193 steps, but they’re all going up. We arrived in the Underground station at Covent Garden in the middle of the day when queues for the elevators up were *sooo* long. Actually, I didn’t know this at all. I had dawdled behind taking a few photos and recognised a few faces darting down a side tunnel so I followed them. As I ran after them I snapped the warning sign that read,
This stairway has 193 steps
Do not use
except in an
emergency
Filled with a resignation that it must be the only way I followed them up.
Oh my God. My knees were like jelly by the time I saw sunlight. I never want to do that again. Next time we wait patiently for the elevator.
PS. My brother and I and our future brother-in-law Mike left London yesterday, but Donal is still in the city, and last I heard, was tucking into some spicy food at a Chinese restaurant! Great weekend!
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We have a sign similar to this at a local state park. Of course it only warns that if you have health problems you should not go that way. Maybe your sign just assumes everyone does have health problems.
No problems taking shots on the underground then so!
Mike – yes, obviously healthy people in the UK
Richard – I was running, but I didn’t have any problems thankfully. Even in St Pancras Station I snapped away, big camera in hand and bag on my back.
I’ve never taken the stairs there. Always queued for the elevator.
But before the DLR opened, we headed out to Greenwich, and took the pedestrian tunnel under the Thames. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenwich_foot_tunnel There was, of course elevator service heading both directions when we were going to Greenwich, but after spending all day wandering around the observatory, the maritime museum, etc., we got back to the tunnel and discovered the elevator going up on the London side was closed for maintenance.
Ouch. Took two or three pints and a couple shots of Powers at the local to ease the ache in my legs enough that I could sleep.
That’s a great sign.
We were in Paris not so long ago and we visited Montmartre, I’m not sure how many steps we had to climb but my I worked out some muscles that day. When we visited it later that evening we took the lift, it was the biggest lift I’ve ever been in, it was like a room.
made it to the top
oh my god carried my 4 year old daughter up these steps
nearly died at the top
for the first time ever i prayed going up for this to end,
god did not answer sorry to say
just aching legs and a bad back for a few days
take the lift and dont worry about the queue
Just googled this as programme on BBC1 in Britain and these unfit people got to climb over 500 steps. I did Covent Garden and I was knackered while my 12 year old nephew was fresh as a daisy.
Did the 193 steps this afternoon following a moment of gross stupidity.Sitting in bed now and my knees are glowing. Problem is this stuff takes forever to go away in my dotage. Leave this one for the youngsters in future….