Trapeze Pro

OH. MY. FREAKIN'. GOODNESS. Doing this was fabulous!Standing on the top platform, strapped in and someone holding you from the back as your leaning over the platform with both hands on the bar...I didn't know what I was thinking when I organized a group of people to come here and learn to swing like they do in the circus.I know I was thinking it'd be fun and that indeed, it was. For $35/person (cash or check only), you get the basics in learning the safe and correct way to swing on the bar, letting go of the bar, doing a back flip as you land and last but not least, being "caught" by a Trapeze Pro staff member.Marek and his staff of Daryl, Hope and another lady were so friendly, encouraging and patient that they make you feel at ease as your fear of falling or hurting yourself sinks in as you climb the ladder up to the platform. They're first concern is your safety and of course, making sure you have fun.What I learned is that you gotta give 110% trust these guys. They've been doing this for ages and when they bark their orders, you just gotta do as they say without thinking about it...even if the order is to let go of the bar so you can fall down to the net.The location is definitely lovely. A giant trapeze rig in the outdoors, surrounded by trees and sometimes, rattlesnakes and mountain lions (we had the fortunate pleasure of not seeing either). There are picnic benches and seats for you to sit at. You can bring food but they just ask you to dispose of your own waste. There's a port-o-potty on the grounds as well.Come wearing track pants, sweats or leggings and flip flops or sandals are ideal since when flying, you should be shoe-less or you can wear socks. T-shirts are fine, but since you'll be hanging upside down, you'll either want to tuck in your shirt or you may be flashing your fellow friends.My group of 8 got around 8 swings each on the trapeze. Group are usually 7-10 people and if you have more than 10 you get a 10% discount. In planning a group, I suggest you collect money from everyone BEFORE you arrive because if someone bails out last minute, at least you've gotten their money and aren't stuck paying for them out of your pocket (which is what happened to me).So hold onto that white trapeze bar, look at the Tibetan flag and when Hope says "Ready!" you make sure you bend your knees so that when she says "Hep!" you jump up and there you are...swinging on a trapeze.

What an amazing experience! My girls have been several times and are always excited to go. I always appreciate the positive reinforcement Marek provides. He is very positive and encouraging. He really wants you to try everything and if you don't, their is no guilt attached. I have been there several times with different groups of girls and they all leave feeling accomplished and proud of themselves. Thank you Marek and your team! You are the reason we keep coming back :)

Some of the best things in life are the experiences that follow you through your life. I am a person absolutely petrified of high places. I am also someone in control of my daily destiny, as well as that of others. This makes for a double whammy with the Trapeze Pro experience. . . Enter Marek (Maw-Rek) and his incredible crew. First, the location is set in the beautiful back country area of Sonoma. You can't help but relax as you drive through the trees to your destination. Everything is set up outside, so YES, you are going to be flying up in the trees (well not IN the trees, but with them). There are trampolines and other hanging apparatus to enjoy yourself with while waiting for your class to begin.Second, Marek, and the entire staff are all so very nice, funny, and encouraging. You feel safe, and you "know you can do this". . . Instructions are clear and concise. Listen to the instructions, . . then turn that logical (which will suddenly become illogical when fear strikes you) brain off, and listen to your instructor! They know exactly what they are doing. I feel for Sharon, as I had a tendency to 'freeze' while on top of the platform. But, she would keep talking, and I would eventually get myself back in order. Keep Smiling!!! . . . You can do this!!! And, Marek, scolding me for 'trying to think it out'. . . Let go of the control button, and just listen to your instructor!With a couple practice swings to get you familiar with the process, and comfortable with actually being on the trapeze, you will find yourself getting excited to complete the process, which will be to release and have someone 'catch' you. It's very exciting, it's very scary (at first), and it's all very much worth your efforts.You will leave with a bit more confidence in what you can accomplish.

Fantastic experience, definitely going back! Taking something fairly intimidating and making it super accessible is their specialty. This was an incredibly fun day at a low cost. The instructors were experienced at trapeze (25 years!) and knew exactly how to educate a beginner. I would highly recommend this on your next adventure. Tip: bring the waivers filled out ahead of time and a good sense of humor!

Awesome!The instructors are incredibly patient, encouraging, funny, irreverent, and many more adjectives. I have this awful fear of heights and of spiders and while I still have them, I had such an amazing time flying on the trapeze-- I hated climbing up that skinny ladder and then standing on the platform, but the payoff was letting go, relaxing and allowing physics to dictate my experience.In our first lesson, we learned to hang from our knees and then 'jump' to another instructor on another bar. Really cool.The setting is amazing. Totally serene in the woods of wine country.Marek and Darrel clearly know what they are doing and they put you at ease and make you feel safe, comfortable and relaxed. They both bring a different style to the instruction and both are so encouraging and supportive.I felt incredibly safe in my fear here.

