Philippines Highlights - My First (ever) Zipline

     On Thursday, May 28, I got a real feel for the adventure this trip would prove to be!  We visited a local resort called Papa Kit's which is located about 10 minutes north of Consolacion in a town called Liloan.  Papa Kit's is one of the nicest resorts we visited on this trip and I will blog about that later on.  One thing they have there is a Zip Line listed as being 800 Meters Long (that's over half a mile!).  To be truthful is is split into two lines, one going out to an island and the other coming back.

View from below the launch tower across 1/4 mile of open water to the landing area and return tower

Harness on and ready!

      Let me just preface this commentary by saying that I have a rule in my life that goes something like this;  "Never engage in a Risky activity in a country with no clear Safety Standards!".  So you can imagine my reaction when Daisy (my personal activity coordinator for the trip) announced that "We" were going to go on the zip line.  Then she told me that I was going first (to which I predicted that there would be no second) and sent me to get the harness gear on.   I started to protest but remembering that my kids were there I kept it under my breath.  I really was not confident that going on a zip line in the Philippines was a wise idea!

     I looked around carefully at the tower and cables, how it was all put together and how the cables were secured to the ground and found it all looked pretty solid.  They had two cables, one main and one backup which helped.  What did not help was our shuttle van driver (who worked for the resort) pointing out how "the line is completely over water so if you fall you will still live"... yikes!  Setting that aside and wanting my boys to have a good example of how not to be afraid to try new things I went to be fitted with the harness set.  I became a bit more at ease when I checked out the harness and found it good quality and US Made by Black Diamond. 

     With my harness on we moved over to the base of the tower which was a little over 50 feet high to the platform (the base of the tower was on a bluff at least that high above the water line) with 6 flights of stairs about 8 feet each.  I had my activities coordinator come along to document this madness in photos (on more than one occasion during this trip I have lamented not having a Go Pro video camera with me and this was one of them).  As predicted upon reaching the platform and looking out across the water my darling Daisy said "Maybe I Won't Go..." in a quiet little voice (tee hee!). 
     After a couple quick pictures at the top it was time to jump off the edge.  One of the guides went first on the other line (they have 2 side by side zip lines) to prepare for my arrival while the other sat me on the start platform and started getting all the pulleys and safety straps in place.  Once the other guide signaled the all clear I scooted to the edge of the bench and eased off into the abyss.
     Wow what a rush!  I had been thinking it would somehow be rough and scary, but instead it was smooth as glass (noisy glass with the pulley whining for all it was worth under my weight) and fast as greased lightning!  I lay back and screamed to Andrew and Aaron to watch and enjoyed the ride all the way across.  The process of stopping 270 lbs of blubber going full speed on a zip line is a little rough, but owing to my careful attention to all the instruction I received I had a solid grip on the harness connection cable and came in for landing safe and sound. 

The first zip line out to the island,  from about 100 feet high and over 1/4 mile long!

 

At the end of the second zip line... all done!

     The second leg was not as fast as the first with only about 2/3 of the drop since the island end did
not have the high bluff to start from,  But still a really fun ride!  After climbing the steps back up to the base of the start tower Daisy asked if I wanted to go again since we had another ticket left,  but all of those stairs had taken all the energy I thought I could spare so I called it good with one ride.  I am so glad I decided not to wimp out!  It was an amazing experience and one I will never forget.  And I am sure my children will follow my lead as they grow and be willing to try new things and experience the world around them up close and personal!