PARTNER INTERVIEW: TREETOP EXTREME

Treetop Extreme is one of Experience Days latest and greatest additions, offering a treetop challenge that looks over the gorgeous Willen Lake in Milton Keynes. Their award-winning treetop course is a unique adventure that sees its participants climb, swing and jump their way through an adrenaline pumping 60 minutes. We interviewed Treetop Extreme to get to know more about each level of the course, and what makes the perfect treetop adventurer! Read on to see if you’ve got what it takes…

Can you let us know how Treetop Extreme began, and what makes it unique?

Treetop Extreme began its journey as ‘Aerial Extreme’ way back in 2006. At the time of opening, it was the first urban high ropes course of its kind in the UK. In 2017, Aerial Extreme became part of the Willen Lake business, and from that day forth we became Treetop Extreme! One thing that makes Treetop Extreme unique is the fact that customers can enjoy their experience without ever needing to clip or unclip themselves. We have the original continual belay system which allows customers to focus on completing obstacles and not have to worry about their safety - that’s our job! Another thing that makes us unique is our incredibly fun and dedicated team of instructors, whose priority is to ensure every customer leaves with a beaming smile across their face!

Your experience requires participants to climb, swing and jump their way through an adrenaline pumping course. Can you tell us more about each element?

We have over 40 different obstacles here at Treetop Extreme, and all of them require customers to test their abilities to the max! We start at the easy end with the bridges and balance beams, but then participants find themselves facing vine crossings, increasingly larger jumps, Tarzan swings, horizontal climbing walls and even tightropes! The zip wires get higher too, the harder the level…

Which part of the course do customers say is their favourite?

We find that most people enjoy the zip wires and powerfan freefall jump the most, as these are the elements of the course that really get your adrenaline pumping. For those who are terrified of heights, I’d say their favourite bit is arriving safely back on the ground! However, they’re always glad to have conquered their fears.

Treetop Extreme was highly commended in the ‘Best Team Building Activity’ award at the Adventure Awards 2019! How does your experience encourage teamwork, communication and cooperation?

We see plenty of teamwork on a regular basis, no matter if we’re hosting a school trip, a hen do or just normal public sessions. When people are put in a situation out of their comfort zone (such as being 35ft up on a cargo net!) they tend to rally together. Some of our activities are near enough impossible to complete without teamwork and communication, so customers have no choice but to get stuck in and help their peers (and so they can get their certificate at the end!).

With a choice of Explorer, Adventure and Extreme, which level is your top recommendation?

We tend to recommend all three on a regular basis, as everyone has different needs, abilities and goals to achieve. Our choice of three levels allows people to tailor their experience so they can enjoy themselves no matter how high or hard the obstacles are. However, being adrenaline junkies ourselves, we’ll always recommend the Extreme level as it is our biggest challenge and probably the most rewarding to complete! Although if customers are unsure or quite nervous about doing Extreme, we will often recommend they try our Adventure level first, as our Extreme level is not for the faint hearted!

Who can participate in your treetop adventure, and can you tell us, what makes the perfect treetop adventurer?

Almost anyone can participate! If you’re over 6 and at least 1.1 metres tall (and have a sense of adventure) you’re off to a great start. Although we’d say the perfect adventurer is the kind of person who looks adversity in the eye and doesn’t blink, the sort of person who faces every challenge without grimace, but with a smile.

With the highest point being 35 feet above the ground, what sights can participants expect to see across your home of the beautiful Willen Lake?

Looking across the lake from our course, participants can expect to see almost the whole expanse of the south lake, including all the resident birds and ducks Willen has to offer. These include our famed flamingos and swans! (If you count the pedalos…)  If you are stood up on our powerfan, which stands above the course at 42ft, participants can see all the way over our Wakeboarding centre, to the peace pagoda on the north lake of Willen, a first-of-its-kind shrine built by monks in the 1980’s. And at the very least, you’re sure to see a sea of onlookers gawping in awe at your amazing aerial abilities!

Thank you to Treetop Extreme for answering our questions! If you’re interested in having a go yourself, you can find vouchers from £20 per participant here.