Monkeying about in Les Gets!
What better way to encourage staff bonding than dressing us all up in oversized
dungarees, getting us to climb into harnesses and clamber through the trees?
As it turns out, there is no better way! Ollie and Emma treated us all to a fab
day out at the tree top adventure trails in Les Gets as one big Mountain Mavericks team. One of my
major issues with ‘carobeening’ my own harness on and off of ropes suspended
from the tops of the trees was that I had to rely on myself to do this properly.
The good news is that I managed it without throwing myself off anything
unharnessed and almost entirely incident –free! There couldn’t be a better
indicator that this activity is for absolutely everyone – if I can, you
definitely can too.
After you have arrived and been dressed up and strapped into your harness, there
is a small area to allow a little practice and then you’re thrown straight onto
a ‘blue run’ – as you can guess they are graded in the same way as ski runs.
Though if you think you can get away with just gliding along as you can on a
blue ski run, you would be wrong. With wire ropes to tightrope along, monkey
bars to swing from, oil drums to climb through and spider webbing to negotiate,
this is definitely a ‘hands on’ activity.
Perhaps the hardest part was trying to maintain posture and balance while
non-stop giggling! There was always someone to spy on who would have given
themselves a harness wedgie while trying to dangle from a swinging rope. Cruel
maybe, but you I challenge you not to laugh!
The more intrepid staff members managed the entire course while others (myself
included!) dropped out early to enjoy the spectacle from the ground. I, of course,
ensured I finished my time on the trail in style by going too fast into a tree,
getting stuck and having to quietly whimper “I think I need to be rescued”. Of
course, it was karma coming to get me.
After spending my day giggling away at everyone, it was now their turn as I had
to be rescued. Humiliation aside, I had a superb time and I this has to be one
of the best activities (along with white water rafting) to try as a group when
you are staying in the lovely mountains this summer.