Opening in June of last year, Gripped London is an action packed experience full of aerial adventures for all of the adrenaline junkies out there! On an invite from the attraction, who provided complimentary full day passes to experience all that this high octane adventure park has to offer, Attraction Source team member Craig (or Mr Toy) recently visited with his family and is here to share a round-up of his trip!
Getting there
Situated near Heathrow Airport, on Staines Road, the park is easily accessible by public transport. There are also over 600 parking spaces if you wish to drive – note that parking is charged at £1 per hour.
Passes + Activities
The activities to choose from are High Ropes, Zip Trek, Bag Jumps, Speed Slides, Power Fan and Net Park. There is a choice of a 3 hour pass or a full day pass – it is advisable to book in advance as this is cheaper. On the 3 hour pass, you will probably manage about 2 or 3 activities depending on which ones you chose, although note that this pass does not include ‘Power Fan’. The full day pass allows unlimited access to all activities with the option to repeat any activity if you wish to do so. The 3 hour pass starts from £30 and the full day pass start from £50, when booked at least 10 days in advance. Please note you must be at least 1.4 metres tall, unless you are just doing the net park, and anyone under 15 years of age must have a paying adult accompanying them on the courses.
Checking in
There is a small lodge at the entrance where we were checked in by Akil the Operations Manager and allocated a tabard, with the colour of this dependant on the type of pass you have purchased. QR codes were scanned and check in was an easy process. There is a small amount of merchandise here, together with soft drinks available to purchase.
Bag Jump – duration approx. 20 mins
This is totally a free fall experience without a safety harness – the ultimate leap of faith onto a giant inflatable bag. There are four different height levels, with the highest being 6 metres. On first sight, looking up from the ground, it doesn’t look high at all, however, of the three members of the Toy family, one dropped out after the second height jump – it’s a lot higher than it looks when you are up there!
Dual Zip Line Trekking – duration approx. 45 mins
For this activity you need to be harnessed up and wear a safety helmet. Team leaders Max and Shion helped us to get into our harnesses. Firstly we went on the practice zip at a very low level, where AJ the instructor showed us ‘the ropes’ so to speak before progressing onto the main course. Each zip wire has varying different speeds and angles, with the odd aerial bridge to navigate.
Power Fan Descender – duration approx. 15 mins
Probably the most adrenaline-inducing activity of them all – free-falling from a 24 metre tower, attached to a restraint system. Be prepared for the 81 steps to the top of the tower where there are some breath-taking views of London and Hounslow Heath, as well as fab views of planes coming into land at Heathrow Airport. These views can also be seen from the top of the Speed Slides.
Speed Slides – duration approx. 10 mins each
Firstly we had to collect our hessian sacks – these are to protect you and to increase your speed down the slides for a smooth journey. One slide is a near vertical drop and the other is a spiral slide – both were good fun and exhilarating, although our favourite was the spiral slide.
High Ropes Course – duration approx. 1 hour
On hand to help us get kitted out for this activity were ground crew Reiss, Sneha and Jamal. There are two high rope courses, but the easier one of the two was closed when we were there. The course we tackled is 650 metres long with the highest platform standing at 7.5 metres. This high ropes course is probably one of the hardest I have ever done (or I might be getting old), featuring obstacles that include cargo nets, rope swings, small zip wires, wobbly bridges and uneven platforms, all putting your strength, agility and bravery to the test.
Net Adventure Park – duration approx. 20 mins
This net park was mainly for the younger adventurers, starting at age 4+, featuring net tunnels, slides and various smaller obstacles with a 150 metre square bounce surface to bounce at your heart’s delight.
Food outlet
On site, there is a small cabin selling hot and cold snacks, such as hotdogs, onion bhajis and chips. Various hot and cold drinks are also available to help re-stock those energy levels. You are also welcome to bring your own picnic if you wish – there are benches dotted around the attraction.
Summing up
Myself and my two daughters, Ellie and Darcey, had an adrenaline and fun filled day, with my wife Leanne spectating. We were accommodated extremely well by the whole team. There were safety briefings before each activity, meaning we felt safe and secure in the team’s hands, who all gave good explanations and advice on each activity.
Hope you have enjoyed this review – I’ll catch you at a park real soon!
Craig Toy #mrtoy 💖
If you have any questions regarding Gripped London, Craig will do his best to answer them – you can reach out to him on Twitter.
