If you’re afraid of heights, skip ahead a couple of pages. For those who find heights thrilling, this is for you! From rock climbing to sky diving and ziplining, our region has all kinds of activities that take fun to new heights. Grab your bucket list and check off these adventures of a lifetime.

Rock Climbing

We may not have the Rocky Mountains in our backyard, but Halton region does have some pretty stellar indoor rock-climbing facilities that offer several types of climbing for all experience and age levels.

Climbers Rock, Burlington (https://www.climbersrock.com)

This indoor climbing gym offers three types of climbing: bouldering (climbing on short walls without ropes and harnesses), Top Rope (climbing tall walls with a rope and harness as security), and Lead for experienced climbers who provide their own ropes and grigris. Climbers Rock offers youth programs as well as a summer camp.

Gravity Climbing Gym, Hamilton  (https://www.gravityclimbinggym.com/)

This indoor climbing gym offers climbs for adults and kids starting at age five. This facility offers 57 separately roped climbs. The tallest routes are 50’ high. They also have a huge 100’ long bouldering area.

Both indoor climbing gyms offer day passes as well as membership options.

Kids Adventures

Treetop Trekking Hamilton – https://treetoptrekking.com/park/hamilton/

Kids will love tapping into their inner Tarzan at this adventure park high in the sky. Treetop Trekking offers various adventure courses for all ages and abilities.

Their Treewalk Village is for kids of all ages and allows them to climb from tree house to tree house through tall hammocks, nets, and wood bridges, then descend to the ground on slides.

The Discovery Kids Course for ages 5+ lets kids test their balance on wood bridges, balance logs, net walkways, and mini zip lines all suspended three to five feet above the ground.

The Zipline and Aerial Game Trek for ages 9+ offers the opportunity to swing from tree to tree on a suspended bridge, swinging log, cable traverse, or zipline. Participants are outfitted with a harness and helmet as they climb and zip through the forest canopy.

Hot Air Ballooning

Whether you’re looking for a romantic adventure in the sky, or just want to soar above the trees, a hot air balloon ride might be for you.

Skyward Balloons, Kitchener/Waterloo – https://skywardballoons.com

Skyward Balloons offers riders a bird’s eye view of the gorgeous Kitchener-Waterloo landscape while floating at 500 – 3,000 feet over forests, ponds, and lakes. Enjoy a sparkling beverage celebration upon your landing, a ballooning tradition. Skyward Balloons offers individual rides as well as romantic rides for couples; many a proposal has happened in these balloons!

Skydiving

If sky diving is on your bucket list, check out these locations for your sky-high adventure.

Skydive Swoop, Dundas – https://www.skydiveswoop.ca

This skydive school offers a learn-to-skydive program as well as a tandem skydive. The tandem jump provides first-time skydivers and bucket-listers with the adrenaline rush of a lifetime. In a tandem jump, both the student and instructor are attached to the same parachute system, meaning training is minimal and done on the same day as your jump.  If you become addicted and want to jump on your own, Skydive Swoop offers a Progressive Free Fall Course where you can learn to skydive independently.

If you want to get the feeling of falling from the sky without actually jumping from a plane, IFly World, Oakville (https://iflyworld.ca) offers indoor sky diving where you can enjoy the adrenaline-pumping experience of a freefall without a parachute; just you in a wind tunnel flying on a cushion of air.

With so many exciting options to choose from, is this YOUR summer to fly high?

The winter months can feel pretty long – especially if it’s a winter heavy with snow. Thankfully, our landscape allows for endless winter adventure. You can hit the slopes for downhill skiing, snowboarding, and tubing at Kelso Conservation Area, or venture to Bronte Creek Provincial Park to enjoy a pristine cross-country ski. Then, there are our lakes and waterways. When frozen over, they serve as the perfect setting for any angler to drop their line. Fishing doesn’t have to stop when the cold weather rolls in. In fact, ice fishing is perfect for both avid anglers and families alike.

Are you ready to cast into the cold waters? Fifty Point Conservation, Valens Lake Conservation, and Binbrook Conservation in Hamilton all offer ice fishing when the conditions allow. However, the conservation authority doesn’t supply ice huts, equipment, or bait. If you’re looking for a full-service ice fishing experience, you may want to venture just a little bit further from the city.

Sarah Paireo from Simcoe Ice Fishing in Lefroy (Innisfil) says, “Typically, our bay freezes over in January, but the timing is variable. We wait for a solid 4-6 inches of ice before it’s safe to head out.” Generally, you can head out onto the lake as soon as the ice is frozen and thick enough – it all depends on the weather. There are several factors that determine ice thickness—the type of water, location, air temperature, water temperature, water depth, the size of the water body, and the presence of underwater springs or currents.

Summer Dream Ice Fishing in Orillia has been fishing Lake Couchiching for over 38 years. They also have heated ice huts and are conveniently located near Elwood Epps Fishing Store where you can obtain everything for your fishing needs (including a fishing license which is required for everyone between the ages of 18 and 65). While the huts are warm, Summer Dream says, “Ice fishing is a winter sport so you will need to dress accordingly in warm outdoor clothing, including boots, mitts, and a hat.” However, Sarah from Simcoe Ice Fishing adds, “Hut rentals are wonderful to provide a shelter with comfy padded benches, predrilled holes, minnows, and a cooking stove for those who want to prepare food.”

Elwood Epps in Orillia has everything you need when it comes to fishing gear. If you don’t want to use live bait, their Baby Guppy Ice Fishing bait mimics a live minnow. They also have an ice fishing line – which is actually different from the line you would use in the warmer months. The ice fishing line has a special compound to keep it from freezing to your rod. If you’re completely in the dark about the sport, the experts are ready to help. Debbie Martin from Summer Dream says, “For guests who have never experienced ice fishing we will teach you how to set up your fishing rod and the techniques on how to catch fish. For those who already know how to ice fish, we will guide you to where (hopefully) the best ice fishing spots are.” 

As for what you can expect to pull out of the water – think big. Both Sarah and Debbie say ice fishing is the perfect time to pull out giant perch, pike, pickerel, and crappie.

Fish on!

Local Links:

Elwood Epps || Elwoodepps.com

Summer Dream Ice Fishing || Summerdreamicefishing.com

Simcoe Ice Fishing || Simcoeicefishing.com

Adam Goy Fishing || Goyfishing.com