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Original poster

Go Ape - Have I badly misjudged this?

100 replies

edwinbear · 07/04/2022 12:45

I have a week off work next week and was idly looking for something to do with DC (10 & 12). Managed to book a fabulous looking (and discounted) glamping tent at Leeds Castle - marvellous. Had a look at what else is available to do there and stumbled across Go Ape. I've never been, DC are fit and active, so in a moment of sheer madness, I checked DC's ages and heights are allowed, showed them the pictures of the massive looking, hardest, most terrifying 'Treetop Challenge' course and booked us all on.

And then I looked at the detail and read the Tripadvisor reviews. On the 'Challenge' course, you're not permanently clipped onto the safety wires, we're all responsible for unclipping and clipping ourselves between obstacles, before hurling ourselves off platforms 13m off the ground and praying we've done it correctly. This seems like a recipe for disaster to me. I'm sure DC will have a grand old time, but surely all I have to look forward to is 3hrs of gut wrenching panic, being responsible for constantly trusting they've clipped themselves on correctly and double checking it - I mean there is zero margin for error on this.

Has anyone done this? How difficult would it actually be for me, or more importantly DC, to mess up the clips and die?

OP posts:
Original poster
edwinbear · 07/04/2022 13:32

@Ricardothesnowman the more the merrier as far as I'm concerned! If you're doing the 'Challenge' course, my understanding is there are 5 sections, as a PP said, getting higher at each. At the end of each section, you get back down to the ground via a zipline, so if you decide you've had enough at the end of stage 3 for example, you can bow out gracefully. I think you can have 3 on the platform at the same time, so I'd planned to send 12yr old DS first, then DD so DS is there when she's done her obstacle, then me last, so I can check both DC before going myself. But very open to better advice.

OP posts:
QuirkyTurtle · 07/04/2022 13:33

I've been to GoApe and had the same worries. It is so well organised and safe that you would have to be very, VERY negligible in order to injure yourself.

You need to unclip and reclip yourself but there are three different clips, so you're always attached by at least one.

That being said, don't go if you're afraid of heights.

girlmom21 · 07/04/2022 13:33

@Rollercoaster1920

Somebody died last year. An adult. But go ape is good, do look at dropping the booking down a level though.
From falling? Where?
BertieBotts · 07/04/2022 13:37

I remember someone falling as well but it was a couple of years ago, before the pandemic. Also they have tightened up safety since then.

When I've done things like this they are really clear in the briefing so don't worry.

MargosKaftan · 07/04/2022 13:40

Weve done the Bedgebury one - I say "we", but I sent DH up with DS and his friends for his birthday. There are 2 wires so at no point are you completely unclipped, except on the ground after a zip wire, walking to the next bit.

When they did it, there was another family where one of the kids had a panic half way round one section and couldn't bring themselves to move. An instructor went up, attached them to another harness and lowered them to the ground with the instructor. So you aren't stuck if you suddenly can't do it.

BertieBotts · 07/04/2022 13:43

IME you will have moments of absolute terror but since the only way is through, you'll do it anyway and that feeling is pretty amazing.

gettingolderbutcooler · 07/04/2022 13:47

My 11 yo did it with his dad ( had to have adult if they are under a certain age and they are doing the hardest one). They enjoyed it but it took forever and was super high! And some kids got stuck and had to be helped down.
If they're not quite brave they'll find it difficult!
X

Penhaligon · 07/04/2022 13:49

I did it at half term with my 7 year old. We went around together but he managed the clipping on and off independently. You are always clipped on, but the second one is a back up.
You get a good safety briefing and clipping on and off soon becomes habit.
It will start on the easier courses and become more challenging but you don't have to do the harder ones if you don't want to. You could repeat a simpler one!
We loved it and are going again next week.

purplepaintedpineapple · 07/04/2022 13:50

I think under a certain age they have to have one adult with each child to check the clip on/off so you may not be able to take two unless there are two of you. After a couple of times, it becomes second nature... last time I did it I was over 50, snd only bit I found hard was scrambling up the climbing nets

Pinkyxx · 07/04/2022 13:56

I am the most unfit, un-sporty person you will ever meet. I did the tree-top adventure + challenge at go ape with my 12 year old daughter a couple of months ago. It's practically impossible to forget to clip on / off, don't worry - you will be fine! I actually quite enjoyed myself!

HugsAlwaysAvailable · 07/04/2022 14:01

I did it about 8 years ago, with a hangover. Not an experience I would like to repeat, but it did clear the cobwebs away.
Maybe because I wasn't firing on all cylinders that day, but at one point after climbing a ladder up the side of a fucking massive tree, I realised I wasn't clipped on. At all. I have no idea how I did it, I must have been distracted.

