Date & Time: Friday 14th March 2008. 10 am start.

Location of Start : Whinlatter Forest Centre, Cumbria, Uk. ( NY 207 245 )

Places visited : The new Go Ape Course at Whinlatter.

Walk details : High and wild !

Highest point : The 'extreme' rope rings, 790m above sea level.

Walked with : Helena, Rachel, Yvette, Norman and a few other people.

Weather : It's our lucky day . . . lovely sunshine after the recent rain.

One of the promotional posters at Whinlatter

 

 

There's a new log cabin in the woods . . . located just above the Osprey Sculpture

that leads you to a new adventure in the forest . . . the new Go Ape Course.

Today was the opening day and five of us from Fishers (amongst others) were invited along to try it out.

Tomorrow it is open to the public and it's your turn !

   
The rubbish is being cleared away . . .
. . . and new landscaping has been done . . .

. . . and they are ready for the customers !

Myself, Norman, Yvette, Rachel, and Helena, the Fisher's Team.

Firstly we were issued with our harnesses . . .

. . . and then instructed how to use them safely.

   
Extra procedures explained for climbing the ladders.
Helena clips on to the safety wire at the start.

That looks like real concentration on her part.

Very soon we are moving high above the ground.

   
Norman (and Greg) looking confident
Making our way along towards the cargo net.

Our first free fall, the Tarzan Swing into the net.

Click here or on the photo above for a short video

( The 30 sec video should open a new window and play in your Windows Media Player)

( It may take half a minute or so to download on slower connection speeds - please be patient )

     
Norman getting ready . . .
. . . sliding down . . .
. . . and catching the net.

This section ends with a short zip wire back to the ground.

Click here or on the photo above for a short video

( The 20 sec video should open a new window and play in your Windows Media Player)

( It may take half a minute or so to download on slower connection speeds - please be patient )

Now we climb again,

aiming for the highest part of the hill.

 

 

It brings us

to perhaps the most

adrenalin filled part of the climb.

 

 

   
   
   
Walking the Pole . . .
. . . towards a parting of the ways.

Now there was a choice . . . the moderate or the extreme.

You can chose to walk the plank, or you can go for the more exposed " High Wire Rings "

   
Rachel steps out over the big drop.
I think she's hugging that tree more out of relief than love.
   
   
Looking down - I'm certainly happy to be safely clipped to the wire.
The contractors finishing the last section (not open today)
   

The recent high winds have delayed the completion by a day so we miss out the one section which was still receiving final adjustments.

It will be open in full tomorrow and you'll be able to climb high above the pool in the forest.

Today there is still one more section for us to complete.

   
Rachel checks her equipment . . .
. . . before launching herself into space.
   

The final section of Go Ape included a long zip wire across the forest taking us to the end of the excellent course.

Click here or on the photo above for a short video

( The 40 sec video should open a new window and play in your Windows Media Player)

( It may take half a minute or so to download on slower connection speeds - please be patient )

@ 2008 Loweswatercam.co.uk

And you thought Whinlatter was just about Ospreys and Forest walks !

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Technical note: Pictures taken with my Canon G7 Digital camera.

Resized in Photoshop, and built up on a Dreamweaver web builder.

This site best viewed with . . . your feet firmly off the ground.

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Previous walk - 8th March 2008 A blowy Sale Fell after the rain

Click here to See the full Go Ape web site - or here for the Team Altus (the builder's) You Tube Video