Nothing beats the thrill of riding down a zip line at break neck speeds, usually hundreds of feet above the ground, whooshing past tree canopies, raging rivers, endless meadows and even snow covered mountain peaks. While every zip line is a thrill in itself, there are some that leave you speechless in joy (and fright). Here are 7such zip lines from around the world that redefine the entire experience of zip lining altogether.
Icy Point – Hoonah, Alaska
Icy Point is home to the world’s largest zip liner, the jaw dropping ZipRider that lets you reach speeds of over 60 mph as you careen over a 1300 foot vertical drop and enjoy 90 seconds of exhilaration and dizziness as you complete the formidable ride. The zip line will take you as well as six other riders on parallel line over tree covered forests and the striking ocean as you reach the bottom over one mile away.
La Bestia, Toro Verde Adventure Park – Orocovis, Puerto Rico
Translating to ‘The Beast’, the La Bestia is a thrilling zip line ride that would let you fly 853 feet above forest canopies just like superman. The ride is easily one of the highest in the world. It requires riders to be strapped to a special harness (face down) so they can glide over the Toro Verde Adventure Park and the surrounding regions.
Labadee, Haiti
Traveling on the Royal Caribbean cruise would enable you to experience a one of kind adventure. The zipline in Labadee, Haiti is massive, and is considered to be the longest of its kind in the world. It runs for over 2600 feet over a secluded cove. Be treated to astounding views of the nearby mountains as well as the crystal clear blue waters of the ocean below are you fly down the zipline at 50 mph.
XtremeZipRider, Utah Olympic Park –Park City, Utah
Ever happen to see all those Nordic ski jumpers having a blast in the snow? Well, here’s your chance to experience that without necessarily strapping on your skis and jumping down a slope. The XtremeZipRider at the Utah Olympic Park would help you start your jump aka descent from a vertical drop of 500 feet. Reaching speeds of 60 mph, you will careen down this 1500 feet long line, enjoying some really spectacular views of the surroundings. A grade level of 34% also makes this one of the steepest ziplines on the planet.
Whistler, British Columbia
Originally built for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, the giant zipline in Whistler, British Columbia lets you enjoy a multitude of lines running from 200 to 1000 feet as you pass through a striking landscape that changes with the season. Come summer and you will be treated to views of the tree covered forests and flowing creeks while a ride in winter would let you enjoy frozen lakes and snow covered mountain slopes. The highlight of this zipline however, it its freestyle line that lets you hang upside down as you ride it. Definitely not for the faint hearted!
ZipFlyer –Sarangkot, Nepal
Considered to be the most extreme zipline on the planet, the ZipFlyer in Nepal lets you fly down a snow covered mountain for nearly 2000 feet. The line has a grade of 56% which would let you reach speeds like 99 mph easily. All of two minutes, the ride boasts of offering spectacular views of the Himalayas as well as the Seti River, if you can keep your eyes open that is.
Amazonia Expedition, Tamshiyacu – Tahuayo, Peru
The Amazonia Expedition boasts of being the longest zipline in the Amazon and is offered by only one tour company that is authorized to enter the Tamshiyachu- Tahuayo Reserve. The best thing about this zipline is that it lets you control the speed, meaning you can slow down or stop at regular intervals to take pictures of the surrounding scenery.
Summary
Take your pick from the most adventurous and exhilarating ziplines mentioned in the list above. It would be an adrenaline rushing experience for sure.