JUST 15 minutes from Exeter lies a world of Tarzan-style fun in the forest canopy.

Go Ape at Haldon Forest is a high-wire adventure course that opened in 2008. It gives visitors the chance to try incredible zip slides, rope ladders and high wires.

I booked the experience as a surprise for my friend before I knew that he wasn't keen on heights, but we both managed to get all the way around and felt a great sense of achievement afterwards.

Go Ape is like a giant obstacle course up in the trees with ladders, walkways, bridges and tunnels made of wood, rope and super-strong wire, and some of the country's best zip lines.

The centre's staff are extremely welcoming and made us feel at ease with a full safety briefing and demonstration, explaining how the harness works and how to securely attach yourself to each station.

As we reached the first platform we were both a bit nervous, and even though I had done part of the course before I was still apprehensive about what lay ahead.

It takes nerves of steel to jump off the higher platforms, as it feels like you are going to fall to the forest floor, but you just have to remind yourself that the safety wires holding you up are always there.

I was impressed with others around us doing the course, including a father with his young son, who were swinging through the course at full speed and yelping Tarzan-style as they went.

The course itself is made up of five sections, with varying degrees of difficulty.

The highest point is a platform 14 metres high and the longest zip wire is 230 metres. The longest crossing is a log bridge, stretching 16 metres.

I found the zip wires one of the most enjoyable parts of the course and the Tarzan swings into the cargo nets the scariest — but the most adrenalin filled. I think I screamed louder than anyone else in the forest!

The great thing about Go Ape is that after the initial safety briefing you are left on your own to complete the course as quickly or as slowly as you like, and if you come across parts that feel too challenging there is always an easier route to try.

Go Ape manager Max Crouch said: "Whether you're just monkeying around with mates or sharing challenging achievements, Go Ape is an amazing way to spend a day.

"It's a real-time adventure where you can take a walk on the wild side of life and get to grips with a giant treetop obstacle course of ladders, bridges, tunnels, walkways and wind-in-your-face zip wires.

"An instructor will show you the ropes in a safety briefing and then you're free to swing, climb, crawl and zip through the trees. Confidence building and Tarzan call training is not included, but usually come naturally during a Go Ape adventure."

At the end of our adventure, we really did feel like we'd had a workout and the course does require a degree of physical fitness but if you can climb up a rope ladder you should be fine.

Go Ape was founded by husband and wife team Tristram and Rebecca Mayhew in 2002, when the couple discovered a treetop adventure course in the Auvergne National Forest in France. There are now 22 different courses across the UK.

The course takes between two and three hours to complete and participants must be aged 10 or over, of a minimum height of 4ft 7in and a maximum weight of 20st 7lb.

The maximum number of participants per session is 14 and under 18s must be supervised by a participating adult.

Spectators are not able to enter the course but they can watch from the forest floor.

Go Ape also offers corporate days so people can get together with their work friends and have a fun day out. They will get a dedicated instructor, more time to complete the course and food and refreshments.

A trip to Go Ape can also be combined with other activities in Haldon Forest Park such as cycling.