First of all, let it be known I was originally an unwilling participant. I came with a fairly large group (22 people)of middle aged office workers for a team building event. I don't like heights. I am not athletic. I don't exercise. And a lot of the folks I was with were in the same boat.First of all, the location is very pretty and calming, at least it is until you see all the gear and rigging, when you think...really?? It looks all a little rickety. And really tall.There were 4 employees working the day we were there for our private group event. Marek was the primary personality, and he was an interesting combination of intense, supportive, humorous, and a little tough, too. The owner or founder was also there the day we were there - pretty interesting guy, started doing this stuff at the age of 62! He's in his eighties now. Got up on the trapeze when we were there. I hope I'm that adventurous at that age.They started us out by having us jump onto a bar about 10 feet off the ground (Marek helped with a boost, and there was a plushy rubber mat underneath), and swing your knees up and over the bar. It's both easier than and harder than you think. But he gives you a boost and helps you out.Note, wearing clothes that will cling sort of makes sense...think about the fact you will be hanging upside down when doing this. Also, they make you take off pretty much ALL jewelry. All of it. Wedding rings, body piercings, etc. So you might want to plan ahead.Next, they cinch a super tight belt around your waist (prepare for all your fat to squoosh out, attractive!), and you climb a crazy tall ladder (40 feet high maybe??), with nothing to protect you. That has to be the scariest thing for a lot of people. Then you stand on a tiny little platform (maybe 6x10?) with one of the instructors and usually, the next person in line behind you. It's cozy. The instructor hooks up your belt to the ropes so if you completely fall off you are at least attached to something. There is a net, also. I noticed there is a second instructor at the bottom holding the ropes attached to your belt, to act as a counterweight as well as to help a bit with your swinging as needed. Then they have you stand on the very edge of the platform, with one arm on the trapeze bar, leaning your body out, and grabbing the bar. The bar feels weirdly heavy - it freaked me out. The instructor on the platform holds your belt so you don't teeter off while getting yourself a grip on the bar. The instructor on the bottom tells you when to go, and the instructor holding your belt confirms it, and off you go. It's ALL about timing. Once you get this far, the hardest thing is making yourself relinquish control and listen to Marek (or whoever is telling you what to do and when to do it). It makes all the difference in the world. And even if you're in bad physical shape, you will do much better than you ever thought possible, because gravity can be your friend if your timing is right. So you have to trust the expert and do what they tell you. Not an easy task for a group of control freaks. Every single person in our group got up there and did some swinging, no matter how terrified. All except one, I think, flipped upside down and landed with a cool flip. There was a lot of support rather than competition in our group which was really nice. And a handful of the group were able to do the "catch" - jumping off of the bar upside down in midair to be caught by an experienced instructor on another bar. This non believer actually did it (maybe not that gracefully, but still!) and made the catch, too. Very empowering experience. Uh, and a few days later, I still have some muscle pain from muscles I never knew existed ;)I'd totally go back. It was not really teambuilding per se, in my opinion, but it was a very unique empowering individual and shared experience. And it was fun.

I have been flying at Trapeze Pro in Sonoma for almost two years now. The first time I went was because I really wanted to try to get over my crippling fear of heights. Not only did it ABSOLUTELY help me do that, it is now one of my biggest addictions. It is the MOST fun activity I have ever done and it's partly because it remains challenging and is something one can never perfect. Mostly I love it because of Marek and Trapeze Pro's other staff (Darell, Hope, Natalya, Jake). Marek is SO good with people who are scared or don't think they can do it . He is encouraging and knows exactly what to do when people have problems and need more "hand holding". He is also a great coach once you do get the hang of it and motivates his students by pushing them to be better all the time!Trapeze is not for everyone, but flying in this beautiful Sonoma Valley, under a canopy of oaks, listening to a gurgling brook and being safely caught in Marek's arms, is one of the best feelings I have every had in my life!

This was one of the best experiences of my life! Some friends of mine gave me these lessons for my birthday and I loved it! We did a private lesson on Sunday which I recommend if you can get a group of 7 people together. First off, it is only $35 per person, what a steal! Secondly, if you live in the Bay Area, I definitely recommend making the trip up to Sonoma to take lessons here. While I haven't been to any other places for comparison, this location was outside (bonus), set back in the forest by a creek (double bonus) and the weather was amazing (triple bonus). The instructors were great, we never felt in danger, scared out of our minds yes but not in danger. The lesson was perfectly long at 2 hours the majority of which is spent up on the trapeze and you learn a lot (by the end you do a release move and catch the instructor swinging on the other side. My last recommendation is to grab lunch (and wine, you'll want a drink!) at the Sunflower Cafe on the Sonoma Square afterward. The restaurant is casual so you don't feel strange hanging out there in your workout clothes, the food is great yet reasonably priced, and they have a nice outdoor seating area and wine bar in the back. Oh, one last thing...if you are at all caffeine sensitive do not drink any coffee drinks etc beforehand. You'll be more than awake, shaky and stimulated by the time you get up there. Enjoy!

Looking for more than just wine tasting to do on a weekend getaway? Go Trapezing in the beautiful outerlands of Sonoma!!Great team of teachers at Trapeze Pro! Marek and Darrell were so positive, patient and helpful in providing immediate feedback to improve our trapeze technique for each run. If you are looking for an extraordinary experience, I'd HIGHLY recommend joining a group lesson with Trapeze Pro!! Even if you are afraid of heights, the team here will make you feel comfortable!!!Suggestions:- Do not look down- Bring bug spray if you are city folk- Listen and do what Darrell and Marek say - they are trustworthy folk with over 25 years of experience!!!

Probably one of my bdays ever, Marek was awesome and funny, kept us calm, laughing and was professional all at once. Everyone that came had such a great time, it's completely safe so dont worry about that.Parking: park in the lot and follow the trail the right, you will see all the gear so dont worry you will find it.Price: Cannot beat the price, think the indoor ones are more expensive and being outdoors in nature is way betterHeights: yes i am freaked out of heights but that made it even more fun. The ladder is scary but you get used to it and when i had the guys holding onto my harness from the top i felt safe. I did have a few friends not enjoy it b/c of the heights thing but glad they tried it. I keep having friends ask me when we are going back and if we are going for my next bday...definitely try it out, this is really a hidden gem.