Go Ape…Just Outside London!

When I mentioned to my friend who works in The City that I had spent my weekend swinging from the tree-tops, crawling through flimsy wooden tunnels 30 feet off the ground and zip-wiring through a forest, she thought I was completely mad. In fact she thought I was more than mad. She thought I had completely lost the plot.

After calming her down and assuring her my state of mind was normal and intact, I explained to her that no, I had not lost my zest for life and attempted to throw myself off a building, I had in fact found a greater zest for life.

In fact I found that catapulting myself through trees on a rope swing, acting like Jane from Tarzan, was the perfect way to combat a sluggish week at the office.

My Monday morning worries and mid-week meetings’ frustrations whooshed away from me, as I swung through the forest.

Go Ape is a great experience, perfect for those who love an adrenaline rush and are up for trying something new. Although not suitable for young families, this mid-air assault course is the perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon with friends or loved ones.

After donning quite a hefty harness and sitting through a thorough safety briefing (trust me, you will be thankful of this when you get halfway around the course and see the WARNING: Somebody has fallen off here signs), you are quite literally let loose in the forest.

The course has five different ‘sections’ and each one is slightly different from the last. You can progress through the course at whatever pace you want, and if you are one for a buzz of adrenaline there are occasionally more ‘challenging’ options to satisfy your inner daredevil.

While some of you may think I am quite clearly mad for embarking on such a terrifying adventure, don’t panic. Although you are left to your own devices, there are instructors who patrol the ground beneath you (sounds like a very scary movie, doesn’t it?) and if at any point you do get yourself in a muddle you can yelp, scream or wail at them for help. Heck, you can even burst into tears and sob until their arrival if you really want to.

However, if you can overcome your nerves and embrace the day by jumping out of tree houses and treading ever so lightly on a tightrope, then you may well have the best fun of your week.  In fact, I guarantee it.

Climbing up rickety rope ladders with a group of mates or loved ones and scrambling across a flimsy wooden bridge all whilst being dangled high off the ground certainly takes ‘thrilling’ to the next level.

What could be better to forget your office worries than by looking at beautiful views 30 feet off the ground, while clinging to a tree branch? Okay, maybe a long relaxing bath but where’s the daredevil in that?

The Black Park Country Park is situated on London’s outskirts and is one of 15 Go Ape activity parks offering primate experiences to us mere mortals in the UK.

Black Park Country Park   (Black Park is signposted from the A412 between Slough and Iver Heath)
Black Park Road
Wexham
SL3 6DS

Tel: 0845 643 9215