Nemesis at Alton Towers is the ride that changed British theme parks forever — an inverted steel coaster from Bolliger & Mabillard that plunges riders into a man-made ravine, weaves through rock walls, and flips them upside down four times in just 80 seconds. Since its 1994 debut it has stayed one of the most talked-about coasters in Europe, and its 2024 rebuild as Nemesis Reborn only sharpened the legend.
If you’re trying to pin down exactly how many inversions Nemesis has, how tall it is, how many G-forces it pulls, or what to expect from the queue, here are the verified numbers — plus everything else worth knowing before you ride.
Quick Answer
Nemesis Reborn has 4 inversions: one vertical loop, one zero-g roll, and two corkscrews — the exact same layout the original Nemesis has run since 1994. The ride stands 13 m (42.7 ft) tall, reaches a top speed of 50 mph (81 km/h), pulls up to 3.5 G through its inversions, and lasts 1 minute 20 seconds over a 716 m (2,349 ft) track. Riders must be at least 140 cm (4 ft 7 in) tall.
How Many Inversions (and Loops) Does Nemesis Have?
Nemesis has 4 inversions in total, delivered in this order: a corkscrew right off the lift hill, a zero-g roll, a vertical loop, and a second corkscrew to close out the circuit. This figure hasn’t changed with the Nemesis Reborn refurbishment — Alton Towers rebuilt the track and trains between 2022 and 2024 but kept engineer Werner Stengel’s original layout intact, so the inversion count and sequence are identical to the 1994 ride.
If you’re specifically asking how many loops Nemesis has rather than inversions, the answer is one — the ride contains a single vertical loop. The other three inversions are a zero-g roll and two corkscrews, which are different inversion shapes. Riders often use “loops” loosely to mean any upside-down element, which is why you’ll sometimes see Nemesis described as having “four loops” when technically it has four inversions built from three distinct element types.
Nemesis Height: Track Height vs. Minimum Rider Height
Nemesis’s physical structure is only 13 m (42.7 ft) tall — unusually low for a major coaster — because concept designer John Wardley had his team excavate a ravine and build the track down into it rather than up, satisfying Alton Towers’ strict planning restrictions on visible ride height within the Staffordshire estate. That low profile is also why the drop, at 31.7 m (104 ft), is actually deeper than the structure is tall: much of the ride happens below ground level, weaving between rock faces and pools of water.
“Nemesis height” can also mean the minimum height requirement to ride. Nemesis Reborn requires riders to be at least 140 cm (4 ft 7 in) tall, in line with Alton Towers’ standard threshold for its bigger inverted and launch coasters. Always confirm current height and health requirements at the ride entrance or on the official Alton Towers site before you queue, since restraint and safety policies can be updated.
Speed and G-Force: What Riding Nemesis Feels Like
Nemesis reaches a top speed of 50 mph (81 km/h) and generates up to 3.5 G through its tightest elements — enough positive g-force to press riders firmly into their seats through the loop and corkscrews, while the zero-g roll briefly does the opposite and lifts riders out of their harnesses. That peak is in the same range as most B&M inverted coasters worldwide, but Nemesis’s terrain-hugging layout makes it feel far more intense than the numbers alone suggest, since trees, rock, and water rush past within feet of the trains for the entire ride.
The full circuit runs 716 m (2,349 ft) of track in just 1 minute 20 seconds, meaning there’s almost no dead time between the drop, the corkscrew, the zero-g roll, the loop, and the closing corkscrew — a pacing that’s rare even among modern inverted coasters.
The Ride Experience and Forbidden Valley Theme
Riders board suspended trains — two trains of 8 cars, seating 32 people four-across per row — and drop immediately into the ravine before launching into the inversion sequence. The area around the ride, Forbidden Valley, tells the story of Nemesis as an alien creature unearthed during a routine excavation and pinned down with 250 tonnes of steel by a fictional containment force; the 2024 Nemesis Reborn refresh updated the queue theming, entrance, and storyline details around that same premise rather than replacing it.
