ahead of your visit

We’re looking forward to welcoming you to the park!

Whether you are visiting us for the first time, or if you’re a ropes course regular, ahead of your visit there are some things that are really useful to know and should help your experience go smoother.

LET’S GET READY!

SAFETY MATTERS

Ahead of session visit you may find it useful to watch our Safety Brief Video. This will help you get a feel for what’s involved and understand some of the key do’s & don’ts. You can watch our Safety Briefing video below. Don’t worry if you’re not sure about anything covered or forget something as you’ll watch it again as part of the briefing before we let you out on the ropes!

We hope you’re excited and looking forward to visiting us, however if you have any queries or issues in the meantime, please take a look below or do get in contact.

You can also look through our FAQs for loads of helpful information at any time, but here’s a quick reminder of the most useful things that you need to know!

the weather

Perhaps the one question we get asked the most is about when its wet or windy ! Unless it’s REALLY bad (very strong winds or icy), please assume that your session is going ahead as planned. We can safely operate the ropes in most weathers (including heavy rain) – so a bit of the wet stuff won’t stop you having a great time! If conditions are so poor that we have to cancel your session we’ll let you know ASAP.

getting to us

The park can be accessed via two ways but the best way to get to us is to head for the Twelve Bells & Premier Inn in Little Witcombe. If following a sat nav or online map, please enter the following postcode – GL3 4SS – this will direct you to the Twelve Bells. From there, simply continue going along Cirencester Road towards Bentham. Continue through Witcombe village, following the road around to Bentham Lane, and tada as if by magic, 270 Climbing Park will be waiting for you on your left!

We recommend not turning into Bentham Lane or Old Coach Road directly from the A46 – particulary if you are in a large vehicle. These roads are winding, narrow country lanes and are single-track in places which makes passing difficult and they are often used by horses and dog walkers. Instead, please continue along the A46 until you reach the Crosshands Roundabout in Brockworth and then carry along the Cirencester Road.

If coming from Birdlip direction we recommend not turning into Green Lane. Again, it’s a narrow road. Instead, please continue along Ermin Way and then turn right at the Twelve Bells into Cirencester Road and make your way on to Bentham Lane.

You can not get to us from the A417 – even though you’ll see the tower from the road, you cannot access the park from the A417 – and if travelling up the hill you’ll have quite a detour to get back to us!

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supervision

Over 12 year olds can go on the high ropes by themselves but younger than this will require adult supervision to be allowed out on the course. Our Instructor’s will be on hand at all times to help if at all needed, but they will not be on the ropes alongside you (unless you have booked a Supervised Session!).

Remember the course is self-guided so following the safety briefing, participants are expected to be able to navigate the course independently.

arriving

When you arrive, make your way down the gravel path towards the cabin to check in for your session.

If you can, try to arrive at least 10 minutes before the advertised start of your session – especially if you haven’t visited before. This should give you enough time to get your bearings – and hopefully sort out some of the following important elements below!

belongings

You can’t take any bags or backpacks onto the course so please leave them at home, in your car or if you have someone watching from the ground. The same goes for any loose jewellery or items of value. Even bright shiny things dropped onto the ground from up on the course can be surprisingly difficult to find afterwards.

Also, empty your pockets of belongings like phones, keys, coins etc. As well as potentially being uncomfortable, there is the risk of them becoming damaged or falling out and landing on someone below. You can take your phone with you around the course but it will need to be held within a protective pouch/holder on a lanyard – you’re welcome to either bring your own or you can purchase one for a small cost from the cabin before you set out.

hair

Again, to help save on time, it’s worth quickly sorting out your hair before you attend the safety briefing. If you are lucky enough to have long hair please tie it back – however, remember you will need to wear a helmet so best to not make any ponytails too high.

gloves

The rubber pads on the ones we sell can help with gripping obstacles (and they’ll keep your hands warmer!) but they’re by no means essential – some people prefer them, while others do not. If you haven’t pre-ordered any and would like a pair you can easily purchase some from the cabin before you embark out on to the ropes.

toilets

There are two unisex toilets besides the cabin, plus seperate Ladies and Gents and an Accessible Toilet in the main building. To save on time we strongly suggest trying for the toilet before the safety briefing and the start of your session. It’s also a lot trickier to go to the toilet with a harness on!

queues

On the course people go at different speeds and different people find different parts easier or more challenging. You are attached to the course via a continuous belay system which means you are unable to pass by someone ahead of or behind you, so queues and bottlenecks are occasionally unavoidable. There are a few things you can do to help though – if someone ahead of you is struggling, try to encourage someone or offer solution. Or, if a lot of people have recently set out on a route ahead of you, to avoid a potential logjam, it might be better to go and try another (less busy) route first and come back later.

parties and groups

For groups and those having a party, in addition to the points above (especially the bits on arrival times, toilets, hair and belongings) there’s also some other pointers that will help things go smoother on the day!

We know it can be like herding cats but try to keep all those participanting together ahead of your start time – this helps with keeping things on track and ensure’s everyone is ready for the safety briefing – and we can also answer any queries you may have. For those having a party, our instructors and your party host will be available to supervise the children throughout proceedings, however, remember parents/adults are still required to monitor children on the low ropes during the activities – less confident children really benefit from some grown-up support and smaller ones sometimes need a bit of physical help at times with the Expo glider system.

If you have any questions or concerns please get in contact and we’ll do all we can to help!