Off to the Buxton venue this weekend as part of future son in law’s Stag do.
Anyone been to Go Ape before?

Fun, or a large bowl of fetid dingo’s kidneys?

It’s pretty much what you expect, TBH; a kids’ adventure playground for adults.

I really enjoyed it, and would definitely go again. Worth knowing is that a lot of stages have two alternate routes, so you can take an easier or more challenging path as the mood takes you.

+1 ^ good fun and a laugh. Enjoy

Did the one in Grizedale, was quite fun, mainly cos of the big long zip wires – the ‘jungle swing’ was quite fun too.

Found the rest of it a bit tame but I found it surprisingly hard to make myself try letting go with hands and just using balance to get across some of the platforms etc.

Was more fun than I expected. Probably depends on being with the right people. Whilst very safe if you use the kit properly, the fact that it was effectively self policed restored my faith in “elf and safety gone mad” not having completely taken over the world.

Not sure I’d be too fussed about going again any time soon though.

Did the Delamere Forest “Go Ape” a couple of years back & enjoyed it.
The queues were quite long though,not a problem on a sunny summers day,but I’d get a bit impatient stood waiting for someone to “get on with it”if we were waiting in the drizzle/rain etc.

Good fun, been to a few now. Especially fun if you don’t do heights like me.

Whinlatter one here. A good laugh. 😀

I did the one at The Look Out in Swinley forest, was great fun.

Dalby Forest here – enjoyed it.

Grazedale one with my girls. We all really enjoyed it. Expensive though.

Good fun and I think good value for money. We’ve done Bedgebury and Leeds Castle, both in Kent and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it. Also did segways in Bracknell Forrest last week, which was a laugh. None of it will set your hair on fire like going down a black run too fast for your talent level, but it is good family fun none the less.

Lots of standing around – apparently the trick is to be first in line.

went to crathes castle one – bit tame imo.

compared to the one at aberfoyle.

Done it a few times at different venues. Its great fun! The one north of Glasgow is the best as it starts with an absolutely effing mahoosive zip-wire over a big ravine.

With regards to the stag do, they won’t let you force him to do it in a mankini, due to potential chaffing. But they will let you force him to do it in a wedding dress 🙂

apparently the trick is to be first in line.

‘s exactly what I did. I figured, “I’m not following these mouth-breathers all the way round” and positioned myself front and centre. There’s always someone who has goes despite getting vertigo in thick socks. Far as I know, they’re still up there clinging to a tree.

Been to the sherwood pines one,a bit tame ,but i do spend most of working day swinging around at heights. Could be better if crossed with the other stag-do staple paint balling ,a shot of sambuca after every zip wire, would be pushing it i think.

Did Delamere last year the morning after a wedding. Great fun and a little scary if, like me, you are out of your comfort zone at more than 6′ above terra firma.

As Cougar said, you are definitely better off going first. Keep in mind that you wont die* and you’ll have a blast.
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*I believe that the course has been designed to keep fatalities to an acceptable level.

Did the Buxton one last year…very good fun and very well organised. Just note that it does take about 2 hours to do the course and its a much larger area than you first think it is… We all felt (with one exception) like we had been beaten up at the end of it, my 12 year-niece, however, enjoyed it so much she wanted to go round a second time 8O…flippin kids. 🙂

Definitely get first in the queue, otherwise you will be stuck behind people who think Go Ape is like leaving Base camp at Everest…

Tried Go Ape, Cannock – did not enjoy it as much as i thought i would, probebly as I was hung over. After i borrowed all the climbing gear in case i got stuck in the dangerous braking bumps round Follow Your Dad.

“Done it a few times at different venues. Its great fun! The one north of Glasgow is the best as it starts with an absolutely effing mahoosive zip-wire over a big ravine.
“

thatll be aberfoyle ! – did an SXC race once that went UNDER the go ape course !

Was more fun than I expected

+1
Did the one at Matfen as a leaving do for a colleague. Went on a friday afternoon and had the place to ourselves so were able to repeat the final loop lots 🙂

Note – don’t try doing a swallow-dive on the tarzan swings: even if you manage not to fall out of the harness, you’ll still get in trouble….

I was disappointed when I went – remembered how much fun I had as a kid, climbing trees, making swings, etc.

This time, thanks to H&S, I was wrapped up like cotton wool. So many ‘safety’ features, it took most of the fun out of it.

Won’t be going again..

I’ve been to Grizedale and Delamere. Thought the Grizedale one was better as it was higher. Both great fun.

I’ve done a couple and it was great fun. One of the guys was a climber so very happy in the harness and did a few bits hands free, if you think it’s too easy try that.

We also did one in France that was proper hard. They had stops bolted into the safety line so you had unclip and re-clip along the way, basically you couldn’t just hang on it and drag yourself along. Loads of people got stuck and had to be rescued. They had a pretty slick system for rescues so it must have happened a lot

It’s great fun to do with a group of mates – we went to the Forest of Dean. If you see people at the briefing who look like they’ll be slow, try and get in front of them, or you’ll be waiting ages.

Fun even if you don’t like heights – the courses are pretty good at starting you off about 8ft from the ground and getting gradually higher till you’re actually pretty high.

As said, you’re going at the pace of the slowest person in front of you – don’t get wound up by it, if you’re behind a slow group then just hang back a bit and take your time.

Did the one in Sherwood Pines about 2 years ago. Was good fun but thought it was a bit short. Got to the end and I assumed we would get to play on some bits of it again but was disappointed to find the price only covered one go round.

Was a weekday so not like the place was busy.

So on that basis I didn’t think it was good value at all, but the other courses may be longer.

The Sherwood one always looks a bit poor compared to others I’ve seen.

I did Dalby as part of a hen weekend, good fun imo even though I’ve had lots of time playing on high ropes courses when I worked in the States.

Cheers for the responses folks.

It was great, huge fun.
The staff were excellent, the course progressive and exciting and everyone had a great time.
Loved it all, including losing a shoe on the last scrim net jump, to much general hilarity. 🙂

Very busy on the day, so took awhile, but would love to do it again, ‘specially the zip wires.

Highly recommended.

I took the Mrs for her birthday last year, she really liked I’d, even if she did do most with her closed. I found it a bit tame to be honest, might be something to do with the fact I used to climb alot and heights don’t really phase me, still good fun though, if its a first time you’ve done anything like it you should really enjoy it,

If you find the ones in this country a bit too H+S ,go to France and look at some…..same principle and basic safety gear but the hieghts are Bonkers!…my then teenage children,who up to then found all these things pretty tame,were well freaked out with only the bravest undertaking the tallest routes….a local french lad “froze” highup,could not go forwards or backwards…i found a member of staff who then Freeclimbed the tree, at least 50ft,to help the kid carry on…only in France!

I’ve been to the Swinley one too.

They don’t like stag do’s though apparently so take a cake and sing happy birthday to the groom!

And definitely have a go on the off-road segways if they have them at the one you go to. Brilliant fun and amazing grip going up muddy hills.

oh and if you have anyone who is well built then watch the trees holding any catch nets bend when they hit them! And then pull their wire back as they try to make their way off the net 😉