August 09, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Whistler, Ziplining & Bungee Jumping
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When my friend told me we were going to Wild Play in Whistler, I honestly had no idea what she was talking about. As I pressed her for details she told me it was Monkido, an aerial adventure course. Hmmm, sounds intriguing.
We drove the short distance from the village to Cougar Mountain and checked in at the reception. We were suited up in a safety harness and introduced to the group we would be with and our guide, Jono. "Who has ever ziplined before?" he asks. I am one of a few who raises a hand. "Who is afraid of heights?" I am the only one to raise my hand. Uh oh.
We receive our 30 minute lesson that outlines how we will have not one, but two, safety clips and we demonstrate our ability to climb the ladder, not fall off the tree platforms and how to zip across a taut wire between two trees. Seems easy enough.
The adventure course begins easily enough (and low enough) but steadily gets harder and higher until I am giddy with adrenalin and literally hugging the trees on each platform. A friend recently told me that it is important to occasionally remind yourself how good it is to be alive. Check! This adventure is certainly accomplishing that. Each time I think it can't be harder, the next "element" as they call it gets trickier, and higher, although I am not looking down!
I pride myself on completing the entire course while only taking the "chicken route" a few times as recommended by Jono. He has the ability to read our body language and know when to joke with us, when to encourage us and when to zip over and give us a helping hand.
We are thrilled to reach the end and feel an immense sense of accomplishment and a heaviness in every upper body muscle we have (and didn't realize we had). Being up in the trees, overlooking the streams and forests of Cougar Mountain while challenging yourself and having a ton of fun. Jono, I will be back.
Editor's note: Learn more about Wildplay Whistler here.
August 09, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Whistler, Spas & Wellness
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So perhaps being decadent in Whistler is nothing new. But I just experienced one of the newest ways - Scandinave Spa.
For $61 my best friend and I spent over 3 hours lounging in hammocks, soaking in hot tubs, breathing deeply in the eucalyptus steam room and baking in the sauna. The idea of the Scandinave spa is to first warm your body in one of the hot spots (sauna, steam room or hot tub), then cool yourself down quickly in the cool pool or glacier-fed waterfall, then relax for a minimum of 10-15 minutes. Then repeat. And repeat and repeat.
I must admit that I am not one to fully immerse myself in cold water, so other than a foot dip, I skipped that but more than made up for it with the hammocks, magazines and warm solariums with comfy chairs. The sun was shining and the sound of the running water was very peaceful on a glorious August afternoon, but I could also really imagine myself here in the winter recovering from a ski day. Gee, just I am just going to have to come back...
August 09, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Chilliwack, River Rafting
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"Remember, this is a voluntary activity with inherent risk". As the guide tells me this I start wondering what I have signed myself up for. This is supposed to be an afternoon activity to celebrate a birthday - inject a little adventure into our lives. Well, it worked.
We joined Chilliwack River Rafting for an afternoon on the water. We donned our wet suits and our helmets and jumped aboard the school bus for a short drive to the riverside. After a safety talk we joined our amazing guide Andrea and began floating down the river. She taught us some commands which we took a while to perfect (some of us really struggling knowing our left from our right!). Once we hit our stride however, we were careening through the rapids celebrating each successful run with a round of high-fives. The smiles on the face of the 12-year old boy in the back of our boat made it all worth it!
It was another reminder about why I love living in BC: with just a short ride from my in-laws home in Chilliwack (about 90 minutes from Vancouver) I find myself on a beautiful river surrounded by mountains - holding on for dear life.
Who could ask for anything more?
Editor's note: Learn more about river rafting in Chilliwack here.