Lee Thompson, photographer and co-founder of The Flash Pack, was in Rio de Janeiro to cover the World Cup when he was given a very special privilege: a climb to the top of the Christ the Redeemer statue for its first ever selfie.

Thompson and his colleague Oliver Harvey were given special permission from the Brazil tour board to climb to the top of the statue.

As Thompson himself says on The Flash Pack,

With the assistance of two high-wire workmen, (and armed with Go Pro cameras) we entered through scaffolding mounted on the feet and crawled in circles up 12 flights of rickety stairs that seemed to get narrower with every step.

Twenty minutes into the climb I reached the heart of the Christ made from beautiful Mosaics. After what felt like an eternity of pressing heat and pitch darkness, we finally reached the small compartment in Christ's shoulder. I grabbed the rope and pulled myself along the smooth soapstone up into the head of the statue where we carefully opened the hatch. My heart was pounding with excitement and I couldn't wait another second.

The video that Lee and his companion took is even more vertigo-inducing, if you have the stomach for it:

[Images via The Flash Pack]