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Abseiling

Completed on 03/02/2009

"Task: Abseil Location: Canary Wharf, London, UK Date: 02.03.09 Kudos: Abseiling over 200 feet down a famous landmark"

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I actually did this for charity. Cancer Research run these events quite frequently and so when I saw this one come up I was keen to give it a go.
I don't like to do too many things that specify a minimum allowance for charity as you tend to end up asking the same people to sponsor you for this and that and really the bucketlist is my hobby that they're paying for.
So anyway, I got a cheap bus down to London (£1 - it's cheaper than getting the bus to work if you can get the special offers). My abseil was at 1pm and so I popped into the National Gallery for a walk around and sat at Trafalgar Square and had a drink while I watched a street performer. I slowly made my way across to Canary Wharf on the Tube and watched as the people came over the edge and down the building.
After I'd watched a few of them I went and registered and got kitted up. A small group of us then went up in the service lift to the roof where we'd be taught how to hold the rope and lean ourselves over the edge. Just as we'd all been prepared to go... the fire alarm went off. It seemed blindingly obvious that the quickest escape route would be straight over the side but it was deemed that we should actually use the stairs to go back down all the floors we'd just come up. Fortunately after much confusion it was decided that it was just a test alarm and before long I was sat on the roof over looking London.
I'd done a bit of abseiling before but never from this height. The sheer weight of the rope was incredible and much more than I'd been expecting. Anyway after being buckled in and a few jokes from the instructors they dangled me over the edge and I took my first steps before being told to "STOP!". Initially I thought something was wrong... but soon realised it was just for my photo to be taken! I could hear the tube trains rushing past behind me and I did my best to get a foot print on the outside of one of the windows as I made my way down the building. I was fairly casual about it once I'd got into the swing of it and even took a moment to have a quick look around.
Once at the bottom I was unclipped and de-geared before I made my way to the nearby pub to go and pick up the photographs and of course get a quick and well deserved pint. I met some lovely people that day and they were all keen to hear what other adventures I had planned. Every time I meet people they are all keen to find out what is next... I hope that a few of them walk away and start their own adventure.

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