Schoolchoicesucks · 07/04/2022 14:03

I did it with 2 11 year olds. One of them had done it before. And of the three of us was the most mature and level headed.

It is safe - you have 2 clips and when clipping on and off always have one attached. You are responsible for checking that they are clipping on and off.

It is very high and (on some courses at least) there aren't instructors on hand. If one of the dc, or you, have a scary moment, it is kind of up to you to sort it out. I wouldn't do it with a 10 year old unless they had done plenty of other clip n climb type stuff and knew for sure they were good with heights.

Could you switch to a lower course where you're on the continuous rolling clip?

Echobelly · 07/04/2022 14:03

Go Ape is very safe - you might want to book a slightly tamer one for your first time though. I've done some fairly high ones and it makes me feel a little wobbly, TBH!

SissySpacekAteMyHamster · 07/04/2022 14:08

I'm now a slightly overweight 49 yesr old and have done several of the Go Apes with the kids. Everything is well explained beforehand and it's great fun. 👍

Dsisproblem · 07/04/2022 14:20

I did it years ago with my now DH and as I set off on the final zip wire he shouted "NOOOO NOT LIKE THAT!" to be funny and I thought I was about to plunge to my death

Original poster
edwinbear · 07/04/2022 14:27

@Dsisproblem and you went ahead and married him? Grin

For those asking about falling (and I was googling until about midnight last night), there was death in the US, I think in 2016, where very sadly, someone did manage to completely unclip themselves and fell.

www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/how-mum-plunged-35ft-death-8710118

The Bracknell accident, resulted in the second, back up clips being introduced and I don't believe was fatal thankfully, albeit from a lower height.

www.bracknellnews.co.uk/news/19351051.go-ape-courses-bracknell-remain-shut-incident/

OP posts:
MrsWinters · 07/04/2022 14:32

It’s great fun and impossible to mess up. You have 2 clips on your harness- you unclip one put it onto the next obstacle and then do the other. If you forget then you’re still attached so nothing to worry about.
I think it’s a great thing to do, will make them feel brave- it’s very different to any experience you usually have.

Forevergold2838 · 07/04/2022 14:35

We did this last summer. You're right that DC had a great time, I was a nervous wreck by the end of it. You are responsible for your own safety. We did it with friends and their child completely unclipped themselves at one point (you do have to concentrate). Terrifying!

BellePeppa · 07/04/2022 14:38

My teenage son went and he said it was scary!! He was responsible responsible for his own safety clips etc.

Forevergold2838 · 07/04/2022 14:39

MrsWinters

It’s great fun and impossible to mess up it is great fun but it's definitely possible to mess it up. As I said above, our friend's child got mixed up at one point and removed the 2nd clip before he's reattached the 1st one.

I've also just remembered at one point he was about to do a cargo net swing and attached both clips to the same hook instead of the 2nd one to the green hook (sorry I don't know the word for the hooks!) So if that had failed he had no safety backup. Again, we noticed before he stepped off the platform. Heart stopping stuff!!

Forevergold2838 · 07/04/2022 14:42

Oh and another girl in the group ahead of ours got stuck on about 12 feet along the zipwire. It was her own error as she was holding onto the wrong part which made the pully bit slip off. There was no way she could fall off but she was hanging there for a good 10 mins while we all blew our whistles for help. Thankfully she didn't panic. A staff member came and showed her from the ground which section to hold onto and then she had to kind of bounce up and down to get the pully back in the right place.

Elzbells · 07/04/2022 14:43

We went in the Summer, did the training course bit. All 4 of us climbed the rope ladder onto the first platform and then crapped ourselves, climbed down and did the walk of shame to get our money back 😂

Neverreturntoathread · 07/04/2022 14:45

I’ve always found goape excellent at safety. Call them and discuss.

Personally I wouldn’t take a 10 yr old on the Challenge course, it’s more aimed at older teens and adults. The Adventure Plus course will be a great introduction and the clipping on that is very simple.

5zeds · 07/04/2022 14:46

Ask them how many people have died on their equipment. If the answers “zero”, go ahead.

Infinitemoon · 07/04/2022 14:47

When was the last tie you heard about someone dying at Go Ape?

Actually there have been a few incidents with Go Ape one was in the US, I think, and someone was seriously injured last year in the UK.

I must admit I am not a fan of Go Ape. I think this sort of activity should be structured with a proper coach. My DH accompanied DS on an outing there once. A couple of childen aged about 8 or 9 were petrified(in hysterics crying) at one point and it took a lot of persuading and careful maneuvers at a great height to get them down!