By Dan Leopold
Contributing Writer
Small platforms sit high atop the trees, connected by strips of wire. Children zip through the air on tethers, screaming with excitement. And a certain Bonaventure student dangles 20 feet above the ground, trying to catch his breath after unsuccessfully attempting to complete an obstacle.
Of course, I’m describing the Ellicottville-based ropes course called Sky High Adventure Park. A scenic 30-minute drive from campus is all it took for my friends and I to begin solving a variety of ropes challenges, pulling ourselves along tethered lines skillfully and high-fiving each other when we all completed a course.
Waking up on a Saturday is not an easy thing for a college student, especially on your first Saturday on campus, but the thought of swinging through trees and climbing incomprehensible heights was too tantalizing for me to stay in bed. I hurried as quickly as possible down to the lobby where I thought my ride would be waiting, but it turns out my fellow adventurers were even more excited, as they were waiting for me!
After gathering in the car, the weight of the situation slowly fell on us. Nervousness, pressure and more importantly enthusiasm were all palpable. As we pulled into the driveway, the course became visible. After piling out of the car with a cool demeanor (I did not want anyone to know I was practically shaking!), we were guided to a building to confirm our reservation.
At this point, I was distracted enough by my nerves that I wanted to use the restroom before the instructor explained the rules and the harnesses were strapped on. After the short pit stop, the excellently-trained staff members put on our harnesses quickly and efficiently. A very important briefing meeting followed, explaining how the clips on the belt of the harness worked in correspondence to the rope lines.
And just like that, our adventure began. Twelve courses were ahead of us, ranging from the beginner levels marked with a yellow or green circle to the double black diamond “Commando” challenge. We decided to take it easy at first, so we chose a yellow course. Within minutes we looked like pros, clipping, running, scheming and zip-lining from platform to platform effortlessly.
With the warm-up course out of the way, it was time for a challenge in the form of the blue square course, “Waterfall.” Longer zip-lines, harder obstacles and towering ladders were scattered throughout. On more than one occasion, I had to catch my breath and take a break. It was certainly a step up from the yellow obstacles.
After the waterfall course, the mice were separated from the men, as two adventurers from our group chose to take on the single black diamond challenge, while my remaining friend and I decided to wrap up with a nice green course. A refreshing zip-line ride at the end of the challenges proved to be a cathartic release of all the energy built up during our three-hour climbing session.
What was the logical thing to do after spending the whole morning acquainting myself with the tops of trees? That would be taking the Sky Coaster, a rail-guided, mechanized cart ride built squarely into the mountainside.
After presenting my ticket and getting strapped in the car alongside one of my friends, the car started to slowly ascend. After reaching the top of the rail, our speed rapidly increased. A couple of tight turns and fast tracks later, we were at the end of line, our hair pushed back, exhilarated.
Safety was never an issue. I always felt secure and was tethered to a line with at least one clip for the entirety of the climb. Food is available at the lodge, and water is supplied at the starting platform, located at the beginning of each course.
From St. Bonaventure, the ride to the park is only about 30 minutes, and a bus will be available in the future to take students to the Ellicottville resort. Visit www.sbu.edu/cab to view the bus schedule.
To start your adventure, reserve a preferred time by calling (800)-323-0020. You can also visit the Ellicottville resort website at www.holidayvalley.com, with information under the tab “Explore our Mountain,” which lists hours and prices.
To sum up this whole adventure, if you are looking for a thrilling way to spend part of the day with friends, traversing obstacles, gliding through the air and bonding with others, then don’t pass up an opportunity to go to Sky High Adventure Park.
