THE i360 celebrates its fifth birthday today and, to mark the occasion, they are launching a new way to experience the observation tower - with a climb to the very top of the structure.
The Tower Top Climb sees visitors take a trip in the pod up to 138 metres, before climbing 24 metres to an open air platform for unrestricted views of the city and the south coast.
I was lucky enough to be one of the first to try it earlier today - although looking up at the tower, I have to admit to a sense of dread and nervousness at its height. An ambulance screeched past the road at that very moment - an ominous omen?
Waiting near the entrance, I noticed another nervous looking man on his phone. “You’re torturing me,” he said. “It’s really high.” The man turned out to be none other than BBC Sussex’s Will Flockton who, along with the i’s Jacob Lewis, joined me on the climb to the top.
After signing a waiver and a safety briefing by engineers Anthony and Josh, we got kitted up in boiler suits, harnesses and hard hats - to my relief, we would be tethered as we climb the ladder, roughly the height of five London buses upward.
The pod soon made its way to a hatch in the structure, where we would begin the climb. As I first stepped out over the deep chasm down, there was a brief sense of panic in my head. Despite knowing I was safe, and that the rope would stop me if I fell, the fear of falling left me very anxious for a time. Deep breaths and one step at a time, I eventually got to the first platform.
The engineers accompanied us through our trip, encouraging me when they saw I might be struggling and telling us about how the observation tower actually operates. It was amazing to see huge hydraulics and mechanisms to keep the pod functioning.
Eventually after more climbing, the moment came. A hatch out to the open was unlocked and I climbed out to see the most spectacular view of the city I call home. Looking over the side of a protective barrier, I could see residents running up and down the promenade, swimming in the water below and in cars making their way across town. Seeing Brighton from such a unique perspective and seeing the South Downs in all their majesty made any fear I had evaporate and left me with a huge smile on my face.
As I made my way back down the ladder to return to the pod, engineer Anthony turned to me and asked “Are you feeling brave?” He then locked the rope in place and asked whether I would like to let go of the ladder and hang in the air above the deep drop below. As I let go of the bars and leaned backwards, I was terrified and exhilarated in equal measure.
Returning back to the safety of the pod and returning back down to earth, I was filled with a sense of accomplishment and a feeling that I might have to come back for a second visit one day soon.
If you want to follow in my footsteps, tickets to the i360 Tower Top Climb are available for £99 (or £89 for resident members and annual pass holders), with climbs every Thursday to Sunday at 8am. Visitors will also get some souvenir photos of their climb to download after their trip.
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