We went with our two young teenage sons on a very cloudy Sunday. Even at lunch time the cloud was still hanging in the air and blocking the visibility from the top. But we had a brilliant time.
Enjoyed seeing the bears, the raptor show and the lumberjacks of course.
We booked the Adventure Ropes course once up the mountain- be aware that if you do this, the time available is likely to be later in the day - so you’ll need to be happy to wait. Our boys were, so no problem - we enjoyed some lunch and braving the chair lift to the top in the clouds to help pass the time.
I have to admit- the adventure ropes course was definitely worth the money. Initially we had thought at about $60 for each of our sons it was a expensive when added to the Skyride access - but actually, once we experienced what it was, we totally see the value and worth.
Their guide was Isaac - and he alone was worth every penny. A thorough and well humoured safety briefing, with a great practical and demo too - all of which were great for my youngest teen (who is high functioning autistic - so this is particularly important for him).
The boys then went for it on the Green course and loved it, before progressing to the Blue. One came down half way with his nerves reaching their peak by that point - whilst the eldest continued to complete the full course.
And this is where Isaac is worth every penny of that entrance fee. Not only were they both safe the entire time, and knew just how to deal with our youngest loss of confidence at the crucial moment, but once they were down, he the encouraged our eldest (the adventure seeker) by confirming that he could take on the Black course, whilst also encouraging the younger one (loss of nerves) to go and have fun on the Yellow (the easiest). They both went for it and what could easily have been a sad end to the day, turned into their best day ever - for both of them. A huge sense of achievement for the eldest and a reminder of the fun for the youngest - a great memory for the end of the day at Grouse.
The fact that there are four routes to make your way through is brilliant value for money.
And by the time we’d finished, the cloud had lifted and we enjoyed the ride back down with a view. Perfect ending to the the day.
We’d definitely recommend it.