Go Ape Segway Experience Review – Segways were developed in the 90s and are two wheeled, self-balancing personal transport devices. They look as if they are impossible to ride, which we found out they are not, and certainly feel a bit futuristic!
We went to Whinlatter Forest in the Lake District near Keswick, Asa, Lochlan Kaide and Eowyn tried out the Go Ape Forest Segways.
When we first arrived we headed to the Go Ape Hut located just above the car park, they were asked to read a safety briefing on the wall, before one of the instructors Kira lead them down to where the Forest Segway session was starting.
The session is for a one hour experience, on the forest trails of Whinlatter Forest adjacent to Derwent Water in the North Lake District.
After a safety briefing and fitting of helmets, they were provided with mountain trail style Segways, they are similar to the ones you might find in cities but have bigger tyres.
They stepped on carefully and got their balance and then went round a few cones, after a few tricky first few seconds, you naturally begin to understand that lean forward slightly moves you forward and leaning back stops you, with slight leans taking you left and right.
The Segways start in training mode, which limits speed and manoeuvrability, they headed up and down a hill, and said it was actually quite exhilarating, even if it was only 4mph at that stage.
They had a fantastic guide called Benny, who was patient and worked with them, but after 5 mins all four of them were ready to descend the track, still very much in training mode.
At the bottom of the 200-meter track, they dismounted, and it was time to turn off the training mode.
The different was felt immediately, suddenly they all had more control, turning 360 degrees on the spot and racing a long at what felt like a very fast 8mph.
The Segways were a dream to control and after 20 minutes a joy to ride as they worked their way up a long track.
At the top they dismounted to take in a spectacular view across Derwent water and the Lake District, then back on the Segway.
They passed walkers on the trails who looked at them, with bemused expressions, it is probably quite unusual to see a Segway, particularly halfway up a mountain forest trail.
As they reached the highest point they began the long descent, going down you had to lean back just slightly to slow them down.
Going up hill, is slow and steady, but going downhill is genuinely a bit like a fairground ride, the Segways deal well with bumps and you can pick up some speed, even if you are only going at around 8mph it feels a lot faster.
They returned to the little Segway HQ where they started their Forest Segway experience, and I honestly, think they were all reluctant to come off!
They then met up with the rest of the family, who had been taking part in the Zog Trail, along with the two dogs who were quite worn out by the end!
If you are looking for an experience that perhaps tests your family a little but is certainly very different, a Go Ape Forest Segway adventure could be just what you are looking for!
If you are not local to the Lake District, they have other locations across the country.
Where Can I Find Whinlatter Forest Go Ape Segways ?
Location : Go Ape Whinlatter, Whinlatter Forest Park Whinlatter Pass, Braithwaite, Keswick, Cumbria, CA12 5TW
Where Can I Park At Whinlatter Forest ?
There is car parking at Whinlatter Forest as you drive in, there’s number plate recognition, so when you are ready to leave just head to one of the machines and enter your car reg and it will tell you the total cost of you car parking. It’s £2.20 for the first hour, and 50p per each additional 20 minutes.
How Much Does A Forest Segways Experience Cost?
The cost of a forest segway is £38 per person, there are various times throughout the day, at 9.40am, 11am, 13.40 and 15.00.
We chose the first one at 9.40am and were the only group booked on, so i’d recommend getting there bright and early!
*we were provided with a forest segway experience from Go Ape free of charge, however all thoughts and opinions are our own.