Ryan Jones swings through the trees at Go Ape's new treetop adventure in Pembrey
Welsh captain swings through trees to launch new Go Ape courses
Welsh rugby captain Ryan Jones swapped the rugby pitch for the treetops at the weekend to launch a brand new tourist attraction in west Wales.
To celebrate the opening of Go Ape’s new 50ft high giant obstacle course in Carmarthenshire’
Go Ape, which already has a course in Margam Park, is also opening a new treetop adventure course at Coed y Brenin Forest in Dolgellau this weekend.
Open to the public from Saturday 27 March, the two courses are expected to attract 27,000 visitors in their first year and have created over 30 new jobs. The Welsh sites include brand new obstacles that won’t be found at any of Go Ape’s other UK adventure experiences, including exciting tree top crossings and two zip wires which are over 140m long.
Go Ape’s first Welsh course opened in Margam in March 2009 and has experienced great success, attracting over 10,000 locals and tourists to try out the tree top ladders, bridges, tunnels, swings and walkways. Go Ape at Pembrey and Dolgellau are two of four new adventure courses opening across the UK in 2010, bringing the total number to 26 and establishing the company as one of the UK’s fastest growing businesses.
The company is committed to encoraging people to interact with nature as well as protecting – and, if possible, improving - wildlife habitats when building its courses. All of its structures have been designed to make sure the trees can continue to grow unobstructed and wherever possible materials have been used from local sources.
Ben Davies, Go Ape’s business development manager, said:
“Over £600,000 has been invested in creating the new Welsh Go Ape courses and we are delighted to be opening our doors in Pembrey and Dolgellau. We are particularly excited that Ryan Jones was able to come along today to try out the Pembrey course.
“We look forward to encouraging even more Welsh people to live life adventurously, step out of their comfort zone and have fun. The Welsh landscape is so beautiful that we are sure that visitors who come to try out our new sites will take real pleasure from being outdoors and taking in the breathtaking scenery as they find their way around the tree tops.”
Alun Ffred Jones AM, Minister for Heritage, lent his support to the opening: “I welcome new tourism ventures which will attract more visitors to Wales and am delighted that Go Ape is bringing two new courses here. Its course in Margam Park has attracted over 10,000 visitors to the area over the past twelve months, so hopefully these two new courses will also prove popular with both local residents and tourists.
“This type of adventure activity is clearly a draw for all sorts of people, from younger adventure seekers to families and corporate groups. I wish Go Ape every success within its new venture.”
Facts and figures
Coed-y-Brenin
Highest point
Longest zip wire 140m
Longest crossing
Total length
Number of crossings
Number of sites 5
Pembrey Country Park
Highest point
Longest zip wire 146m
Longest crossing
Total length
Number of crossings
Number of sites 5
Photo:
http://www.prlog.org/
