This was the second time I had been to Go Ape, the first time having been in April. Six of us met up at the Go Ape site in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, all looking forward to our three hours of energetic fun.

Before starting Go Ape, each person is fitted with a safety harness by an instructor. The instructor then demonstrates how to use the harness, and you get to practice attaching and detaching yourself from a cable.

From then it's on to the training course, which is like an easier version of the rest of the course, with supervision. Having done it once before, I volunteered to demonstrate whilst our instructor explained how to navigate our way around the course. This gave me a bit of an adrenaline rush, as I was doing it in front of 5 people I knew and 8 people I didn't know. On the little zip wire at the end, I landed really well and got a little applause.

After the training course, you are then left unsupervised to climb your way round four more courses, each getting progressively more difficult, and each one finishing with a zip wire to the ground. On each course there is also a choice of an easy route and a difficult route. I decided I wanted to take all the difficult routes all the way round. This involved trying to get across some extremely difficult, dangling stirrups. I looked down and noticed I had a little audience - a family was beneath me looking up, saying, "We're glad we're down here!" I ended up doing the splits several times on that bit, seriously stretching my inner thigh muscles.

Towards the end of the last course, there is a big Tarzan Swing. You clip your harness into the cable and then jump off the edge. For about half a second you are in freefall, before the cable swings you and slams you really hard into a rope net. Last time I visited, I went on it three times by climbing my way back across part of the course. I don't think you are really meant to do this, but I think it is okay as long as nobody else is coming the other way. I did the same thing this time too. On both visits, nobody else did it, just me. One of my friends kept shouting at me, "You're insane! You're insane!" as I climbed back round for my third go.

At the very end is a really long zip wire. I jumped into this backwards, pushing myself off from the tree with my legs. It's then a very long, fast ride down to the ground.

I highly recommend Go Ape to anyone. Even if you are scared of heights. One of my friends went there to get over his fear of heights, and he did really well. He even went on the crazy Tarzan Swing. I think this is testament to the quality of the safety instruction, because you come to really trust your safety harness and how to use it properly.

For £25 it is a great day out. If you live in the UK, find your nearest Go Ape centre and just go for it. Don't even worry about the weather. It tipped down with rain both times I went, and I had a great time. Just put on your waterproofs and get up those trees!

Images kindly supplied by www.goape.co.uk

All this beauty can be seen by taking a short walk off the Avenue Of The Giants. All you hear is the wind in the trees and birds singing. It is amazing!

The Avenue is located off of Highway 101 in Northern California between Garberville and Fortuna. If you ever get the chance to go, beauty awaits.

The Indians' homeland stretched across to the Bear River and south of the south or middle fork of the Cosumnes River. The Nisenan tribe was made of a primary, permanent village surrounded by several secondary villages and seasonal camps. The villages encompassed family dwellings, acorn granaries, bedrock mortars, a dance house and sweat house with 15-500 people living there at a time. The usual village sites were along knolls, ridges or streams with a southern exposure.

Here, the Nisenan ground acorns as their main meal and also caught fish with their hands or spears. Salt was obtained from the springs and with the use of fires and snares, they hunted deer, rabbits and other small creatures. Ants, grasshoppers, lizards and frogs were also devoured. Manzanita berries were used to make a cider like beverage. The Nisenan were wiped out by a malaria epidemic in 1833, and the gold miners also took over their land.

Latrobe owes its roots to the Placerville and Sacramento Valley Railroad, which established a station for the tremendous benefit of neighboring Amador County.

The history of the area is further connected to the Gold Rush of the 1850's, the agricultural and economic development of El Dorado County and commerce between Clarksville and Latrobe. In 1849, one year after gold was discovered in California, thousands of hopeful gold seekers arrived in the “diggings.” Many of them came through the area to settle in Latrobe.

The railroad station was located at the intersection of Latrobe Road and South Shingle Road, in what became the town of Latrobe with Shingle Springs as its eastern terminus.

The railroad was completed in 1884. The town was named after the civil engineer who was instrumental in the construction of the first railroad in America.

J.H. Miller, a local rancher and hotel owner, opened the first store in Latrobe in 1863. The population grew to 700-800, with the number of stores increasing to six or seven. Latrobe supported four hotels, three blacksmith shops and a single wagon and carriage factory. Latrobe also offered a bakery and several butcher shops.

There were only three doctors along with two drug stores to take care of the medical needs of the entire community. The public school building, which still stands today as part of Latrobe School, is a two story building that contained all public meetings.

The Masons and Odd Fellows organizations each had their own halls.

By 1864, rails had been laid to the new town of Latrobe, as the first trains rolled in. From then until June 1865, as the line reached Shingle Springs, it was an important way station for the great deal of business that flowed over the Placerville Road to Virginia City. About 23 years later, the railroad extended to Placerville.

Families living along the course of the railroad saw some immediate benefits. However, the acquisition of the right-of-way by the railroad made many other residents angry as they had homesteaded the area but were forced to give up some of their land for the railroad line.

In 1866, hotels were located in Latrobe and Michigan Bar, supplying train passengers and local residents with dinner and overnight accommodations.

For a long time, Latrobe controlled all trade activities of Amador County. The town became the focal point for many travelers, providing eight daily stages in connection with the trains. However, because it wasn't a mining town and the railroad construction continued east, business suffered. The state of prosperity came to a grinding halt in 1883, when the population dwindled down to about 80 people with one general store, one hotel, a telegraph office, two blacksmith shops and the lone carriage and wagon shop.

In 1981, El Dorado County adopted the Latrobe Area Plan, which covers the west side of Logtown Ridge to the Cosumnes River, boasting such landmarks as picturesque Sugarloaf Mountain and Indian Creek.

Today, the businesses no longer exist, and the town consists primarily of multi-acre rural residential parcels such as the Shadow Hawk and Sun Ridge Meadow subdivisions. Another subdivision is currently being built next to Miller's Hill School.

Also still standing is Oddfellows Hall, and what has become one of the highest rated grade schools in California today-Latrobe Elementary School.