Nemesis Reborn runs at a capacity of roughly 1,400 riders per hour when both trains are in operation. The combination of tight terrain interaction, relentless pacing, and immersive theming is what made the original Nemesis one of the most celebrated steel coasters in Europe for three decades — and it’s the same quality the 2024 retrack was built to preserve, alongside a smoother, quieter ride from the new trains and rebuilt track.
Queue Times and FastTrack
As one of Alton Towers’ most popular rides, Nemesis Reborn’s queue can vary enormously by day, season, and time of day — from as little as 10-15 minutes for guests using early ride access at park opening, to well over an hour or two on the busiest summer and school-holiday days. Queues generally build steadily through the afternoon and shorten again in the last couple of hours before close.
Alton Towers sells FastTrack tickets, either bundled into certain admission packages or bought separately on the day (subject to availability), which let you skip the standard queue for Nemesis Reborn and other headline rides. If cutting wait times matters to your visit, arriving at opening or booking a FastTrack option in advance are the two most reliable strategies.
History and Legacy
Nemesis debuted on 19 March 1994 (with a soft opening on 16 March) as the first B&M inverted coaster in Europe, a bold departure from the tamer rides of its era. Its success helped establish B&M as the world’s leading manufacturer of inverted coasters, and Nemesis has placed in Amusement Today’s Golden Ticket Awards steel coaster rankings every year since the list began in 1998, peaking at 7th in the world in 2003.
Alton Towers closed the ride on 6 November 2022 for a full retrack, new trains, and retheme costing around £10 million, reopening it on 16 March 2024 as Nemesis Reborn. The rebuild preserved Stengel’s original layout while refreshing the theming and smoothing out the track, and the relaunch earned the ride renewed recognition from coaster enthusiasts as one of the best overhauls of a classic in recent years.
Planning Your Visit
Nemesis Reborn is located in the Forbidden Valley area of Alton Towers Resort in Staffordshire, England, and operates as part of general park admission — there’s no separate ticket for the ride itself. Alton Towers uses dynamic, date-based pricing, so gate prices vary by day and season, and tickets bought online in advance are typically cheaper than paying on arrival.
Park opening hours also shift seasonally, with shorter hours in winter months and extended hours during summer and school holidays. Because pricing, opening times, FastTrack availability, and minimum height or health requirements can all change, always check the official Alton Towers Resort site before you plan your trip or queue for the ride.
Nemesis Reborn stats and ride guide FAQs
How many inversions does Nemesis have?
Four: a corkscrew, a zero-g roll, a vertical loop, and a second corkscrew, in that order. This has been unchanged since 1994 and carried over exactly into Nemesis Reborn.
How many loops does Nemesis have?
Just one true vertical loop. The other three inversions are a zero-g roll and two corkscrews, which are technically different shapes from a loop, even though people often call all four “loops” casually.
How tall is Nemesis at Alton Towers?
The ride structure is 13 m (42.7 ft) tall. It’s built down into an excavated ravine rather than up, which is why its 31.7 m (104 ft) drop is deeper than the structure itself is tall.
How fast does Nemesis go?
Nemesis Reborn reaches a top speed of 50 mph (81 km/h).
How many G-forces does Nemesis pull?
Up to 3.5 G through its tightest inversions, with a brief moment of near weightlessness during the zero-g roll.
What is the minimum height to ride Nemesis Reborn?
140 cm (4 ft 7 in). Always double-check this at the ride entrance or on the official Alton Towers site, since height and health requirements can be updated.
How long is the Nemesis Reborn ride?
The ride experience lasts about 1 minute 20 seconds over a 716 m (2,349 ft) track circuit.
Is Nemesis Reborn the same as the original Nemesis?
The layout, inversion count, and location are the same, designed by Werner Stengel. Alton Towers rebuilt the track and trains between 2022 and 2024 for a smoother, quieter ride and refreshed theming, reopening it as Nemesis Reborn on 16 March 2024.
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