Go Ape

A fantastic day out! I booked online on a Friday afternoon for a Sunday afternoon session and it was very easy, no problems. They send you your receipt and itinerary and they will even email the itinerary to the other people in your group.
Getting there took a little less time than anticipated, although you should note, if you decide to take the A1 to the A614, Rufford Lane isn’t really marked, just a sign to the town… and not sure if that street always floods, but there was quite a bit of water on the road near the creek/​river. It took a few minutes to find parking and took a little longer to find a pay and display machine that was actually working. If you do not have change (£1.00 for an hour and £4.00 for the day) to pay for it, there is one machine as you walk into the forest area between the toilets and the Go Ape building, that takes cards.
When we got there, they give you a sheet to read and then another to fill out… basic safety, «I won’t sue you if I get injured or die» sort of stuff. Anyway, they didn’t need the confirmation number or the receipt I had printed, nor any kind of identification, so you can leave that in the car so it is one less thing to hold onto. If you are bringing a camera, they will loan you a lanyard (unless you want to buy one), but you have to leave collateral, so I left my camera case with my car key in it… that way I didn’t have to worry about dropping the key into the bushes below.
Some of the staff were really friendly and helpful… Andy was our instructor and he was very thorough in the safety guidelines. By the time everyone got harnessed up and went through the training session it was 3:45 p.m., and we had booked at 3 p.m. After you go through the training course, you’re pretty much on your own. At a couple of the gates, there are cups and water should you need it, but there are no toilets on the course… so be warned. There are toilets across the way from the Go Ape building, but taking a potty break between the courses might be a bit tricky with groups starting the course every half hour.
You should allow yourself enough time to finish the course. When it is busy, the groups are fairly large and everyone goes at a different pace. My friend and I were the last of our 3 p.m. group, which was nice at first because there wasn’t anyone behind us for awhile so we could go at our own pace. However, we quickly caught up to the people in front of us and near the end, the first of the 3:30 p.m. group had caught up to us.
Make sure you wear proper footwear (no Converse… it can get slippery), it does get a bit chilly sailing through the forest, but you can also get a bit sweaty climbing the ladders and things, so plan accordingly. Also note that when you land at the end of some of the zip lines, the landing area is made of mulch and it is quite likely you won’t always land on your feet, so make sure you don’t mind getting a bit dirty (you’ll probably also find mulch in places where it shouldn’t be). However, it is a great experience and if you are fit enough to do it, you should! And you even get a little certificate at the end for completing the course!