Go Ape! with the family in the tree tops

An article by Claire Jones-Hughes    No Comments

We got the chance to experience a Go Ape! tree top adventure at the brand new course in Black Park, near Uxbridge. Climbing, crossing, sliding and whooshing – everything kids relish but what about a parent with a fear of heights?

Go Ape have parks across the U.K., the nearest to the Brighton area is in Crawley, West Sussex. Black Park in Buckinghamshire is a bit of a drive from this area but it is conveniently located just off the M40, making it for us, an ideal stop off en route to visit family in more northern parts. The centre has several activities to enjoy the most of the beautiful wooded area including Tree Top Adventure, Tree Top Junior Adventure, Go Ape Forest Segway and Go Ape Forest Biking.

On arrival, we registered Lulu, 5, and myself in with the helpful and friendly Wayne at the reception area, read our safety briefing and were guided to the Tree Top Junior Adventure area. 2 year-old Boo was not eligible; she is a smidge under the height limit, so she stayed in the clearing to watch and stomp about the open forest space below the trees. To avoid any outbursts, we popped a little harness on her to include her in the preparation, plied her with drink and snacks while we listened to our safety briefing and climbed the long staircase to the first platform.

On the Tree Top Junior Adventure, kids under 6 have to be accompanied by an adult, who goes first on the harness wire leading their little monkey around. I blurt out at this point that I have a fear of heights. Crossing rope bridges with a harness and a rope wire to hold on to is not something I enjoy. I am not in my comfort zone but part of being a parent is to push yourself out of the bubble so your kids can enjoy a variety of experiences. So I kept any further thoughts on this to myself, and climbed the long staircase to the first platform.

I look across the first bog-standard rope bridge with wooden slats, evenly spaced and gulped. We are high. Well it’s high for me. But I am the girl who went up ski lifts and shot down mountains 6 years ago, so I must be able to make it across a leisure course designed for safe fun. As we creep along the bridge, I am nervous that Lulu is nervous. But all I hear in her voice is intrigue and excitement. Her balance is tremendous. Her enthusiasm is keeping me going.

We progressed along the shorter of the two routes on the Tree Top Junior Adventure. Each crossing was a different formation. A bridge made entirely from a sort of net tunnel (which I preferred and Lulu hated). They all required some ‘team’ discussion before we set foot on bridges made of different formations of wire, rope and various shapes of wooden platforms. We gained more confidence each time we reached another tree top platform.

The experience was than a bit of fun, it was symbolic. Lulu suffered from anxiety when she started school in September. It went a little beyond ‘starting school nerves’ and needed a carefully managed strategy between the teachers and ourselves, the parents. The outcome was a complete turn around. No more tears, no more wobbles but still keeping a close eye on areas where she feels vulnerable and lacks confidence. This activity was a gamble.

However, while I worried about her, Lulu could sense my unease crossing the tree-top bridges. “Well done Mummy, you did it, you’re being brave,” she said intuitively. Which of course warmed my heart till it nearly burst.

The reward for all the tree top climbing is the fabulous zip wire at the end. Shaking like jelly, I gulped at the thought of jumping into a void of wire, forest clearing and sawdust floor. But I did. I discreetly nodded to the staff that Lulu may not feel able to do it. How wrong could her mother be? Very. She shrieked with genuine thrill as she flew down the wire, beaming from ear to ear as she dusted the sawdust off. It was my cue to take her around again and make the most of the 40 minutes we had left in our session.

We ended our adventure with one last ride on the zip wire, my nerves had been replaced with adrenalin and an enormous sense of achievement. Another great aspect of going round the course together was the need to communicate and listen to instructions. I got to see a side of Lulu she possibly reveals more of at school. Her ability to focus, figure out her footing while following me across the bridge was amazing. For this and the pure enjoyment factor, the forest adventure got our seal of approval.

There are Go Ape parks across the U.K., check the website for more details here. Booking ahead is advised which you can do on-line. The staff were extremely friendly but professional and supportive. I would say you’d need to be a reasonable state of fitness before taking part, in the sense of being away of your balance and core strength – not a serial Tough Mudder participant.

As you leave the course, there’s a sign with the words, “Hurrah! You did it!” and that’s exactly how we felt. Our biggest reward, aside from the zip wire thrill and a Go Ape medal, was ice cream at the café, strong, black coffee for Mum.