you can see. Sunset climbs are available each day and we chose the last climb before the official sunset climb meaning we got the amazing sunset views without the extra cost!

Soon enough it was time to head back down, while much less tiring then the way up it is actually steeper then the way up so it is a little challenging but nothing unmanageable. We felt like we’d really achieved something when we got to take our celebratory photo at the end!