Locations in Wrath of Atticus: ArcelorMittal Orbit #TravelTuesday #Ridetheslide

My anti-heroine protagonist, Viper, likes to be up high. She’s often found wandering rooftops or perched on a tower. Modern skyscrapers suit her just fine.

In The Wrath of Atticus, we find Viper on the ArcelorMittal Orbit in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Stratford, London, days before the 2012 Olympics.

In researching the book, I visited the Olympic landmark in London’s East End with my family. The ArcelorMittal Orbit created by Sir Anish Kapoor and Cecil Balmond doesn’t disappoint.

The tower and slide looks like a compact roller coaster, with its twisted, red outer steel arches and winding staircase. I think it resembles an Olympic torch.

60% of the steel used to built the ArcelorMittal was reclaimed from old cars and washing machines. At 114.5 m, this is the tallest sculpture in the U.K., made with 2000 tonnes of steel, enough to make two double-decker buses.

The tightly coiled 178 m steel slide winds around the tower 12 times with alternating light and dark segments. Riders travel at speeds up to 24 kph (15 mph) as it drops from a height of 76 m. Travel time is approximately 40 seconds.

Attendants set riders up with protective gear for tender parts (elbows, ears and such), then it’s into your pocketed rug thingy and off you go! More adventurous visitors can abseil off the side of the structure.

The slide is a bit pricey, and locals get a discount. Slide and general entry when booking online is $16.50 British Pounds per adult (as of today). Yes, I did #Ridetheslide!! 40 seconds of whoooooot. A quick and very safe adrenaline rush.

My son wasn’t keen on going down because of the first little slide drop. It’s no more than he’s experienced on a slide in the park, but he wasn’t having anything to do with it. Riders cannot double up, so I couldn’t help him go down.

After sliding down, I went back using the elevator instead of going up the 455 spiraling steps to the 76 m and 80 m high observation decks. We had decent views on the cloudy day. See the Gherkin, where Owain has his contemporary headquarters? Apparently, on a clear day you can see as far as 20 miles. Absolutely stunning.

I went down the steps for the experience of the cityscape sounds being played on speakers. Part of the way down, I had weird lightheadedness. I think it was just due to the repetitive nature of the walk, in combination with the tiny holes from the stairs and protective walls playing havoc on my brain. I survived, no worse for wear.

Why does Viper sit atop this piece of art? She’s waiting for someone so she can fulfill a promise, and as she does, she watches events unfold across the city. Queen Elizabeth

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