Everyone should act like a monkey now and then. Though having said that many of you probably already think that you work with a bunch of monkeys and … well, I better not continue with that train of though! 🙂 For today Einstein arranged a day out in the trees for our small elite group of super fit athletes. Er … okay maybe some of us, namely me, aren’t actually super fit athletes but just crazy enough to agree to a couple of hours swinging through the trees. Go Ape is cool company that offers a sort of high wire assault course through the trees (up to 60 feet in the air but mainly around 30 feet) in a few forests around Britain. Today we visited the one closest to London in Bracknell, about 50 minutes train journey from Clapham Junction.

The Go Ape sight (actually Swinely Forest) is not just for the monkeying around – there is also seemingly a few good mountain bike trails for the cyclists (apparently some of the best in South-East England), The Lookout Centre for the kids and it seems a popular area for dog walking.

From the website we sort of knew what to expect so some of us were nervous (namely Einsten just a little bit and Sir Jules) and one of us was just itching to get out on the course (wall/mountain climbing expert Shona). Me – I was just excited to see that much forest! Not sure how Jonathan and James felt but I’m bet there was some slight fluttering in their stomach at thought of tackling the course.

So, you are pretty much left to tackle the course on your own, after a safety brief from a trained instructor at the start and after going through the first course involving a ladder, high wire and zip line. The simplicity of the first course is a bit deceiving as you immediately climb higher, cross more complex rope/wood bridges/high wires and zip down longer zip wires at the second course (there are five courses in total).

All activities are graded as you would grade ski slopes – from green (easiest) to blue, red, black, and extreme black (the hardest). From what I can remember there was only one, maybe two, black activities including this very difficult stirrup crossing to one extreme black activity – known as the Tarzan which requires you to commit to jumping off your platform and having a bit of a free fall before you hit the cargo rope wall. Pretty scary if you’re afriad of heights!

You are supposed to allow for about three hours to complete the course but we managed in under two hours and the time would have been even quicker if we hadn’t had to wait so long for those in front of us to get through the courses. It probably helped that the weather was gorgeous – not too hot but sunny. I can’t imagine what it would be like doing the course in the rain – especially when coming into land at the end of the zip line – my shirt was pretty yucky as it was from landing backwards in the bark all the time so I can imagine the mud that would be involved if it had been wet. So, I think we all did very well. Special mention to Shona, whose rock climbing skills and training definitely came in handy, and to Sir Jules and Jonathan who overcame their slight apprehension of being at height to raise to the challenge. Its just a shame I didn’t bring my camera on the course with me as there were some definitely classic poses being held as we crossed certain bridges.

After the course we were hungry little monkeys so we retired to the first pub we saw – the Golden Retriever. Its a strange little pub – a bit on the posh side with their waitresses/waiters dressed almost to the nines. Food was gorgeous though – generous services and reasonably priced. The most entertaining part of getting our meals was deciding which sauces we wanted as the sauces are brought out on a giant platter including the usual suspects ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard (three kinds!), vinegar and some not so usual suspects some sort of seafood sauce and a onion sauce (yummy with the chips just as the waitress promised). The service was actually pretty good once you sat down though the staff don’t tend to talk to you or notice you until you were at your table.

Overall I would say that the Go Ape day was a great success. Although some level fitness would be helpful, I think a bit of strength would be more useful as there are some times when being able to lift your own weight, even if only few a few seconds, is the difference between getting through the activity (and feeling the sense of success) or not. In actuality if you can’t finish an activity you can simply sit back in your harness and drag yourself across so you are never really stuck. This should be a must to-do in everyone’s book!