D\ kf flekip
nds are
the step voice of o finally e to my nal Park safety ground ad. lieve I’d te rock. ains and ackle at venture ct being y aren’t g walls. and exwo years pulling action. e of his eriences and he’s ard by for an he masses.
HE’S the daredevil survival expert who has taken on some of the toughest challenges in the world.
And now fans of adventurer Bear Grylls can test their toughness and have a slice of the action as the former SAS hard man is opening his own theme park based on some of his most gruelling challenges.
But beware, as our brave Lifestyle Editor found out in an exclusive preview before it opens to the public today, this camp is not for the faint-hearted... And it was everything you’d expect from the man who calls himself a Born Survivor.
There’s an assault course modelled on the Royal Marines training camp in Lympstone where I embraced my inner commando to balance, scramble and climb my way through against the clock.
Struggle
Bear says: “It’s only though adversity that we find what we are capable of – and it is always the struggle that develops our strength.”
I thought of this as I got my leg stuck scrambling under the net.
There’s also a survival maze which has terrifying encounters with tarantulas and plunges you into darkness as you struggle to navigate tunnels and balance on bridges.
There’s a mealworm-eating challenge – which, as a veggie, I thankfully declined. From there you enter a full-scale Target Archery area to test your accuracy.
Those who are more methodical than physical would love the Escape Rooms which involve cracking codes, puzzles and using actual logic rather than muscles to break out.
Bear advises: “Survival is about making calm, smart decisions under pressure. Get that bit right and the rest will fall into place!”
Plus there’s swimming with sharks in a dive tank, indoor skydiving and zip-lining out of the Chinook helicopter over to the high ropes, which, at 20 metres and five storeys tall, is the biggest in Europe. It involves zigzagging through the air on rolling beams, testing more of your physical and mental agility.
Bear tells me: “It’s all about bringing that spirit of endeavour into one place. This is the UK’s ultimate adventure destination where people can experience so many of the world’s most exciting challenges.
“You don’t have to go to the furthest mountain range or the deepest sea any more, we’ve brought it all under one roof in Birmingham!”
Which thankfully means a lie-down and a cup of tea to recover is not that far away.