If you spotted my #OWIP post on Sunday evening then you might have guessed that our weekend began with a trip to Go Ape Junior Sherwood Pines. The last time we went to Go Ape, just Hubby and Curly acted like monkeys and went swinging through the trees but this time Little Bean and I were invited to get stuck in too as Go Ape Junior opened up this year. Initially I was quite excited about the idea but the nearer we got to Sherwood Pines and the more black the rain clouds became, so my confidence dwindled. By the time we pulled into the car park the rain was coming down in sheets and the thunder came rolling in. We were convinced it would be cancelled but NOPE Go Ape won’t let the weather spoil your fun so it was time to get kitted out and up into the trees.
Little Bean was extremely nervous about doing it and told me repeatedly, I don’t want to do it Mummy but I said that she might regret it if she didn’t give it a go and suggested she get kitted out and take a peak. If she didn’t like it once she had climbed up then I promised I would bring her straight back down. I needn’t have worried about her at all, she flew off ahead of me at the speed of light through the trees and I had to keep asking her to slow down and wait for me as I couldn’t keep up.
Go Ape Junior is aimed at adventurers aged 6-12 years old and/or over 1 metre tall. Providing they are over 1m tall they can Go Ape Junior alone but it’s also ok for you to join them if you wish, although the safety wire is obviously lower (for me this was just below shoulder height). There are two courses you can take on Go Ape Junior, course one is easier and has a wire guide rail for you to hold as you navigate the course, course two is a longer and more challenging course with no guide rail to hold onto. You connect your ‘trolley’ to the safety wire when your feet are firmly on the ground and it doesn’t disconnect from the wire until you come off the ramps at the end of the zip wire so it is completely safe. You can go around either of the two courses as many times you like/can fit in during your alloted time. We were booked on for an hour so Little Bean managed to go around six times in total, four on course one and twice on course two.
Little Bean LOVED her Go Ape Junior experience and wasn’t frightened in the slightest, my pride for her was overflowing and I actually felt quite emotional about it. I also felt a bit daft, as although I quite enjoyed doing course one, I definitely didn’t enjoy course two. Part of it was due to the fact that the safety wire made it difficult for me to stand up properly and part of it was that I didn’t like feeling in control. I’m not frightened of heights in the slightest but I guess I like to have steady ground beneath by feet. After doing both courses I asked Little Bean if she was happy to carry on alone and she replied “yeah you’re too slow anyway”. Thanks!
Once our adventure was over it was time to revive ourselves with a bottle or two of Aqua Pura water which we flavoured with Vimto Squeezy. These new water enhancers are the perfect accompaniment to any picnic or day out as you don’t need to stick to plain water or face the wrath of too-sweet bottled drinks and because they are so small, you can take one of each flavour so that everyone gets their own choice of drink rather than all having to have the same. It was surprising just how much energy it took to tackle Go Ape Junior and in some ways we were actually quite thankful for the rain because whilst it was coming down, it kept us cool but the second the rain stopped the heat kicked in and the atmosphere was very oppressing so a refreshing drink was exactly what was needed to end a fun-filled family day out.
We were sent the Aqua Pura water because they are looking for Aqua Pura Champions to follow their health and fitness journey through the remainder of 2014. As an Aqua Pura Champion you will be provided with free bottles of water and a voucher towards a day out of your choice, in exchange for the honest truth about your progress. If you think you could be an Aqua Pura Champion you can apply here.