American Adventurer Jonathan Trappe

Trappe travelled 94 miles across the Alps and reached altitudes of 15, 000ft.

‘Well that’s not that adventurous,’ ‘I could do that!’ I hear you cry. But could you do it using just helium balloons? Having already crossed the English Channel using the same method of transport, trained pilot Jonathan wanted to try his hand at being the first ever person to cross the European mountain range.

It took the quirky adventurer, originally from Raleigh, North Carolina, almost twelve hours and 54 gas-filled balloons to go from Gap in the South-East France to the Italian town of Andezeno.

The trip was a total of 94 miles and Jonathan reached awesome heights of 15, 000ft. “The most enjoyable part of the trip was also the most terrifying. At one point I thought I was heading straight for a Monte Viso,” he said. “My altimeter told me I was clear of it but my eyes told me I was going to slap into it and in that moment I was really scared. In the end I sailed right past it without a problem, which was just exhilarating.”

This mode of transport, known as cluster ballooning, is relatively new and was started back in 1982 by American, Larry Walters. By attaching 42 helium filled weather balloons to a patio chair, he managed to rise 15, 000ft into the air.  The highest altitude reached via cluster ballooning was 18,300ft by Mike Howard and Steve Davis back in 2001.

Trappe would buy: The Summerville Climbing Frame

Real life Disney 'Up' house lifted into the air	The Summerville Climbing Frame would suit the quirky adventurer perfectly

Someone with such a love for vibrant colours needs the bright spiral slide. The spiral is a little different from the normal straight slide and we know that Trappe loves doing things differently. The enclosed higher lever playhouse also bears a resemblance to the house Trappe sent soaring into the air, shown in the picture above. With the wave rock wall, open lower level cubby with café style opening and room for 2 belt swings and a 2 child glider this climbing frame was made for someone who loves fun and loves excitement.

To purchase the item or see the feature in full go to http://www.climbingframesuk.com/summerville-climbing-frame-210330.htm”>http://www.climbingframesuk.com/summerville-climbing-frame-210330.htm

Can you think of other fun and bizarre ways to travel?

Like many parents at this time of year your thoughts will be turning to Christmas and what to get you children, and you won’t be alone if you’re feeling really stuck for a good ideas of what to buy.

So, Climbing Frames UK are here to help with a few ideas below to inspire you and help out with featuring some of the best presents available in 2011.

How about a flying fish… (?)

Or, maybe something with a little more longevity?

If you think the novelty of the flying fish might wear off before 2012 even arrives, then why not consider something with a little more longevity? The outdoor toys from Climbing Frames UK will last for years rather than days, and we can assure you Santa will be more popular than ever if he brings your children a climbing frame, swingset or trampoline for Christmas this year!

Imagine their happy faces, looking out of the window and seeing their very own brand new (snow covered?) climbing frame, and their joy and laughter as they run out to experience the swings and slide for the first time! It’s an experience that many of us as children couldn’t have dreamed of, but now you can purchase a climbing frame or playset for only a few hundred pounds!

Specialists, quality products & designed for home build

Climbing Frames UK are specialists in quality and beautiful wooden playsets, pre-manufactured with all parts cut to length and pre-drilled, all sets are flat packed and ready for home build. With a range of prices and sizes to suit any family, and every garden, you’ll struggle for a reason not to get one!

Why not show your children now and help you decide? Our full range of climbing frames, swingsets and trampolines is on our website at www.climbingframesuk.com.

Not looking to buy now? You can even chose you set, reserve it with a 10% deposit, and not make your settlement payment until just before your delivery in December. The Xmas Pre-Order Scheme is just another example of Climbing Frames UK’s fantastic customer service.

We look forward to delivering to you soon.

Selwood Products are worldwide manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors of wooden garden play equipment and outdoor toys; including climbing frames, playsets, swingsets and playhouses.

The Nina swingset is constructed from strong pine wood that has been pressure treated to ensure we maximise the lifespan.  The Selwood Nina swingset also features two plastic swing seats and a 2-child duo seat glider to give your children maximum choice, which enables up to four children to use the set at once, excellent for those with a medium size garden and large family.

Product Features

•Age Range 3-12

•Fully Enclosed Metal Corner Brackets

•2-Child See-Saw Swing

•2 x Blow Moulded Swing Seats

 Easy to assemble with step-by-step instructions, home build has never been so easy.

Great style and a safe & solid construction, our Selwood Anya swingset is designed for children aged 3 – 12.

Constructed from 80mm large dimension lumber on both legs and top beam, this set is built to last and will provide hours of outdoor play which is beneficial to every child for their health and well-being.

Featuring 2 height adjustable plastic blow moulded swing seats, pine wood construction, high strength metal corner brackets and designed for home build this will take less than an hour to assemble and your kids will be swinging in no time! Suitable for families with large gardens and also those with limited space.

If it is then should should really visit Climbing Frames UK to view our excellent range of outdoor climbing toys.

Due to this we have launched our SUPER XMAS SALE with huge reductions accross the board and loss leader discounts on a selection of products. Our warehouse will contact you within 48hrs of you placing your order and book a delivery day, which is available from one week until the first week of Christmas.

