Columbus: Forest Adventure Park Climbing & High Ropes

4.97

(153 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

Pulling on the climbing gloves felt a bit like gearing up for something bigger than I’d planned. The trees around Columbus were already buzzing—kids laughing somewhere, harnesses clinking. Our instructor, Jamie (who had this calm way of explaining things), showed us how to use the double safety clips. I was nervous about the “intelligent belay” system at first, but after a few tries it made sense—two clips always locked in, so you can’t really mess it up unless you try hard. The main treehouse platform is where everyone starts out, and honestly, standing there looking at five color-coded trails shooting off into the woods… I hesitated longer than I thought I would.

I picked the blue trail first—medium difficulty, supposedly. There’s this moment when you’re halfway across a wobbly bridge and you catch a whiff of pine sap mixed with sweat (maybe mine), and all you can hear is your own breathing plus someone’s dad below shouting encouragement in Spanish. The zipline part came quicker than expected; my hands were shaking but that first whoosh through the leaves just erased everything else for a second. Jamie waved from below and yelled something about “using your knees”—I’m still not sure what he meant but it made me laugh.

After two hours, my arms felt like noodles but in a good way. Some people managed three trails—I only did two before my legs started complaining. It’s funny how time disappears up there; I kept thinking about how every trail looked easy from the ground until you’re actually balancing on ropes ten feet up. There’s no guide leading you around—you set your own pace, pick your own challenges. That stuck with me more than anything: nobody pushing except yourself.