Since the season of high adventure is almost here, I wanted to share with you a new activity we’ve been seeing on vacations the last couple of years: high ropes courses.
Think obstacle course in the trees! Using ropes and harnesses you go from platform to platform in the trees, clipping in and out of each obstacle or station using hooks called carabiners. If you lose your footing or slip, you’re still connected via the ropes, harness and carabiner system, which has a lock-in mechanism at the start of each obstacle.
My 11 year old daughter and I first tried one outside of Acadia National Park/Bar Harbor, Maine the summer before last and again this past summer near Glacier National Park/Whitefish, Montana. To be honest, they are fun, but challenging and there were several moments where I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to swing it (no pun intended.) But heck, if 7 year olds could do it, then I had to conquer my fears! It was great to be up in the trees and a very unusual challenge for the mind and body. And a great confidence booster when you realize you’ve made it to the end, where you sit back and ride a final zip line! Some have multiple zip lines and multiple courses based on level of difficulty. One was literally alongside a road and a few others I’ve seen are at ski resorts (a new source of summer income.)
Whether you’re around town this summer or traveling around the country, keep your eyes out for this fun adventure and be sure to try it out!