Strict rules apply to our sale due to the hugely reduced prices:

1) The price is the price shown on the website – no negotiations or further discounts
2) The products come as they are seen – we cannot alter the specification or swap swings or other accessories
3) The sets come fulled packed ready for home build in a cardboard box including all wood, hardware and swing/slide accessories
4) The sale runs from Wednesday to Wednesday and prices WILL increase every 7 days until Christmas

Checkout the Climbing Frame section of the Climbing Frames UK website for further information. Happy Christmas everyone!

The most frequently asked question – Is cedar wood better than treated pine wood?

The answer: Yes, cedar is better to use for durability and longer lasting. Pine is soft, whether treated or not, and usually much cheaper to purchase. In the long run cedar is the better choice.

But although cedar is better, it also depends on what you need it for… If your doing craft and its not going to be weathered or battered around then pine is better. Treated pine is good for craft work as it is easier to shape, and bend then cedar. However, climbing frames are going to be weathered becasue they’re going to be in your garden for years, and battered becasue they’ll be well used by children, making cedar the best choice.

Cedar is commonly used if you want to make something that last longer and are not concerned about the additional cost. The knot structure is small, sound and tight and with natural oils found in the lumber, cedar is naturally resistant to rot and insect destruction. This makes it a perfect product for both interior and exterior applications, and particularly play equipment. The tight, small knot structure means cracks are small and splinters are rare.

In comparison, natural pine is a light-colored softwood with straight grain. It is very cheap and harvested mainly from forests in eastern Europe but also from all around the world. There are two types of pine used for outdoor products; pressure treated and untreated. Untreated pine has low resistance to the elements and is less durable than pressure treated pine and a water or oil based sealer should be applied to untreated pine every year. Pressure treated pine needs no sealer but can be painted or stained if desired. Either type of pine can be cleaned with soap and water. Mildew will need removing with a standard bathroom cleaner intermittently. Pressure treated pine is incredibly suseptible to cracks and splinters. This is expected on rustic style round beam swings and of ofter part of the reason people buy, becasue they are looking for a rustic, weathered swingset. This is often a surprise on more american style sawn (square cut) climbing frames and playsets.

If properly taken care of, cedar or pressure treated pine can last up to 20 years, but all will require maintinence, care and treatment. Wood is a natural product so cracks and splits are inevitable as the mositure content of the wood changes. We strongly advise making an educated choice when picking your climbing frame or swing to ensure you find something suitable for you, your children and garden.

Cedar looks nicer, cracks less and splinters less, so we believe cedar is much more suitable than pine for structures where children will be climbing. Pine is good for rustic weathered appearance and is great for cheap roundwood swingsets.

We at Climbing Frames UK hope this article is useful in your hunt for a suitable climbing frame or swingset.

- Plum Products Swingsets

- TP Swingsets

- Little Tikes Swingsets

- Soulet Swingsets

- Selwood Products Swingsets

As part of our policy for customer satisfaction, product knowledge and continuous product improvement we regularly purchase competitors products and test them directly against each other.

We purchased a swing set range from a number of manufacturers including Selwood Products, TP, Soulet, Little Tikes and Plum. All these items are sold at similar prices accross the internet, mostly by large national companies such as Toys R Us and Argos who have a range of swingsets each, or smaller independent online retailers. In pictures the sets look the same, they all feature swings with plastic swing seats, many have a duo seat glider swing and some have ropes.

What were our swingset review findings?
Although there are a selection of differences we will go on to discuss, this review concentrates on the first amazing difference between all these items. The 20%+ difference in swing uprights (or legs)! This is a huge difference given all manufacturers use 100mm dimension swing beams on their wooden swing sets, the majority chose to have a very ‘top heavy’ look by using only 80mm lumber for the legs. The one exception to the rule is Selwood Products, who for many years have been seen as the quality manufacturer but more recently have also managed to be the most competitive on price. No mean feat to be able to beat competitors on both specification and price Selwood Products really are a force to be reckoned with in the outdoor toy market.
Selwood Swingset Dimension Comparison
As you can see from the above image, the difference between the beams is so obvious when positioned side by side. If your looking for the strongest, safest swing set available for your children then there really is only one choice – with Selwood Products Wooden Swingsets quality really does come as standard!

The full Selwood Products Swingset range is available to view at http://www.climbingframesuk.com/swing-sets/

Climbing Frames UK is the largest retailer of wooden swingsets, climbing frames, modular playsets and play centre accessories. Due to our huge buying power we are able to guarantee the best prices, fastest home deliveries and most reliable after sales service.

Our customers are telling us that pruchasing outdoor play equipment for their children this Christmas is a winner! Its sure to be a big hit with the children and give a feel good factor to us parents.

Our wooden play centres, climbing frames and garden play equipment have the ultimate craftsmanship and superior quality, come and try them out at our display sites.

Our Wooden Playsets Range from Selwood Adventure Playsets are boxed cedar units that range in price from £339 to £1999.

Our Modular Redwood and Cedar Treehouses, Forts and Playsets are from Backyard Adventures these can be configured by one of our Playset Designers to fit any space and most budgets (starting from £2000). We can also offer Backyard stand alone swing set and monkey bar.

The Wooden Playhouse collection is from Big Backyard and comprises of the Savannah & Bellamy.

From Selwood Products we can offer a huge range of Playset and Climbing Frame novelty accessories and extras. They range from Swing Seats, Trapeze Bars, Infant and Toddler Swings, Gliders.

Contact

www.climbingframesuk.com

info@climbingframesuk.com

0870 241 2880