My date with The Smiler - Alton Towers' new thrill ride
Her dad suffered with a bad back so he passed on taking her on the tea-cups, merry-go-rounds and bumper cars and the onus fell onto me.
It was a moment I had been dreading because I had to make a rather embarrassing confession - I was absolutely terrified.
Even the little rides which chug round full of ten year olds all beaming with delight - they leave me rigid with fear.
I have no idea why but I suspect it is a control thing, a bit like people who are scared of flying say it because they are not in charge of the cockpit.
For as long as I can remember I have avoided “thrill” rides like the plague.
So it was with just a little trepidation I accepted the challenge to ride what could quite possibly be the most terrifying roller coaster in the world.
The Smiler opens at Alton Parks, Staffordshire, on Thursday (May 23) and those that have already experienced its 14 giant coils and 53mph speeds verify it is not for the faint-hearted.
It has earned a place in the record books for having the most loops in the world and promises those ‘brave’ enough to climb aboard an “extreme” and “heart-stopping” experience.
Just to look at it is enough to set the pulse racing - a chaotic and tortuous tangle of twists and loops which rise and fall out of the ground like a giant writhing centipede.
It didn’t help that on the day of my visit the “cosmetic” parts of the ride had not been completed so the compound was a frenzy of workmen looking like they were still checking the nuts and bolts.
But with a pounding heart that I accepted the offer to ride it, I believe that to conquer fear you must face it full-on, maybe it might once and for all help me bury my phobia.
Before buckling myself in I spoke to psychologist Sandra Wheatley to find out why I am so scared and get some tips to allay my fears.
She told me my anxiety was not irrational, after all it is reasonable to be scared of being thrown around and dropped from great heights at racing-car speeds as The Smiler promises its riders (PIC CREDIT: Peter Corns for the Daily Express).
She said: “You may have perfectly rational fears of heights or that you might fall off, all sorts of things are probably going through your head of what could possibly go wrong.
“But you can look at the facts. Roller coasters run around 22 times a day for 362 days of the year carrying thousands of people who have a good time.
“Remember how likely it is that something will go wrong, and focus on that it is really not going to happen.
“However, you should not feel under pressure to do something you are really scared of, and if you are terrified, for God’s sake don’t do it.”
It was all going very well up until that point, however I followed another piece of Sandra’s advice to speak to one of the ride’s designers.
John Wardley, Smiler ride consultant, told me I was being “very brave” to step aboard a ride designed to “mess with your head”.
However he assured me the chance of anything going wrong were next to zero and that he is in the business of “entertaining not terrifying”.
He said: “You are in more danger on the journey up to Alton Towers than you will be on the ride.
“It will leave you a bit spaced out, and you probably won’t want to go on it again, but remember we are here to make sure people have fun.This is one of the most sophisticated pieces of roller-coaster technology that was ever built.”
The £18 million Smiler took more than eight months to build and takes passengers on a 165-second (2 minutes 45 seconds) mind-bending journey.
At a size equivalent to 10 football pitches it dominates its spot at Alton Towers.
It entering the Guiness book of records for the most number of roller-coaster loops in the world it beating10-loop rivals the Colossus, in Thorpe Park, Surrey, and the ‘10 Inversion’ in Chime Long Paradise Park, China.
So with my heart in my mouth I strapped myself in, crossed my fingers and hoped for the best.
The most terrifying part of these rides is waiting while hearing the screams and gasps of those that are already on board, but I was spared this ordeal as The Smiler is not yet open to the public so there were no queues.
Strapped in and ready to go, after checking my harness several times, I gritted my teeth and remembered I just had to get through the next two and a bit minutes.
The gates opened and before I could catch my breath I was hurtling into the a yawning chasm with my eyes clenched shut my hands gripping the harness.
I understand why this ride promises to leave you “marmalised” because over the next 165 seconds I don’t think I spent more than a second in any one upright position.
It has all the usual roller coaster thrills of vertical climbs, sheer drops twists and turns but The Smiler seems to cram them all in to spaces of a few seconds before repeating them over and over again.
With my head spinning it gently came to a stop, and as I opened my eyes expecting to see the platform where I boarded, I was greeted by a huge grinning face and a sign saying “half way”.
Another sheer vertical climb before the second half of the ride and the The Smiler sent me tumbling through another set of coils, twists and turns.
There are also a few hidden treats along the way including scary children-chanting sound effects and water sprays.
These, I was assured, were to mess with my mind a little bit more.
The second half seemed to be a bit more intense as if the first bit served just as a warm up.
There is no doubt the ride’s immense speed and seemingly never-ending drops and inversions will leave riders feeling a bit shaken up to say the least.
I am no expert but would vouch that anyone who pays to go on it will certainly feel they’ve had their money’s worth.
So the verdict - I enjoyed it. I was terrified but it was fun and I am slightly pleased at braving The Smiler to conquer a near lifelong phobia.
It was an exhilarating experience, so much so that after the first run I opted to go round again.
The Smiler promises a unique experience in roller coaster rides, and as I staggered to the exit I had to agree.
Alton Towers spokesman Katherine Duckworth said “This is by far the most exciting roller coaster for Alton Towers Resort to date.”
Smiler facts
The track is 1,170 metres - equivalent to 78 double decker buses lined up.
The highest drop is 30 metres - comparable to 17 black cabs stacked up.
The maximum speed is around 53 miles an hour.
The ride time is 165 seconds
It tool 3,000 hours of manual labour to build
Some 5,000 cubes of concrete were used
It cost £18 million
Each car carries 16 passengers with two cars on the go at any one time
Minimum rider height is 1.4m
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