This outdoor adventure center features a three level, 40 ft tall high ropes course; a 43 ft high climbing tower, a 330 foot zip line, and a giant swing. Our LivingSocial coupon was for the Terrapin Challenge, an all inclusive package granting up to 4 hours of access to all the center's attractions.
Before giving a rundown of the attractions, it's probably worth noting why doing this was such a big deal for me. Sure, doing a ropes course probably doesn't seem that hardcore to most people. But most people did not have a mini meltdown the last time they were at a ropes course. In front of their bf's friends. Yea no bueno. I think the major factor in my freak out last time was a surprising fear of heights (not sure when I developed that) and also a lack of strength that made the obstacles really challenging and only increased my fear. So going back a year later and a lot stronger was a big deal to me and I was a little nervous.
After signing our wavers and registering at the Terrapin Adventure's storefront inside the mall, we were given our harnesses and helmets, and walked through putting them on and various safety procedures. Terrapin Adventures staff then escorted groups of about 10 guests out to the course, where they explained and helped walk you through the various attractions.
So how did it go? While being up high will probably never be fun on it's own to me, it was really satisfying to complete different elements and really feel how far I've come in a year or so. I really liked the climbing tower. I was super proud to make it the top of the climbing wall on my first try (unlike at Sportrock) and also conquered the more unconventional side which involved climbing some twisty poles. My favorite part was probably the high ropes course for the variety of obstacles. The hardest obstacle involved jumping off a platform to swing on a rope to a cargo net below. As you can see in the below video, while I didn't exactly own it, I did complete it!
Pros
Instruction: The Terrapin Adventures guides were really helpful and encouraging. The staff have the philosophy that their course should allow you to "choose your challenge" so there was never any pressure, only support. It made a huge difference in terms of comfort level to have knowledgeable people there to help me through the course.
Difficulty: The courses were definitely hard enough to challenge pretty much everyone, but there were also a lot of options for all levels. My arms, especially forearms, were predictably sore after, but both the bf and I also had surprisingly sore legs.
Variety: There was definitely a lot to do at the center with all the different attractions. And the climbing tower, in particular, had a lot of different routes you could take.
Cons
Price: With the coupon from LivingSocial, the cost of the Terrapin Challenge was $90 for the two of us, which is not cheap but wasn't bad for how much we got out of it. Without the deal, however, the cost of the package is about $80 per person, which is way too pricey for me.
Wait time: Although it was nice to have guides helping you through all the attractions, it did mean there was a bit of wait time on some of the attractions. The climbing tower happened to get particularly crowded while we were there, so the wait time to get a staff to belay you for a climb got pretty long. We probably would have spent more time at this attraction if there was less of a wait.
Bottom Line
I really enjoyed the Terrapin Challenge! I'm not sure I would pay full price for it, but I would definitely be on the lookout for deals or coupons since it is a lot of fun. It was also an especially good experience for me since I overcame my previous terrible embarrassment. Not that the trip was entirely embarrassment free, as you can see in my attempt to conquer the "Leap of Faith". In case you can't tell, the idea is to leap off the platform aiming for the hanging rope. My attempt was a little weak, but really amused the bf.
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