Fun facts About Ziplining and some less known

While you may not have tried zip lining yourself, we thought it would be fun to share a few facts about this fun adventure sport you may one day wish to try.Our expertise and resources give you an insider’s view on your Costa Rica vacation with exclusive benefits you cannot obtain on your own.

Ziplines are now common for many different occasions including family backyard get-togethers to entertain the little ones, as fundraisers, and even large birthday celebrations. In fact, some people have built mini ziplines in their back yards!

So, how long have ziplines actually been around? While there’s not much historical record of when the first zip line came along, there is ample evidence that people living in mountainous regions – particularly the Himalayas and the Alps strung up zip lines quite early in their culture to both traverse dangerous country and to receive and carry supplies more efficiently.

 

• The longest zip line (as of December 2015) was “Parque de Aventura Barrancas del Cobre” at 2545 m (8,350 ft), is in Copper Canyon, Mexico.
• The steepest in Letalnica bratov Gorišek, which translates Flying hill of Gorišek brothers, in the alpine valley of Slovenia with an average incline of 38.33% (20.9°) and maximum incline at 58.7% (30.5°).
• The second steepest in the world is in Nepal with a 56% incline and a vertical drop of 610m (2,000ft) which makes it the tallest.

So how does it work, It is designed to enable a user propelled by gravity https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravity to travel from the top to the bottom of the inclined cable by holding on to, or attaching to, the freely moving pulley. Zip-lines come in many forms, most often used as a means of entertainment. They may be short and low, intended for children’s play and found on some playgrounds.  Longer and higher rides are often used as a means of accessing remote areas, such as a rainforest canopy.

Zip lining in Costa Rica originally started with the field work of a California State University, Northridge grad student named Donald Perry, who climbed his first tree in Costa Rica in 1974, using a crossbow to shoot a rope into the branches of a 120-foot espavel in the Osa Peninsula, and then climbing it using mountaineering ascenders. He pioneered new methods for climbing into and moving around the rainforest canopy, where the world’s most complex living community, upwards of 40 percent of all life on earth, exists. Not only did Perry figure out how to climb the trees and build observation platforms in them, but also how to move between them at the canopy level, without returning to the ground — something no other scientist on the planet was doing at the time.

It led to the invention of the canopy zip line tour and the Rain Forest Aerial Tram, a billion-dollar industry that delights, thrills and terrifies millions of tourists who enjoy an element of danger, although riding a zip line is completely safe (see our blog post). Many people simply love riding something that gives them a thrill, an element of danger. Since ziplines travel high above the ground, it is a favorite adventure of those who are somewhat daredevils and find the idea of hanging 40 feet in the air while rocketing forward at 40 mph exhilarating.

Zip lines are entertaining – in fact, it is one of the most rapidly growing forms of entertainment in the U.S. It’s super-fun (after the first zip when you have a tight feeling in the stomach and the thought ’I must be mad’), exhilarating, a bit of a challenge, and an experience which leaves a lasting memory of confidence.

Be sure to watch our video and read the zip line instructions when you join us on our Hola Costa Rica Tour. If you book with us, all you have to do is make one simple phone call or send a message and we will handle the rest.

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We listen to our customers, so tell us, what do you want us to know about your visit? We can help you make the arrangements for your flight and answer any questions you may have. If you book with us, all you have to do is make one simple phone call +18009009176 or send a message  and we will handle the rest. Be sure to inquire in advance and check out our tours in Montenegro, Czech Republic and Mexico.

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