Ziplining has been around for quite a while, and many individuals are courageous enough to take on the daring struggle to do such an adrenaline-rushing activity. In the previous times of Ancient China, zip wires as they called them, were used at the Nujiang Valley of Yunnan Province. This area offers rivers, mountains, and valleys. Since they didn’t have the gear we’ve got in contemporary times, it was hard to cross the rivers safely. Zip cables were the response to safely crossing the rivers instead of swimming and utilizing ferry rides. For this day, some of those first lines remain and are being replaced with modern-day ziplines.
Ziplines have existed for centuries in one form or another, however, they didn’t gain popularity until the ’70s when wildlife biologists working in Central America began pruning cables from tree to tree into easily maneuver about the tropical rainforest canopy. That system allowed scientists to examine the local ecosystems without destroying the flora and fauna on the rainforest floor. This led to the first rise in canopy and zipline tours — as a way of ecotourism.
Nowadays, clearly, there’s been less and less emphasis on the ecotourism aspect of ziplining and more and more about the utter delight of the experience. As such, the zipline industry is rapidly growing and as quickly evolving. There’s a lot of rivalries as zipline attractions strive to outdo or one-up every other in terms of height, speed and distance.
Ziplining attractions are available in many locations around the world, which means you are bound to see a different source of scenery where you go. In modern times, most folks zipline for the excitement and enjoyable experience. Here are some surprising facts you May Not have known about ziplining:
- In America, the state that has the most ziplines is North Carolina. The Tarheel nation has 24 commercial ziplines.
- 72 countries and six continents in the world have commercials ziplines.
- The most individuals to go down a single zipline in 1 hour was 183 — achieved by ACE adventure resort in West Virginia on June 3, 2012.
- You’re able to travel internationally on ziplines. For example, if you want to cross the Guadiana River which is the border between Spain and Portugal, you will have to use a zipline to do so.
- The Limite Zero Zipline crosses the Guadiana River from Spain to Portugal.
- Ziplines in Costa Rica generate approximately $120 million in annual earnings.
- In New Zealand & Australia, a zipline is popularly called a”fly fox.”
- Ziplines are also called Zippy’s, zip wires, aerial runways, aerial rope slides, Tyrolean traverses or alternative tours.
- Kids in the Hongdae village in China utilise a zipline to cross a 460-foot profound and 260-foot wide gorge to journey to and from college.
- At New Zealand, Australia and Malaysia, a zip line Is Popularly Called a “flying fox.” A flying fox park in Victoria, in particular, is popular with local residents and visitors alike.
- The word Zip comes from the idea of an object having to move at a high speed.
- In some areas of rural China, children use zip lines to their educational institution. For example, students from Maji Township use these zip lines to cross the Nujiang river.
- How Does It Work? So, you’ve got a lineup tied at a slope. Now, what is the next step? How would you make it so that you can slide down fast enough to be fun and exhilarating? The answer lies in the pulley that attaches to the cable or rope.
- Ziplines can also be known as zippy’s, zip wires, aerial runways, aerial rope slides, or canopy tours.
- The Invisible Man Ziplined–H.G. Wells said ziplines from the novel The Invisible Man.
- The founder of modern zip-lining had written a book about his life experience using the zip line while studying the jungle at Costa Rica. The book is titled Life Above The Jungle Floor. This publication finally became an inspiration for the 1992 film Medicine Man, which features Sean Connery flying through the jungle on ziplines.
