Fed up of trying to sightsee around the capital on a overcrowded bus or waiting endlessly for delayed Tube trains to turn up? Why not instead capture the spectacular views of up to 20 miles across London as you travel at speeds of 15 miles per hour down the world’s longest and tallest slide?

The ArcelorMittal Orbit Slide, designed by Belgian artist Carsten Holler, has opened for the summer at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford and I was one of the first to try it out.

The Slide was located about ten minutes away from the underground but it was easy to spot from miles away. As I approaching the huge, magnificent structure, suddenly I was hit with a sinking feeling that I was really going to do this. This was immediately overtaken by another emotion, dread, as I caught a glimpse of how big it was and hoped there would not be hundreds of stairs to climb. Luckily, there was a lift and so I was able to enjoy panoramic views of the city and feel amazed at just how high up I was.

There was a long wait in the queue as other nervous people chatted with their guests and took pictures beforehand, as cameras are banned while travelling on the slide. I thought it would be a good idea to wear my most comfortable trousers and shoes, which I was glad of when I read that on the 40-second trip, visitors will circle around the structure a total of 12 times with a 50m straight run at the end.

I was given elbow pads and a very unflattering helmet made of fabric to wear, but although they may make you look ridiculous, they really are quite necessary.

When I got on the slide, I climbed into a sleeping bag with a handle for me to grasp onto and lay down obeying the strict instructions to keep my elbows at my side and my head facing upwards throughout. Then before I knew it the instructor was counting down from five, when the countdown finished, everything was a blur and I realised I had to actually push myself off the top to get the momentum going, which took a lot of courage.

The time it took for me to whirl round the tight turns and plummet down an almost vertical drop to the ground passed very quickly but at the same time, the ride was very eventful, as these sharp twists and turns took place in pitch darkness. Unable to see, I had no idea what was around the corner and the first few bends were unexpected. No matter how silent and brave I tried to be, it was inevitable that I would spend the entire journey screaming at the top of my lungs as I knew there was no way out until I got to the end and I had no control over my movements or where I was going.

Suddenly there was a flash of light and a crowd of people around me clapping and flashing cameras. In a daze, I realised I had reached the bottom and it was over seemingly just moments after it had begun.

The experience left me with a wide grin on my face for the rest of evening. However, I don’t know whether this was due to feeling a sense of relief at overcoming the challenge or whether my face was just frozen in shock over travelling at such a speed. As far as thrill factor goes, let's just say it beats the log flume at a theme park any day.

ArcelorMittal Orbit, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Thornton Street, E20 2AD. Details: arcelormittalorbit.com