Foam fest

This week’s hike is the most unusual I have ever done. The distance was a short 5 km, the terrain was a mixture of hills and golf courses, and the path consisted of mud; mud and….foam, lots and lots of foam. That’s right, my friend Linda had signed us up for the Foam Fest at Horseshoe valley, and what an adventure that was!! Never tell two ladies over fifty that they can’t foam it out with the best of them!

We started out on one of the early heats, just after 0800. The day could not have been more perfect for a foamy hike, with clear skies and no humidity. The excitement of the crowd, even at this early hour, was pumped, helped along by the most exuberant and outgoing emcee you could imagine. His energy was contagious, and we were all cheering and dancing with excitement. Ahead of us was the start line, which consisted of a wall of suds. Our emcee emphasised that this was a fun run, and that you could run, walk or even crawl, as long as you enjoyed your day. Thank god, as there was no way this chubby bunny could run anymore, hike yes, but no running unless a bear was chasing me and I needed to outrun my partner. Sorry Linda.

The horn sounded and off we went, at a somewhat sedate pace, through the twelve foot wall of foam. We were told not to eat or inhale the foam, and I had to wonder what had previously happened that they needed to put out this warning. I admit, I pictured groups of people sitting in the foam pit and gulping down handfuls of sudsy delights like toddlers in a bubble bath. Hmm, who am I to judge. Thankfully, today everyone was in adult mode and made it out of the first foam pit without incident and headed up the hills. I loved that there were no expectations, and that there were people of all ages, from kids to seniors, and of every body type and ability. The best part was that there was no judgement, and I have never experienced such a supportive and happy group of individuals. At one part we all had to wend our way through a spider web of cables, and the competitive runners were patient and understanding of those of us less athletic people. Throughout this course every person was smiling and joking with the strangers surrounding us.

The course itself is not too difficult, and you can always walk around any obstacle that you think is too difficult. I have been having some knee issues, and when it came to the barriers that you are supposed to do a military style crawl under, I was concerned that I might not be able to stand up again. So I decided to change things up. If I could not crawl, I could still roll, and there I went through the wet grass rolling under the obstacles. It was hilarious to look back and see several others following my lead and taking the route less traveled. There was one obstacle that I did not even attempt. It was a large rope challenge that was tent shaped, though about 25 feet tall. I detest heights, and added to that was my knee issues, and I knew I had to bow out. Shout out to my friend Linda, who I cheered on and who did a great job on this obstacle.

Throughout the morning we walked through forests, across golf courses, through various foam pits, and over and under several obstacles, laughing all the time. However, I was becoming nervous, as my friend kept mentioning her excitement over the fifty-foot water slide. Did I not just mention that I hate heights? We came out of the bush to a large clearing, and there it is, an inflatable fifty-foot slide. Oh my. I kept a smile on my face and pretended that I was thrilled to be doing this. Nope, not at all, I wanted to vomit, or pee, or maybe both. And then it is our turn, and we must clamber up a slick and wet rubber vertical ladder, where I am already having serious doubts about my ability to do this, up and up to the top where I look down an impossible incline of wet rubber to a pit of murky water. Nope, nope, nope. Then there is my friend Linda, cleaning her glasses, adjusting her hat, wondering where she should put her things, until I reach over, shove her down and follow with my eyes closed, as I knew that if I don’t go now, I will never go. Sometimes, you just have to close your eyes and admit you are terrified and let go. The best part is the exhilaration at the end when you realize you are still alive and did something that terrifies you.

Eventually we made our way back to the last foam wall at the end of the course. People are cheering and clapping. What an amazing day with an amazing friend.