Monday, June 22, 2015

Discover Go Ape Treetop Adventure

Photos by OHventures

This past April, the Go Ape Treetop Adventure course opened to the public in the Cleveland Metroparks' Mill Stream Run Reservation. The Strongsville location is one of many courses built in the United States, and the only one that can be found in Ohio (the others are currently located in Tennessee, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and other nearby states).

The Go Ape Treetop Adventure Course challenges participants with an outdoor obstacle course over 3,000 feet in length and is suspended up to 40 feet above ground. It takes between 2-3 hours to complete, depending on your ability and how busy it is. The course gives you the opportunity to see the world from a bird's eye view as you navigate the treetops like a monkey by traversing bridges, zooming on zip lines, and hanging on ropes.



All obstacles are fastened to tree trunks in an environmentally friendly way, using special bolts and cables that adjust themselves as the trees grow larger over the years. The health and well-being of the park is of utmost importance to Go Ape, as a portion of its proceeds and services is given back to the parks.

Safety is the number one rule at Go Ape. When you arrive, you will be strapped in by a harness, and given a 30-minute safety briefing to train and prepare you for the excitement ahead. A series of cables, platforms, pulleys, and ropes will keep you safe as you progress throughout each of the five sections,

I had the pleasure to "Go Ape" in Strongsville, which tested my strength, balance, focus, and endurance in an awesome way. I was in for a treat as I managed to complete 5 zip lines (4 of which took me over a wetland), and 42 obstacles (including a spider's web, cargo nets, wooden planks, and more). 

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