Go Ape Junior Course - Haldon Forest

Go Ape Junior - Haldon Forest

 

Recently my boys and I were invited to have a go at the new Go Ape Junior course in Haldon Forest near Exeter. I was a bit nervous about booking it for Sam, who gets quite nervous but my goodness me, he did me proud and showed me just what he was capable of!

 

 So what is Go Ape Junior?

It is a high ropes course set up in the tree tops. It features zip wires and obstacles such as stepping stones, tightropes and rope bridges, enough to get your adrenaline flowing.

 

“Up in the forest canopy you can expect a variety of crossings, each offering a sense of reward and achievement before gliding along the grand zip wire finale. Brand new for summer 2018, Tree Top Junior at Haldon Forest makes for some unforgettable high ropes antics.”

https://goape.co.uk/days-out/south-west/haldon

 

We arrived with nervous in trepidation, I was really worried that Sam would see the course and back out at going up, I was also slightly worried that Ali might back out as he doesn’t do heights!!

 

I booked them both in before they could change their minds and we were given the rules to read. Once read, we signed the paperwork and given the wrist bands and told to head over to the harness area.

 

 
 

At the harness area, both boys were kitted up and they headed up to the example stage where they were shown how to clip themselves onto the wire. Sam was also encouraged to sit down in his harness to show that if he fell off what would happen. Sam seemed to get the hang of moving along the wire really quickly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They then headed off to the low level section to get an idea of what they would experience up in the trees. Oliver was desperate to have a go at this section but being less than one meter tall he wasn’t allowed.

  
 
 
 
Low section complete, Sam was desperate to head up into the trees; they waited at the bottom of the wooden stairs and told the member of staff it was their first time up. He then took the time to talk them through and gave them a few hints and tips before clipping them on. Sam was off and I had to shout to tell him to wait for his Dad several times.

  
 
Sam even managed how to use the clip and move it onto the next section on his own. He loved being able to shout down to us and gave us a wave or pull a funny face at us. He was having a great time. Ali’s face often told a different picture!! Sorry Ali, I do love you for doing it and if I could have gone, I would have done!! Xx

 

Sam started to get more and more confident and even started jumping across some of the stepping stones, my nervous little boy was gone. Once they completed the section, they then headed to the zip wire. Sam showed no fear and practically jumped off the ledge and headed down. I was incredibly jealous as I wanted to have a go!!

 

 

 

Once they unclipped themselves they then headed to the harder section two, again Sam was completely unfazed and off he went with Ali in tow.

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

Again I watched from the ground and marvelled as they were stepping over blocks, climbing over ropes and pulling themselves onto the next sections. They absolutely loved it. After each section they were able to do the zip wire. The boys headed up for the final section, they climbed the rope net and looked at the first set of ropes. One of the members of staff noticed they were unsure and came over to talk to them about how to complete it. Ali made the decision that it would be too hard for them and so the member of staff unclipped them and they went back to the first section again before finishing with the final zip wire.

 

At the end of the zip wire, their hour was up and it was time to give the harnesses back. Once they were given back, the boys were given a certificate of completion. Sam was chuffed to bits.

 

Ali commented just how friendly and polite all the staff were and the only concern was the wire that they were clipped onto. Ali is 6ft 2 and the wire had to sit underneath his arm throughout the whole course. This has left him with a nasty bruise on his arm. When he spoke to the staff they explained that the course is aimed at young people not adults so the height of the wire was set for them.

 

If you fancy giving the course a go, your child must be over one meter tall. There is also a weight limit of 20.5 stone/ 130kg. If the child is under six years old then an adult must accompany them on the course. If over six, an adult must supervise from the ground. For a one hour session on the junior course it is £18. For more information or to book check out goape.co.uk or call 0845 519 2727.

 

Disclosure: For the purpose of this review we were gifted two tickets for a one hour session on the Go Ape Junior Course at Haldon Forest. All the thoughts in this review are my completely my own.

Boobs!!

 

 

 

 

So apparently this week is National Breast Feeding Week and I have read blog posts from Bloggers alike about how some think breast feeding is best and others are saying fed is best, but I have to say I haven’t read any posts about women who have the best laid plans to breast feed but actually aren’t able too. This is me and I am dam sure I am not alone.

 

When I first discovered I was pregnant, apart from being in love with the idea of having a baby growing inside of me, I was totally amazed about how it had an impact on my body, but never my boobs!! My belly grew, but my boobs didn’t. My feet became swollen but my boobs didn’t. The Midwife was never bothered when I mentioned it to her, she kept saying, it will kick in when required.

 

However after 50 plus hours of traumatic labour, this is the only I can describe my labour, I gave birth to my beautiful little boy. I was completely overwhelmed. I was asked my preference about breast feeding when I entered the labour suite and I was completely in favour of breast feeding. It had never even entered my mind that it wouldn’t happen. So, after his birth, Sam was latched on and he suckled naturally. The Midwife showed me how to put him back on if he became unattached, which I did. It wasn’t easy but I did it with a little bit of help from Ali.

 

I went home in a new Mum bubble and kept attempting to latch my baby, but my goodness he was a grumpy baby. I tried to use a breast pump but nothing arrived. After three days, I was still getting no milk but the health professionals didn’t seem bothered. They said my latch was good but I knew my baby was hungry. I wasn’t leaking, they weren’t sore, they felt like normal non pregnant boobs. Absolutely nothing was coming through.

 

Eventually I called the Children’s Centre and begged for help. A breast feeding support worker was sent out to help me. She was fab, she sat with me and Sam and talked me through breast feeding. She saw Sam latch on but how he would realise that he wasn’t get anything. She asked me to use the breast pump but nothing. Eventually she confirmed my worst nightmare, my boobs had failed me.

 

I felt like the worst mother ever. I had failed my baby, I wasn’t able to do something that my body should have done naturally. My baby was hungry and he was living on nothing. At first, I cried. Ali told me that it wasn’t my fault but there was no way I could believe him. He drove me to Mothercare and I stood completely numb in the carpark. We bumped into some friends who had yet to meet Sam but I felt so low I remember walking away and leaving Sam with Ali. He was being the proud Dad and showing off his baby but I couldn’t watch. I felt so low.

 

We ended up spending a small fortune on bottles, sterilisers, milk etc as I had nothing. I should have been feeding my baby from my own boobs not a bottle.

 

I remember how Sam gagged on the first bottle. He was just so hungry, but it didn’t stay in his tummy for long, he threw it back up, it went everywhere and smell was disgusting. I didn’t blame him for throwing back up.

 

Eventually, he started to slow down on the bottle and realised that they came when he demanded. He was still grumpy but he soon started to fill up his tummy which enabled him to sleep.

 

It took me months to come to terms with the fact that I was bottle feeding my baby. Everyone seemed to ask how the feeding was going and I would have to admit that I was bottle feeding. I still feel guilty whenever health professionals ask if he was breast or bottle fed and I always go on to say “bottle fed as I didn’t get any breast milk” People stare at you when you breast feeding but they also stare at you when you bottle feed.

 

So please remember that bottle feeding may be essential not a choice.

 

When I was pregnant with Oliver, my boobs again stayed the same, so I talked it through with Ali and we decided to see if anything happened during the pregnancy or birth but we would be prepared with bottles of milk in stock and ready to go if not, I vowed to feed my baby.

 

Again with Oliver my boobs failed, I had nothing, no breast milk at all. I have talked to health professionals about it and they couldn't seem to find any reason why I didn’t get any, for me it just didn’t happen.

 

So please if you see someone bottle feeding please don’t think that they are against breast feeding, it might simply be their only choice.

 

Sorry I will stop my ranting now. x