Express & Star

Bear Grylls seeks 'adrenaline advisers' to try out his new attraction at Birmingham NEC

The team behind the Bear Grylls attraction, currently under construction at the NEC, are looking to recruit a handful of adventurous locals to recruit as "adrenaline advisers".

Published
Last updated
A zip line will carry thrill-seekers out the back of a Chinook helicopter to Europe's highest rope walk

The lucky chosen few will get to try out the challenges before they open to the public, from Europe's highest rope walk to sky diving, climbing and diving in a huge tank the size of a tennis court.

Even the food and drink will have something on offer for those up for a challenge – there are rumours of scorpion pizza.

The Bear Grylls Attraction is being built by theme park group Merlin, owner of Alton Towers, on the site of the former Pavilion building at the entrance to the NEC – a hall that has housed Crufts and the Horse of the Year show in the past.

From this autumn it will be offering thrill-seekers the chance to match the efforts of TV adventurer Bear Grylls in a string of extreme challenges, including an indoor assault course based on the Royal Marines' course at the training base at Lympstone in Devon.

But first the team putting the attraction together want to give it a trial run.

The entrance to the indoor areas of the Bear Grylls Adventure

General manager James Thomas said: "We're seeking out adrenaline advisers who are craving adventure and edge-of-your-seat experiences. It's not about being the most physically fit, it's about possessing a 'have a go' attitude and the willingness to overcome your fears."

And Bear Grylls said: "The Bear Grylls Adventure is all about adopting that 'never give up' spirit and being willing to face new challenges.

"What will make a great adrenaline adviser is someone who has a positive outlook on life and the determination to undertake a variety of mental and physical challenges – it's about having that survivor mindset."

To be a part of the adrenaline adviser team, applicants are being asked to post up their recent adventure videos or photos to @theBGAdventure on Twitter or the Instagram page using the hashtags #BeTheFirstTo or #AdrenalineAdvisor and #BearGryllsAdventure

More information is on the website at www.beargryllsadventure.com

Meanwhile the theme park is now taking shape, with the framework of the iFly indoor skydiving building already erected as the Pavilion building is completely redeveloped.

More than 200 people are working at the site at any one time and Merlin has already started recruiting the 150 people who will work at the attraction once it is open.

Merlin's head of creative partnerships, Eddie Saul, has worked closely with Bear Grylls on the design of the site. He said: "It's really exciting to see something that started out as notes on scraps of paper, sitting around a table with Bear, now coming out of the ground.

Tickets are due to go on sale this summer, at which point prices for the attraction will also be revealed.