treebraska | In the trees, in winter

We are ready. A well-adjusted harness on the body, a helmet well fixed on the head, we walk valiantly on a path of hardened snow which leads us to the aerial courses of the Arbraska center in Rawdon.

Mary Tison
The Press

The instructor, Marc-Antoine Lefrançois, suggests a course of medium difficulty, the Karkajou.

We don’t let our slight disappointment show: “Average? Pfft! We are not wimps, we are able to face difficult courses and, why not, extreme courses, as long as we are there! »

But OK. Maybe Marc-Antoine knows things we don’t and we follow his recommendation.

For the first time, Arbraska centers are opening their doors to everyone in winter. In past years, some centers occasionally received school groups in the winter or opened their facilities during festivals. But, with the pandemic, people are looking for new activities to do outside, with family or friends, and Arbraska has decided to give them this new opportunity for adventure.

Zip lines and mitts

Our own adventure starts with a little initiation on the art of properly snapping onto the steel cables that ensure our safety and placing the pulley correctly to travel the zip lines without hassle. With big mitts, it’s a little more complex than with bare hands.

We begin the journey on a footbridge covered in snow, rocky, but without much difficulty. And without fear. Then, a bridge made of a steel cable, with two additional cables as handrails, is also easily crossed. It starts to get tougher with a bridge made up of large wooden letters spelling out the word Arbraska. Hmmm… can we trust those bits of wood covered in hardened snow? Will the boots slip? Are we going to end up like a spider, swinging in the void, clinging to the security cable?

A first zip line allows you to become familiar with the concept. Once gone, it’s fun. It’s just the first step that’s a little intimidating.

After a fun slide in a big plastic pipe, it gets more serious: you have to get on a skateboard that slides from one tree to another. In the end, things went well, apart from a somewhat clumsy landing on the arrival platform.

It goes much less well on the next bridge, which is long, made of wooden planks half covered with hardened snow. The adventurer, however seasoned, is overwhelmed with doubts and begins to advance with small, breathless steps on the unstable installation, her breath a bit short, all dignity lost. It’s that it leans, this thing. And the presence of snow certainly increases the degree of difficulty (or cowardice).

However, the experience acquired makes it possible to cross a second bridge with a little more respectability.

Finally, choosing a “medium” course for a first winter experience in aerial course, rather than a difficult course, it was not a bad idea.

Marc-Antoine Lefrançois confides that the Karkajou is particularly popular: beginners hone their skills on the easy courses and choose the Karkajou when they move on to the next category. And connoisseurs start with the Karkajou to warm up before moving up a gear.

Colorful aerial village

As we return (safe and sound) to the reception building, we hear cries of joy nearby, in the forest. Clearly, kids are having serious fun.

This is the Arbre-en-ciel village, a concept that can also be found at the Arbraska center in Rigaud. It is a collection of colorful mini-houses perched in the trees, which can be visited by borrowing in particular very safe net bridges. Kids love it. Adults regret being a little too big to squeeze through tunnels and slides. They just have to go back to the aerial courses, if they want to have fun too.

Five Arbraska centers are offering aerial courses this winter, namely those of Rawdon, Mont-Saint-Grégoire, Chauveau, Laflèche and Rigaud. It’s not open yet, but it won’t be too long.