Engineering amongst the trees

As I scan my email inbox, the subject line “Forest Adventure Awaits You” quickens my pulse. My booking was confirmed for the weekend. All I had heard about this Forest Adventure aerial confidence course was that there were rope bridges, Tarzan swings and zip lines (also known as flying foxes) suspended high in the trees in Bedok, but I’m not sure exactly what to expect.

Come Saturday afternoon I’m reminded again, as the Bedok Reservoir’s body of water provides a sparkling backdrop, why I love nature. It’s a good day, (which in Singapore means that it’s less hot, a little overcast and a bit breezy) and all around me, trees loom, their leafy foliage spread above like a pixellated green and brown shawl.

My initial anxiety is justified as I walk up to the Forest Adventure, mouth agog as I look to the trees around, and the forest canopy above. There, amongst the forest canopy and between each tree are variations of bridges, some made with netting, some with hanging planks, and still others just of cables, ladders and platforms connected in a symphony of engineering. To me, it blares a testing of mental and physical endurance, which I’m aching to give a go.

I run through a mental checklist of the things I was instructed over email to watch for, in order to ensure a safe and fun time. Yes, I am above the height requirements of 1.4m so I can participate on the Grand Course. Yes, I am wearing bermuda shorts and sport shoes (no sandals or slip-on footwear allowed) and no, I do not have long hair (a bit shaggy though) to pin back.

Forest for all

I’m just one of the many Singaporeans and foreigners that have come through this course since it was set up three and a half years ago. Designed to challenge and bolster the confidence of participants, adults and children alike, on a typical weekend, just under three hundred people will come through the Forest Adventure.

This weekend is no different as I’m part of the noon departure group, comprising 14 attendees - a mixture of Germans, Malaysians and Singaporeans, and of course a single New Zealander (yours truly).

VJ, one of the managers at the Forest Adventure tells me that while more foreigners rather than Singaporeans seem to frequent the obstacle course, more and more Singaporeans are tearing themselves away from shopping – the other national pastime aside from eating - to try their wits on the Forest Adventure. Also, many Singaporeans are bringing their children to attend the Kids’ Course as part of their birthday. Almost on cue, whilst VJ is telling me this, participants to the side start singing Happy Birthday, whilst sitting at the many benches available and munching on cake. I’m also informed that a lot of companies bring their employees to attend the Forest Adventure as part of team-building exercises.

It goes without saying that building an obstacle course, using the natural features of the trees and the beautiful setting of the Bedok Reservoir is also a great way to highlight to people that you don’t need electronics or an internet account to have fun.

Safety first

As the Forest Adventure was created to allow participants to navigate its challenges with minimal supervision, we are taken through a half-hour safety instruction briefing. I’m trying to remain nonchalant yet observant, as the safety harness we have each donned (and double checked by the instructors) is girding my loins and my pants in a manner other than discrete. My pants are bunching like that of a Greek statue, but at the same time, I thankful for the security that this harness is going to afford me.

The carabina and pulley which clip to my harness are literally my lifelines, and either one of them must be clipped to the equipment lining the trees and ladders at all times. After being tested by my safety instructor, Arif, about what to watch for, how to clip oneself to the cables, zip lines and how to read the course instruction signs, he is satisfied with my comprehension, and gives me the thumbs up.

I take a few deep breaths and make my first climb up the ladder, taking extreme care to clip the carabina to the pulley system on the side and the red carabina to my harness. I’m challenged immediately, as after I reach the top, and stand on the platform, many metres above the ground, the first obstacle is a swing from the platform into a net across the clearing. It’s unnerving. I look down, I can see the instructors, in their bright red t-shirts, watching me from ground zero. After clipping myself to the swing line, and triple checking that all is well, I step off into the air and hurtle towards the net. It’s an adrenaline rush and I’m loving it.

Safety is the highest priority, as instructors have been trained in rescue and go through an intense, month-long training of the course intricacies. The course (designed by an international French tree top course firm) is checked at key intervals throughout the year by engineers, specialists and arborists and the accompanying safety equipment is tested daily.

As I reach the second platform, I look back to see one of the participants being talked through by Arif, on how best to take the swing. She’s nervous, and I can’t blame her. This Grand Course is definitely not kid’s play – the Kids’ Course is on the other side of the clearing. I keep close to the ladder and reach the top, realising it’s Flying Fox time – the first of four in the course. I run through the mental notes ensuring the carabina is firmly locked into the main loop of the pulley on the cable. I take a deep breath, ease my weight into the harness and step off into the air and all of a sudden… I’m flying over the Bedok Reservoir and the scene around me becomes a flash of green and a blur of brown. It’s exhilarating, and I slowly twist to and fro over hundreds of meters and land without too much trouble in the sand-filled landing area.

Like a roller coaster, only natural!

The Grand Course is made up of four sites. All are challenging. Sometimes the obstacles themselves require a little bit of puzzle-solving and a whole lot of deep breaths, but at the end of the day, the rule of thumb is to always keep your carabina on the line, your wits about you, and to take your time.

My favourite, aside from the flying foxes, is the Tarzan Swing, which is not for the faint hearted. The Tarzan Swing pushes your nerves to the limit, as the free fall drop is substantive, and for a few split seconds the tension in the line is loose, so you have that sensation that you really are falling.  But soon enough, the line pulls taut, and you literally cannonball across the trees. It’s an adrenaline junkie’s alternative to a roller coaster.

The Forest Adventure is situated inside Bedok Reservoir Park on 825 Bedok Reservoir Road. There are two courses – the Grand Course is open every day from 10.00 am to 6.00 pm
(last departure is at 4.30 pm to end before dark), whilst the Kids’ Course is open on weekends, school and public holidays from 10am to 6pm. The last departure for the latter is at 5.00pm

It takes about 2hrs and 20 minutes to complete the Grand Course and 30 to 50 minutes to complete the Kids course. As safety is a priority, there is a maximum capacity of 15 people per group (one group departs every half hour) and on the Kids’ Course, a maximum capacity of 30 children, therefore bookings are essential.

Check out http://www.forestadventure.com.sg for more info.