Heavenly Crafts

....probably one of the most terrifying things I've ever done and it was an amazing experience that I would, I think (!), do again.

There were 5 separate sites in the forest, and the instructor was there for the first one, but then we were left on our own, although the instructors did patrol each site in case of problems. It involved going up rope ladders, across wires, ropes, cargo nets, swinging from trees, zip wires, wooden tunnels, and all sorts and my children loved it, although our daughter was, like me, terrified as well! The zip wires got longer and longer, but I was never able to manage to land facing forwards. Each time, I ended up arriving at the end facing backwards, digging my heels in and ending up flat on my back with bits of bark down my shirt, cramp in my legs and not being able to get up because I had stopped just short of the end and the ropes were too taut to allow any give!

And don't mention the cargo net! There were actually two of these - one in site 1 and the other, much bigger one, at the end. Fortunately for me, there was an alternative route to the larger cargo net, so I climbed through a wooden tunnel instead! The first cargo net, which was much smaller and nowhere near as high, was bad enough. I actually had trouble getting off the platform and swinging over to the net - we weren't very high up, but to actually let go and swing over about 10 feet top the net took a lot. I ended up sitting down on the edge of the platform before I actually had the nerve to let go!

Then of course, when I did, I swung, probably not ungracefully, into the cargo net, and grabbed on for all I was worth - or at least I tried to. what the instructors don't tell you is that when you reach the cargo net, having jumped off the platform (or slipped off as I did), you are travelling with some speed. This means that the cargo net, which is attached to the supporting trees at various points, moves with you, so if you don't grab on the first time you hit it, you start swinging backwards again......but then the force of gravity, centrifugal, centripetal forces and whatever kick in, and like Newton's balls, you start swinging back to the net again. Fortunately, I was able to grab onto the net at that point, but not do much else. It took a while for me to extricate my elbows and arms from the net (I had grabbed on with everything I could!) and start (very slowly) trying to work my way across and upwards to the next platform. And boy, was that hard work! The net was moving all the time, and it took strength to grab onto the ropes and move up. At one point, I thought the instructor was going to come to my rescue (and just how mortifying would that have been!) but I reckon all he did was hold onto the bottom of the net to steady it, so eventually, I managed to crawl onto the platform and hang on for dear life! Of course, my children though this was hilarious!

The zip wires were definitely the best (once I plucked up the courage to leave the platform!) and the last one was so long, it was awesome!

Definitely something to maybe do again when I have recovered, but if we never go again, at least I now have the certificate to prove I completed the course!

Anyhow, I haven't got a freebie yet but am hoping to have one later today or tomorrow so come back later to see what I have come up with!