Houlding role
Last updated at 14:18, Saturday, 15 March 2008
TOP mountain man Leo Houlding rose to a new challenge – over 400ft up amongst the trees in a Lake District forest.
Leo gave his seal of approval to the area’s newest tourist attraction, a Go Ape course in Whinlatter Forest near Keswick.
And the young climber, who has taken part in some of the world’s most thrilling mountain adventures, admitted that the course, swinging through the forest, would get most people’s adrenaline flowing.
Leo said: “It’s a fantastic idea. The best thing about Go Ape is that it makes people responsible for themselves. It brings a bit of adrenaline into your life which is addictive.”
“You can push yourself beyond your comfort zone a bit.
“It’s quite exposed in places where it goes above the trees, but there are instructors on the ground in case you make a mistake or get a bit scared.”
Leo gave a safety briefing to some of the first local people to try the course yesterday when businesses, accommodation providers and tourism groups were invited along to Whinlatter to try Go Ape for themselves. He said: “Everyone gets a good safety briefing before they set off.
“In this age of health and safety it’s good that there’s something like this, with a bit of adventure, that people can do.”
The Whinlatter Go Ape course opened to the public today and it is expected to be one of the northern Lake District’s most popular attractions this summer.
A similar course in Grizedale Forest was used by 39,000 people last year and at times it got so busy potential customers were turned away.
Clair Fowler, the manager of the Whinlatter Go Ape facility, said: “This is fairly similar to the Grizedale course which has been a huge success. Theirs is in its fifth year and hopefully this will prove as popular.”
Work on building the course, by a French firm, began in January and finished just hours before yesterday’s launch.
The only limits on participation are that users have to be 10 years upwards, a minimum of 4ft 7in tall and not heavier than 20-and-a- half stone.
Whinlatter’s Go Ape course is one of a dozen similar facilities in different parts of Britain and several more are due to come on stream later this year.
It comprises a series of rope ladders leading to the treetops, with rope bridges, Tarzan swings and zip slides linked by natural footpaths.
It costs £25 for adults and £20 for children and, including the briefing, a circuit of Go Ape lasts nearly three hours.
The course will be open until the end of October then at weekends in November and is closed from then until February half term.
First published at 09:14, Saturday, 15 March 2008
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk
SHARE THIS ARTICLE
Vote
Quick links
