The Fearless Femmes: Adventure #28- "Remember, 10 year-olds do this".... "Yeah, and they're a lot lighter!"

There's a new kid in town, and he's a beast.

Last Friday, we headed to the brand-new Go Ape Zip Line and Treetop Adventure facility in Swope Park. Open for less than two weeks, it seemed only appropriate that we be amongst the first patrons to christen the above-ground obstacle course. We were all excited about the zip lining, but little did we know, that would be the least of it!

Proudly displaying our participation certificates at the end of our adventure at Go Ape

We started by receiving a 30-ish minute orientation to the course and lesson on the equipment. Watching our instructor go over every minute detail of the process made us all feel a little overwhelmed. Did I mention that each guest is responsible for connecting themselves (via harness and rope system) properly and making all disconnects/trasnfers/transitions on their own??!! It definitely sounded intimidating, and like a huge liability (had we not signed away our right to hold them liable), but once we got our hands on the equipment and did it ourselves, it was actually more simple, and safe, than it seemed at first. After our instructor got us started on the first station and verified that we were capable of operating the equipment properly, we were on our own!

Even though we were responsible for working our own equipment and making all the proper connections, it was rather fool-proof. We each wore a harness that had a metal loop at our waist, and two ropes attached, one with a carabiner at the end, the other with a "trolley." You started a station by placing your trolley (your guide through the stations) on a track that led to the cable system it would run on (the bottom right photo is highlighting my trolley on the cable during a foot rings crossing). The carabiner rope also connected to the cable as a tether for lateral crossings and an additional support for zip lines/swings. The metal loop at our waist was used to clip a carabiner line onto ourselves for crossings in which we would be ascending, descending or flying through the air (the top left photo highlights the carabiners attached properly for Alli's Tarzan swing). For the Tarzan swings, we also had to get our trolley off the cable so that we could freely move through the air. There was a levered device that allowed us to transfer our trolley from the cable line to a "shuttle" that housed the trolley and attached to our waistband (the bottom left photo highlights this device, the top right photo shows the trolley inside the shuttle, fastened to Jessi's waistband). Once we made the crossing, there would be another levered device that enabled our trolley to get out of the shuttle and back onto the cable line. We would then send the shuttle back for the next person via rope and pulley system.

The course is composed of five stations. Each station begins with a rope ladder climb to a treetop platform. From there, you must make your way from platform to platform through a series of "crossings." The crossings included various types of foot bridges, planks, tight ropes, cargo nets, and Tarzan swings. Each station ended with a zip line descent back to ground level. Sounds simple enough, but it required SO much upper body strength, endurance and mental control. It was definitely more intense than any of us expected! We have been nursing stiff, sore muscles and arms and legs riddled with bruises in the days since.

Although we were working our way through as a group, it was very much an individual adventure. Per the rules of the course, only one person could be on any given crossing at a time, and only three people maximum per platform. Due to this, and the fact that we were all concentrating on "not dying," there wasn't a ton of conversation between us, but we were often able to watch and cheer each other from different points on the course. The teamwork aspect totally came through in our mental game though. Anxieties were high for many; confidence was down at times; I'm certain we all had at least one moment where we felt we could not go on, but through it all I heard so many words of encouragement, instruction and reassurance all around.

I love Amy's face in this one! Just about to drop on the Tarzan swing

Although not everyone completed the entire course, I'd still say it was a huge success. This was a tough one. But, the tough ones are often my favorite adventures because I just love the support, trust and pride that we all share during these arduous activities. I know these sentiments are typically the foundation of strong friendships, and I never doubt that they're always there with these girls, but it's not everyday that you actually get to feel these feels. Knowing that Jessi believed I could do the "extreme" route, versus the "moderate" route, gave me the boost of confidence I needed to try it. Although I floundered on that one, when the next "extreme" option came along, I went for it anyway. This time, Alli cheered and yelled, "There you go, D," with every step I made. Knowing she stopped to focus on me for that moment and was dedicated to helping me succeed in the only way she could, made me want it even more. This time, I nailed it!

While Lisa and I were the most comfortable with the height element, Alli and Jessica probably had the hardest time with it. On one of the more difficult crossings, Jessica was about half way across when we could see the panic set in. I think she felt stranded, unsafe and insecure. She started to wobble on the minimal support she had under her feet, and insisted she couldn't do it. Lisa and I were on the platform ahead of her and reassured her that she could do it and offered step-by-step suggestions to help her get across... and whaddaya know, she did do it! Not that Jessica would ever be at Go Ape by herself, but I felt like if Lisa and I hadn't been there, she likely would have given up, yelled for help and waited for one of the employees to come rescue her. Whether or not Jessica felt this way, I'm not sure, but nonetheless it felt so good to be there for her and to watch her succeed at something she believed was beyond her abilities. I hope she felt as fierce in that moment, as I
believed she was.

Jessica nearing her breaking point with this difficult crossing

I felt such immense pride for all the other girls as well. Alli, one of our most anxious members, for taking the lead and charging her way through the first station. Jessi, who has a legit fear of heights, for flying through the entire course and killing it! Amy, for pushing herself beyond what she thought was her limit, and for being open to trying something outside her comfort zone (something we are continually challenging her with). Lisa, for completing the entire course (along with Jessi and I), for her calming presence and patience with assisting others, and for letting me photograph her in the ~~flattering~~ harness we had to wear (when we initially put them on she said, "I'd like to retract my photography waiver for the blog.") ;)

Despite the intensity, I had a lot of fun and I think most of the girls did too... not sure I can commit to all the girls. :) Go check it out: https://goape.com/zip-line/swope-park and GO APE!

Zip lining and other moments of fun: