Picture this: you’re harnessed into a contraption that’s attached to a rope and you’re standing at the top of a tall platform, ready to fling yourself into the abyss. You take a deep breath and step (or maybe get a helpful push) off the edge. The wind rushes past and your heart races. You soar through the air like a superhero, careening through the trees abs over the rooftops below.
YOU'RE ON A ZIPLINE!
Also known as a Flying Fox, Aerial Rope Slide, Tyrolean Crossing or our particular favorite: Death Slide. The ZipLine has become one of the most popular adventure activities in the world, but did you know that its origins are somewhat murky? Since we gave it a go recently, we thought, this week, we’d take a brief flight through the history of the zipline.
Legend has it that the first zipline was created by a group of drunken pirates who were looking for a way to transport their stolen booty from their ship to a nearby island. They rigged up a series of ropes and pulleys between the two locations, then took turns sliding down the line, whooping and hollering all the way.
This first high-wire act is all just speculation. The truth is, no one knows exactly where or when the first zipline was invented. Some historians believe that ancient tribes in the mountains of China and India used ropes and baskets to transport goods across treacherous terrain, and that this eventually evolved into a form of transportation for people as well.
Others point to the invention of the cable car as a precursor to the zipline. The first cable car was built in the early 1800’s to transport mining equipment and workers up and down the steep mountainsides of Europe. It wasn’t long before thrill-seekers started using the cable cars for recreation, and the idea of using a cable to ride through the air was born.
The first recorded use of the zipline as a form of entertainment was possibly in 1739 when Robert Cadman, a British steeplejack and tight rope walker, died while descending from Shrewsbury’s St. Mary’s Church when his rope snapped.
Fast forward to the 20th century and the zipline, as we know it today, began to take shape. The first commercial zip line was built in Costa Rica in the 1970’s as a way for biologists to study the rainforest canopy. Soon, adventure-seekers caught on to the thrill of gliding through the treetops, and ziplines began popping up all over the world.
At first, zip lines were fairly basic affairs. They consisted of a single cable strung between two points, with a simple harness or seat attached to the cable. Riders would sit or lie down on the harness, hang on tight, and zip down the line. It was a bit like a low-budget amusement park ride, but with a serious adrenaline rush.
As the technology and popularity of zip-lining grew, so did the complexity of the lines. Multiple cables were strung together, creating longer and more intricate courses that snaked through the forest canopy. Specialized harnesses were designed to provide maximum comfort and safety, and braking systems were added to slow riders down as they approached the end of the line.
Today, zip-lining is a multi-billion-dollar industry, with millions of people around the world trying it out every year. It’s no longer just an activity for hardcore adventurers. Zipline operators go to great lengths to create unique and exciting experiences.
The current world’s longest zipline is the “Jebel Jais Flight” in the United Arab
Emirates with a single unbroken span of 2,831 meters (9,290 ft.).
The steepest zipline in the world is the ZipFlyer in Nepal with a maximum incline of 56% and a vertical drop of 610 meters (2,000 ft.).
On his 106th birthday in 2018, British great-grandfather, Jack Reynolds, became the oldest person to ride a zipline.
So, from drunken pirates to modern day thrill seekers, the evolution of this high-flying activity is as wild and unpredictable as the rides themselves. But whatever you believe about the invention and history of zip-lining, one thing’s for sure – it’s here to stay and we highly recommend you give it a try! And if you happen to find yourself screaming like a banshee while you’re soaring through the air, dangling by a thread, well that’s just part of the fun!
Here’s links to a couple zipline operators around the world you might want to drop in on:
Sky Trek – Monteverde, Costa Rica: https://skyadventures.travel/monteverde/skytrek/
The Umauma Zipline – Hawaii, USA:
XLine – Dubai, United Arab Emirates:
Waiheke Island, New Zealand:
Flying Ravana – Ella, Sri Lanka:
Comment below or better yet, head over to our Activities Forum and tell us all about the exciting zipline adventures you've had!
Okay, so I have to use a quote from my newest favorite movie….. “are you fecking joking me?, I mean are you fecking joking me?”
Listen being jettisoned from a the top top of a tree on a rope in areas that “safety laws” might be suspect (by the way, including the good ‘ole US of A, heck we can’t even guarantee food safety in restaurants on a consistent basis), appeals to me at a rate of -100 miles per hour, which is to say, Hell No!
The dangers are many; untrimmed tree branches, under trimmed tree branches, flying birds, cable breaks, under-maintained cables….
I had a friend in Costa Rica break and arm because the person ahead of her…