Until Montu at Busch Gardens in Florida, Nemesis at Alton Towers was probably my favourite coaster.

Over the years, I’ve been To Alton Towers many, many times and when I’m there, I always make a point of having at least a couple of goes on this fabulous coaster.

Alton Towers is in the heart of the Staffordshire countryside in England, equidistant between Derby and Stoke-On-Trent, if you know that area.

You drive on some winding roads through some really beautiful countryside to get from the motorway to the park.

Nemesis  Coaster Vital Statistics

Type of ride: Steel ‘inverted’ coaster

• Height: 43 feet
• First drop: 104 feet
• Top speed: 60 mph
• Track length: 2349 feet
• Ride time: 1:20 minutes (actual 0:55)
• Inversions: 4
• Max G:Force: 4
• Height requirement: 54 inches
• Opened: 19/03/1994
• Manufacturer: Bolliger & Mallibard

Nemesis is an ‘Inverted’ coaster, meaning the cars hang down from the track. You’ve got a full, over-the-shoulder harness, so no danger of you falling out while your legs dangle in the air below you. As mentioned before, I am a big fan of inverted coasters. Nemesis is alien-themed, with all it’s fabricated purple sinuey glory and rivers of purple alien-blood running down the sides of the rides into pools below.

We kick off with the traditional chain lift taking us up to its max height of 150 feet an a wonderful view of the park and surrounding area. Then, we’re over the apex and with a small initial dip and twist to the left we’re off!

First up is a barrel-roll inversion (sideways loop the loop), into a big curve with a good serving of g-forces with a follow-on barrel-roll.

Then we dive below ground-level amongst all the alien blood as a lead-up into a full 360 degree outside loop. With your legs hanging on the outside of the loop, you really get a feel for the speed at this point. Then it’s back below ground-level again for another look at the rivers of blood.

On coming up from the ground the second time, we veer round to the left and back below ground briefly before our last inversion, a clockwise barrel-roll before the slowdown and the all-too-soon end.

Verdict?

Despite being over 15 years old, still one of the top coasters in the UK!