Monday, May 24, 2010

High apple pie in the sky...

Okay so maybe there was no apple pie. But there were logs, wires and a whole lot of caterpillars!

Today was the much anticipated Monday of the Victoria Day long weekend in Canada, and instead of doing my usual--nothing--I decided to make plans with some friends. After about a year of talking and not-so-much doing, we decided to make a reservation to go Treetop Trekking!

You may ask, "What is treetop trekking?" And well, that's a good question.

Treetop Trekking (courtesy of Arbaska just outside of Barrie, ON) is essentially 3 hours of above-the-ground ropes courses that put your athletic skills to the test. I'm not always the most athletic person, but I do enjoy fun adventures that get me going... and treetop trekking did just that!

We started off with our guide, Brian, giving us an orientation to get us ready for the real courses. This was essentially the appetizer of the day, which was followed by us navigating our way through the beginner, intermediate and advanced treetop courses.

Each course offered varying levels of challenging and fun activities: balancing across tightropes, crossing tilting bridges, navigating across barrels, through netting and along zip lines. All while making your way from tree to shining tree!

Oh! And trying not to squish all the caterpillars along the way.

While I did find some games more "me" friendly than others, all of the courses (we did four of five) offered a great balance of "easier" tasks with those that provided a welcome challenge! Our guide was also a great help when I was unsure of what to do.

And then there was THE BIG ZIP. And yes, it requires capitalization.

Like the gold at the end of the rainbow, the final activity of the day was a speedy and thrilling trip across the Big Zip--the 900 ft. zipline that is their claim to fame! Longest in the province... or so says their website.

If you're in the Barrie area (or willing to make the trip) I would definitely recommend Treetop Trekking for anyone who is seeking an afternoon of challenging and inexpensive fun! At $62 per adult, you really can't go wrong!