TreeUmph! Adventure Course isn’t your usual “day in the park”

- Lynn Hobeck Bates moved to Sarasota in 2004 to marry her graduate school sweetheart, Ben, but it is a native of Virginia. While she misses the changing seasons and her friends and family in Virginia, Lynn has grown to love Sarasota for its energy, beauty and laidback lifestyle. She’s even been around the world promoting this fine town. From the sophisticated and edgy arts and cultural scene, to family-friendly festivals, and everything in between, Lynn loves to share all that Sarasota has to offer. Her husband Ben Bates is a successful local realtor specializing in luxury and one-of-a-kind properities. She is currently settling into her newest (and most adored) role, motherhood.I climbed, swung and shimmied atop the trees at the area’s newest aerial recreational course, TreeUmph!---and lived to tell about it.

The only one of its kind in Southwest Florida, the 14-acre, $1.5 million adventure course opened in January. Located several miles east of Lakewood Ranch, it offers ZIP lines, cable crawls, net walkways and swinging bridges to guests of all skill levels aged seven years and up. The park, designed by the Canada-based company Outplay Adventures, is both safe and environmentally friendly.

There are five obstacle courses, each with a small ZIP line, to master before hitting a 650-foot ZIP line. Each course is progressively more difficult and presents fresh new challenges. Prior to starting in the park, all climbers must take a short lesson in safety; however, throughout the park climbers have surprising amounts of autonomy. Guides are on the ground at each obstacle to offer assistance and pep talks.

If you have not been, enjoy a first-hand account of my “day in the park” from the comfort of your seat.

***I get the green light to proceed after passing the safety course. I am full of mojo as I gear up for the Climb-On Course. This is considered a minimal course in both difficulty and height. I'm hosting a guest and allow her to go first. Like a squirrel, she scrambles effortlessly up the ladder and scurries across the logs and swinging ropes in a flash. I follow suit thinking, "What's the big deal?"  This is easy.

My confidence is high as I start climbing the ladder for the Scramble Course. This is considered a moderate level course for height and difficulty. Halfway up the ladder, my arms start to ache and I look down to realize the ground is much farther away than I thought. Did I mention that I'm afraid of heights? My guest is through the course before I am even at the top of the ladder. I concentrate keenly but my legs almost go into the splits as I start the second obstacle and I fear losing my balance.  I right myself as “go slowly, one step at a time” becomes my mantra. It works and I finish the course with no further mishaps.

By the Ascend Course, I'm starting to question my sanity. I am a new mom to a six-month-old who needs me; I should not be testing my physical or mental limits on an adventure course. The energy should be reserved for her---yet my pride pushes me onward and upward. I use so much mental and physical energy to climb the ladder that I almost forget to clip on and clip off when I start the obstacles. This clip on, clip off process is essential to staying safe. I take a moment to let my arms rest and my mind recalibrate. I start the course. It is hard, but I repeat my mantra. I get across the swaying and swinging horizontal logs and the U-shaped ropes without falling, but my mind is almost spent.

The course ends with the Tarzan-style "Leap of Faith." Logic and fear battle against courage and faith as I sit on the edge of the platform and debate making the leap.  I am not afraid of flying through the air---that sounds glorious---I am afraid that my tired and trembling arms will fail me. I am afraid that I will not be able to hold onto the rope long enough to make it to the netted catch.  Never mind that if I were to let go of the rope I would be left hanging in mid air suspended by my safety harness. After five very long minutes, I take the leap, hanging on with all of my tired might. To my relief, I glide safely to the net.I start ascending the ladder for the Lead Course and the guide calls me down. My cover is blown. He must sense my fear. He probably decides it is too early on Monday morning to rescue someone. My ego is hurt. The reality is that my guest is too far ahead of me. I would not be finished in time (we only have two hours to spend at the park) to do the 650-foot ZIP line. To assuage my ego, the guide tells me that I'm faster and more coordinated than most climbers. That’s all I need to hear.

The climb to the top of the 650-ZIP line is long and I am certain I will not be able to pick my daughter up from her crib tomorrow. When I finally make it to the top, I waste no time. I step off the platform, lean back, put my feet out in front of me using what's left of my out-of-shape core to hold me up, and relax as I glide to the other end. I am done. Gloriously done. I survived!

Ironically, I want to do the park again!

If you make it to the fourth and fifth courses, share your story. I’d like to live vicariously through you until I muster up enough courage (or have another lapse in sanity) and visit TreeUmph! again.

Prices range from $25.95 for the Children’s Course to $34.95 for the Adult Half Course and $49.95 for the Adult Full Course. On average, it takes nearly four to five hours to complete the entire park.