Adventure high in the trees
2:14pm Friday 4th April 2008
EXPLORE the great outdoors from an exciting new perspective high up in the forest canopy'. This is the tempting line on the publicity material for the new Go Ape High Wire Forest Adventure, which has just opened at Whinlatter Forest Park a few miles east of Keswick.
It sounded like fun so my family decided to give it a go.
There were six of us altogether - two adults ('gorillas') and four teenagers ('baboons').
It was Easter Monday, bitterly cold and during our visit snow fell intermittently, adding to the sense of getting back to nature and the thrill of adventure.
Here are some comments from cousins Paul Thomas and Lauren Middleton, both 14 years old, who thoroughly enjoyed their visit.
"Go Ape at Whinlatter Forest was an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime experience. It took us around three hours to get around the course, each stage getting higher and higher in the trees.
"The instructors gave us a safety talk, and then we were off on our own around a 60-feet-high course. There were many different obstacles, from leaping out into a net, to crawling through a barrel!
"Our favourite bits were the zip-wires to get you to the end of each of the five sections."
Lauren said that the whole thing was challenging and exciting'. Paul, who also completed the course, said that he found the Tarzan Swing' the most challenging part. "The Tarzan Swing is where you jump out of a platform and swing in mid air into a net, which you then have to climb up."
Lauren added: "The worst part was actually letting go."
The cousins commented: "I was definitely worth the money - £20 for U18s ad £25 for adults. Although you had to be over ten participate, there was a children's playground where there was smaller versions of the course.
"There was also a café, which sold a variety of cakes and hot drinks - useful in the cold weather - and a gift shop where you could buy things to remember your time at Go Ape."
Paul has suffered from mild vertigo (fear of heights) in the past and said: "I thought I would never be able to complete the obstacles, but I think that the route, and the encouraging words of the instructors and my family, helped me overcome my fear. I would fully recommend this to any person, including people that have vertigo."
Go Ape is great fun and will appeal to families and individuals who fancy something a little out of the ordinary. It would also be ideal for corporate events.
It is physically fairly challenging and you need a bit of nerve. You also have to keep your focus - you are given excellent instructions from the friendly staff but after the first section you are basically on your own and have to ensure you correctly use your karabiners. It's not as hard as it sounds but concentration is important.
There are some half-price offers at Whinlatter until Friday, May 23, excluding weekends and bank holidays. To take up the offer, book online using promo code WHA006 or call 0845 643 2034 quoting The Westmorland Gazette.
There are several other Go Ape sites throughout the county, including one at Grizedale Forest in south Cumbria.
For more information visit www.goape.co.uk or call 0845 643 2034.