Abseiling down the ArcelorMittal Orbit (October 2018)
A combination of inclement weather and coincidence, meant that the first weekend in October was extremely busy for us, as we first attempted to abseil off the Arcellor Mittal Orbit, on the Saturday and then flew the River Rover 308 at Milton Country Park on the Sunday!
A group of 18, adventurous and perhaps slightly bonkers, HoverAid supporters assembled in the pouring rain, at the base of the UK’s tallest sculpture! Stretching some 114.5 metres into the sky- it is certainly an impressive sight to look up to – and quite terrifying when looking down!
We were told that unfortunately, the strong winds and rain might stop our endeavours and so we crowded into a nearby cafe whilst awaiting our fate. When the lady came to tell us that “Group One” could come through, such was their excitement that the four members actually ran to put their harnesses on!
I thought it was down to Peter’s chivalry that the ladies went first, but actually Kate told me that she had decided if she didn’t go first, then she might never go at all, such was her growing fear of launching herself into the rather wet sky!
The abseil is a freefall, meaning that once you are hanging over the edge, you just have to let your feet drop. Sadly, only Dawn and Kate managed to abseil on that day, as the wind was just too strong for the rest of us. However, it does mean that there is still a chance for YOU to be involved! We will be doing it all again in April. Please get in touch if you would like to join us!
Mail c.healey@hoveraid.co.uk or click the link on the website. www.hoveraid.org
