Summer 2009 Event, Ifitstuff went-Ape!

As we all know 2009 has not been the best year financially for most folk, we had put the feelers out earlier in the year to see if there was a sponsor who wanted to come on board for another large go-karting event but it just wasn't to be. I had more or less decided that I didn't have much time to arrange a big event and wasn't sure if our engineers could really afford one either, in fact it wasn't looking like there would be a summer event at all this year! Then I had a call from Ash Sharma (Exec Spec) who is a great networker and generally a great guy who usually helps organize the meets. Ash told me that a few of the regulars wanted to meet up for a meal drink and discussion in the next couple of weeks somewhere around the Birmingham area and that got the ball rolling again. We decided to throw in an option for a day time event and a friend of mine had recently been to a Go-Ape site in the South and I really fancied a go at it. On Saturday the 8th of August we met at the Wyre Go-Ape site around an hour from Birmingham city centre, well most of us did (not mentioning any names here!). A small group of willing Ifitstuff members and Danny Barker the main mod of the forum who was not willing at all and had no intention of doing the activity!!

Well it turned out to be a fine sunny day and perfect for the Go-Ape event, the activity was actually pretty scary and some of the tree top crossings and zip wires were enough to make ones bottom clench and think "who's stupid idea was this to come here?" Steve Hankinson really pushed him self out of his comfort zone by going as he is not too keen on heights, but he was a true soldier and by mid way he was showing off doing the tight rope at 30 feet no hands! (yes there was a safety harness, thank god). Danny who wasn't planning on doing the Go Ape due to an old skiing accident and a case of tennis elbow found him self being rail roaded into it when he got down there and did very well completing most of the course and managed to walked away. Ash was a soldier and faced his fears well, he also managed some great back landings at the bottom of the zip wires and got the prize for it (a dirty T shirt!). Our very own boxing professional Jim Bute has fine balance for a larger lad! He was like a crack commando out there (Arnie eat your hart out) he didn't complain once, but to be fair you can't really understand what he says anyway with that Newcastle accent (only joking Jim!) his graceful forward landings onto his feet off every zip wire got us all jealous until the grand finally zip wire where he proved he was only human and was dragged along on his knees ! Paul Mc Neil forced him self out of his death bed to come along to the event, but you wouldn't have known it as he was racing across the crossings at full speed loving it, he sure inspired me by going down the huge zip wires no hands! It was amazing that he had the energy after a 2 mile hike in the woods looking for a suitable tree to pee against. As for me I thought it was great fun, a real challenge for me and I consider myself to be a bit of an adrenaline junkie. There was a time around half way where I though that if it gets any worse that I would run off with my tail between my legs! It was a good job that by the time you get to that situation you are already committed and there is no return .