Why Doing Something That Terrifies You Is So Worth It | AD

-paid partnership with Go Ape-

Sherwood Forest is a place that I’ve visited and walked in hundreds of times throughout my life as it’s a destination that I could walk to from my dad’s house and now it’s somewhere that we regularly frequent with Josie & Edie. There is one part of the forest that I never thought I’d be in and that is the Go Ape site, I’d always gazed up at people completing the course and it always looked like they were having an awesome time but it had always been a ‘no, not for me’ kinda thing. I’m not amazing with heights, I wouldn’t say it’s a full blown fear but it’s certainly not something that I feel comfortable with and I’d much rather keep both feet firmly on the forest floor. So when Go Ape asked me if I wanted to give the Treetop Challenge a go as part of their new ‘Feel 50ft Tall’ campaign I jumped the chance after my initial hesitation of facing my fear and doing something that is so far out of my comfort zone. And do you know what? I felt absolutely incredible after doing it (and a little soggy) and now it’s something that I’d recommend anyone doing.

what to expect?

We arrived on a very drizzly Wednesday morning and parked in the main car park before we made our way down to the Go Ape hut. We met with the lady who showed us what we were going to be doing and how to do it properly and most importantly safely. I have no experience with climbing so it was all new to me but you soon get into the swing of things. Once you’re fitted into a harness you’re quite literally shown the ropes, you go through a small test on the ground first and then up into the tree canopy you climb. There are a total of 5 courses now all together at the Sherwood Forest location and it gradually gets harder as you go along and you have the choice between an easier and more difficult route. It took us around an hour to get round and here are a few pieces of advice;

- Wear clothes that you’re not too precious about.

- If you have medium to long hair make sure you tie it up beforehand but they do have hair ties if you forget.

- Trainers are the best type of footwear to wear we found, especially if doing it when the course is wet.

- Make sure all your valuables are secure if you take them up into the trees with you. You can leave any bags in the hut and they give you numbered wristband to retrieve it when you’ve completed the course.

- Hand cream is a must afterwards, my hands certainly aren’t used to climbing up things so felt a little sore.

why I’m so glad i did it

As I said, heights aren’t something that I feel all that comfortable with. So when I started climbing the ropes into the tree canopy I could feel all my nerves starting to take over but about half way through the nerves were replaced with those feel good endorphins we all know and love. By the end of the course I felt on top of the world, like I could achieve anything and that is always the most rewarding thing about doing something that scares you. There were points where I felt like I was going to have to turn back, especially at the Tarzan swings as getting my feet to want to leave the safety of the platform wasn't easy but with some series pep talks I did it and it was exhilarating. I never expected that I would enjoy this as much as I did and I’d suggest anyone to give it a go if they’re able to. It’s something that I can imagine is incredibly fun to do in a team whether that be the people that you work with or with your closest friends. This experience has definitely pushed me to do more things out of my comfort zone as you just can’t beat that feeling you get afterwards.

WOULD YOU DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS?