Conquer Your Fear of Heights in a Treetop Rope Course

I’m a firm believer that the way out of anything is through it. It might sound crazy, but I’ve found that a great way to get over a fear of heights is to jump from tree to tree and fly through the air on a series of zip lines. A Go Ape Treetop Rope Course is the perfect places to do just that.

I’m a bit of adrenaline junkie myself. While I’ve yet to go skydiving, activities like cliff diving and treetop rope courses are adventures I yearn for. In Scotland where I live, there are three Go Ape courses, two in beautiful forests and one on the grounds of Crathes Castle. I recently visited the course in the Glentrees Forest of Peebles, an hour south of Edinburgh and I thought I’d share my adventure with you.

While I might not have a fear of heights, the three other ladies running the course with me certainly did. A mother and her two step-daughters were reluctant to climb the six-foot rope ladder up the first tree, and I was thoroughly impressed at our guide’s ability to coax in all three of them into going down the first zip line, short though it was.

When it came to the Tarzan swing, which consisted of jumping from a ledge into a net (with three safety cables in place), one of the girls flat-out refused. Nearly fifteen minutes passed with some fairly heated back and forth, and then she was off the platform and sailing through the air.

An hour later at the second Tarzan swing, all three girls not only jumped without hesitation but also circled back to take the leap a second time.

I won’t lie. When it came time for the final zip line 1000 feet across the valley and 150 feet in the air, no amount of persuasion could get one of the girls to go. The other sister and the mom had overcome their fear of heights and went for it. Well, maybe not without a good, hearty scream. But on the way back from the far side of the valley, the only scream was one of joy, and they even managed to wave at the camera as they went.

The treetop rope course lasted nearly three hours. Some people run through in as little as an hour, while others spend a little more time conquering their fear of heights and take up to five hours. At the Go Ape Peebles location that I went to, there were six stages of the course, all with gradually increasing levels of difficulty…and height. The safety features of the course are extensive, and it’s almost impossible to get injured.

Booking a Treetop Rope Course

Go Ape has 32 courses in the UK, and another 18 in the eastern half of the US if you’re not ready to travel abroad. Advanced booking is not required but certainly recommended especially on summer weekends. Make sure you bring sturdy boots, warm clothes (especially if you’re in Scotland) and I’d also recommend a Go Pro or other good camera. There will be a lot of great moments to capture. Visit Go Ape Treetop Adventures to book your adventure today.