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27| The IFP -H alton H ills | T hursday,A ugust 16,2018 theifp.ca Visit georgetownsoccerclub.com today for details! Indoor house league is available for recreational players U5 (born in 2014) to U18 (born in 2001). This fun, affordable league runs from the beginning of November to the end of February 2019 at the Dufferin Centre in Acton. INDOOR REGISTRATION STARTS SEPTEMBER 1st! MARK YOUR CALENDAR! SALES SERVICE INSTALLATIONSESA #7003060 DEKEReLeCTRIC ltd. 905-702-0515 www.dekerelectric.ca TIONSALLAVICE INSTSALES SER 2016SMALLBUSINESSOF THEYEAR the future is NOW! we install all makes and models of electric car chargers As I get older, my ability to perform any activity that is even remotely cou- rageous requires a lot more mental cheerleading - that is, if I even end up going through with said activity at all. Growing up, I promised my little sister that at some point before I got married we would go sky diving. I never took it off my bucket list, but with my wedding now mere months away, the prospect of jumping out of a plane seems more un- likely than ever and I'm (kind of) making peace with that. Aside from my newly discovered fear of heights, I also have been known to have terrible gross motor skills. Those who know me well would vouch that I'm pretty clumsy and have about a mule's level of grace. All this being said, natu- rally, I was a wildly appro- priate candidate to test out the new challenge course at Kelso Conservation Ar- ea. Kelso Conservation has recently introduced two new courses for visitors: the Escarpment Walk Aeri- al Ropes Course (which I tried out) and the Vultures View Climbing Tower (three climbing walls that take visitors over 45 feet up high). The aerial ropes course is an hour-long feature that gives climbers the opportu- nity to test their balance and coordination while suspended off the ground. Both features opened on Canada Day long weekend and have been available both to the public and to campers throughout the summer. AJ Leeming, Manager of Programs and Services at Kelso Conservation, says for those visiting who are a little bit apprehensive about heights, it is impor- tant to note that the course is safe and the equipment used ensures that climbers will not fall more than four to six inches. "One of the perceptions is 'Oh my gosh, I'm way up in the air, it must be un- safe,'" he said. "The fear of heights sort of naturally kicks in, but one of the cool things is that with the sys- tem, the life safety cable you're on, you're going to fall a longer distance if you trip walking down a long grassy field than you would on the course so it's actual- ly incredibly safe." Leeming says the course was built not only to chal- lenge individuals, but to al- so offer a unique team- building experience. "It gets you - in a really cool way - outside your comfort zone and doing something that you proba- bly haven't had the experi- ence to try before," he said. "Whether you are one per- son and you learn some- thing about yourself, may- be overcoming a fear of heights, or you come in as a team where you can work together to problem-solve, there's a lot to be learned by providing the physical challenge that the ropes course does." My challenge course su- pervisor Jacklyn Short helped me get properly strapped into my harness with my lanyard clipped on and then took me to ground school, where I learned how to get on and off of the course and how to transfer my safety cable from chal- lenge to challenge. Then, we got up to the top to begin. "I think I'm going to start here," I tell her, choos- ing what I thought would be a very stable option for my first challenge - a bridge with circular step- ping platforms. She gives me a knowing smile. I go to step off. I stop. "Wait. How do I get on?" I laugh. "If you need help getting on, you can hold on to this staple," she says, pointing to a little handle attached to the post at the start of the challenge. So I do. I get onto the bridge and the whole thing starts to sway left, then right. I let out a shriek. "This is a lot more diffi- cult that it looks," I tell her. Long story short, I made it through the course, slow- ly but surely, focusing on my balance and weight dis- tribution as I moved from element to element, only occasionally embarrassing myself throughout. It was a lot of fun. As I sit here writing this, I am proud to say I feel the slightest soreness in my triceps, which means I got a little workout out of the challenge as well. Bonus. For further information about Kelso parks and the activities being offered this summer, visit http:// www.conservationhal- ton.ca/park-de- tails?park=kelso. Veronica Appia is a reporter with the Indepen- dent. She can be reached at vappia@metroland.com. OPINION I'M SCARED OF HEIGHTS - SO I TRIED KELSO CONSERVATION'S AERIAL CHALLENGE COURSE IFP reporter Veronica Appia takes on the course. Jacklyn Short/photo WHAT TO WEAR Closed-toe shoes. Clothing that covers the areas of the body that the harness will touch (this will alleviate any potential discomfort) PRICES Escarpment Walk Aerial Ropes Course ($20) Vultures View Climbing Tower ($20) Access to Escarpment Walk Aerial Ropes Course and Vulture's View Climbing Tower ($35) Add two Quick Jumps to your Vulture's View Climbing Tower experience ($6) Access to Giant Steps for a view ($10) Weight and height restrictions Escarpment Walk Aerial Ropes COURSE: Maximum height: 7 feet (213 centimetres) Maximum weight: 275 pounds (125 kilograms) Guests under 45 inches (114 centimetres) must be accompanied by a chaperone. Vultures View Climbing Tower: 22-330 pounds (10-150 kilograms) QUICK JUMPS: 44-275 pounds (20-125 kilograms) 36 inches-7 feet (91-213 centimetres) VERONICA APPIA Column REPORTER VERONICA APPIA EXPLORES KELSO CONSERVATION AREA'S TWO NEW CHALLENGE COURSES