Zip line

Last updated
A person on a zip-line Texas Zip liner 5430.JPG
A person on a zip-line
Zip-lining in Costa Rica, January 2005 Zip-line over rainforest canopy 4 January 2005, Costa Rica.jpg
Zip-lining in Costa Rica, January 2005

A zip-line, zip line, zip-wire, flying fox, or death slide [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] is a pulley suspended on a cable, usually made of stainless steel, mounted on a slope. It is designed to enable cargo or a person propelled by gravity to travel from the top to the bottom of the inclined cable by holding on to, or being attached to, the freely moving pulley. It has been described as essentially a Tyrolean traverse that engages gravity to assist its speed of movement. [5] Its use is not confined to adventure sport, recreation, or tourism, although modern-day usage tends to favor those meanings. [7]

Contents

History

Ropeways or aerial cables have been used as a method of transport in some mountainous countries for more than 2,000 years, possibly starting in China, India and Japan as early as 250 BC, [8] remaining in use in some remote areas in China such as Nujiang (Salween) valley in Yunnan as late as 2015 before being replaced by bridges. [9] Not all of these structures were assisted by gravity, so not all fitted the definition of the zip-line. [8]

Various technological advances in Europe in the Middle Ages improved the power-line's ropeways, some of which were still assisted by gravity. [8]

The first recorded use of the zip-line as a form of entertainment was possibly in 1739, when Robert Cadman, a steeplejack and rope slider, died when descending from Shrewsbury's St Mary's Church when his rope snapped. In literature, one appears in H. G. Wells's 1897 novel The Invisible Man as part of a Whit Monday fair: "On the village green an inclined string, down which, clinging the while to a pulley-swung handle, one could be hurled violently against a sack at the other end, came in for considerable favour among the adolescent..." [10]

Some sources attribute the development of zip-lines used today as a vacation activity to the Tyrolean traverses developed for mountaineering purposes. [5]

In the Australian outback, zip-lines were sometimes used for delivering necessities to people working in or on the other side of a valley, and they may have been used in conflicts by Australian troops to deliver food, mail and even ammunition to forward positions. [11] [5] [12]

Current uses

Zip-line across river chasm in Ladakh, India Flying foxes across river chasm in Ladakh.jpg
Zip-line across river chasm in Ladakh, India

As a means of transport

Yungas, Bolivia, features a system of zip-lines used for transporting harvested crops, mainly coca, across a valley 200 m below. [13] [14] They can also be seen in the Ladakh region of India.

In recent years, there has been renewed interest in the use of aerial ropeways for transporting cargo, partly due to their low energy requirements and environmental impact. Gravity-fed types, i.e. zip-lines, have been built in Nepal, [15] Latin America and India. [8]

Ziplines have also been used as a means of transporting items in Australian regions in the past. These may include ammunition, weapons, tools, food, and mail. [16]

Recreation

Children's adventure playgrounds

Flying fox at Gungahlin, Canberra, Australia Flying Fox cablecar Canberra, Australia.jpg
Flying fox at Gungahlin, Canberra, Australia

Zip-lines may be designed for children's play and found on some adventure playgrounds. Inclines are fairly shallow and so the speeds kept relatively low, negating the need for a means of stopping. [11] The term "flying fox" is commonly used in reference to such a small-scale zip-line in Australia, New Zealand, and Scotland. [17] [18] [19] With playground equipment, the pulleys are fixed to the cable, the user typically hanging onto a handgrip underneath, but occasionally including a seat or a safety strap. Return of the grip or seat is usually done by simply pushing or pulling it via a short wire back to the top of the hill on foot.

Canopy tours and adventure zip-lining

Hocking Peaks Adventure Park, Logan, Ohio Hocking Peaks Adventure Park, Logan, Ohio.jpg
Hocking Peaks Adventure Park, Logan, Ohio

Longer and higher rides are often used as a means of accessing remote areas, such as a rainforest canopy. In the 1970s, wildlife biologists set up zip-lines as a way to study and explore the dense rainforests of Costa Rica without disturbing the environment. The business idea for zip-line canopy tours developed from these. Darren Hreniuk, a Canadian citizen who moved to Costa Rica in 1992, around the same time that a scene in the film Medicine Man incorporated the treetop rides, with the goal of using canopy tours to help raise awareness for reforestation, education and socio-economic development in the surrounding areas. [5] In October 1998, the Costa Rican Patent Office granted patent No. 2532 for an "Elevated Forest Transport System Propelled by Gravity, Using Harness and Pulley Through a Simple Horizontal Line" to Hreniuk. The patent was later annulled, bringing uncertainty to zip-line businesses, before being reinstated after twenty years. [20] [21]

A canopy tour (sometimes called a zip-line tour) provides a route through a wooded, and often mountainous, landscape, making primary use of zip-lines and aerial bridges between platforms built in trees. Tourists are harnessed to a cable for safety, and many are restricted to adults. Heights vary from near to the ground to near the treetops. [22] Canopy tours are largely marketed under the banner of ecotourism, although the environmental impact of any type of zip-line is a disputed topic. [23]

The terminology varies (canopy tour, zip-lining, flying fox), and the distinction between using zip-lines for ecotourism and zip-lining as an adventure sport is often not clear. [24] Zip-line tours are now popular vacation activities, found both at upscale resorts and at outdoor adventure camps, where they may be an element on a larger challenge such as a hike or ropes course. [25] [26]

Operation

Mechanism

Departure zip SuperFly in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada Departure zip SuperFly in Whistler, BC, Canada.jpg
Departure zip SuperFly in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada

A type of pulley with a grooved wheel known as a sheave is used in zip-lines, and the pulley turns as it travels along, thus reducing friction and enabling greater speed than would otherwise be possible. [27]

The zip-line trolley ("zipliner") is the frame or assembly together with the pulley inside that run along the cable. [28] Zip-lines also have some kind of device to allow the cargo or rider to attach to the pulley system. This could include a harness, seat, a cabin or often just a handhold in smaller playground applications, that attaches to the pulley by a pivoting link or carabiner which secures the load, allowing the person or cargo to travel down the line.

Braking

Zip-line spring braking system Zip line spring braking system.jpg
Zip-line spring braking system

To be propelled by gravity, the cable needs to be on a fairly steep slope. Even then, the rider or cargo will often not travel completely to the end (although this will depend on the load), and some means of safely stopping the car at the bottom end is usually needed with the larger zip-lines. Users of zip-lines must have some means of stopping themselves. [27] Typical mechanisms include: [29]

  • Friction created between the pulley against the cable.
  • Thick, purpose-built leather gloves.
  • A mat or netting at the lower end of the incline.
  • A passive arrester system composed of springs, pulleys, counterweights, bungee cord, tire or other devices, which slows and then stops the trolley's motion.
  • A "capture block" which is a block on the cable tethered to a rope controlled by a person who can manually apply friction on the rope to slow the user down.
  • Gravity stop, exploiting the sag in the cable, where the belly of the cable is always lower than the termination point. The amount of net incline in a zip-line system affects the speed at which the user arrives at the termination point.
  • Hand brake at the end of the zip-line.

Safety

There are certain precautions that can be taken. Riders are physically attached to the cable by a harness which attaches to a removable trolley. A helmet is required on almost all courses of any size. All zip-line cables have some degree of sag, so the proper tensioning of a cable is important and allows tuning the ride of a zip-line.

Records

Zip-lining through rainforest at San Lorenzo in San Ramon (canton) Ziplining through rainforest at Canopy San Lorenzo in San Ramon, Costa Rica.jpg
Zip-lining through rainforest at San Lorenzo in San Ramón (canton)
Rescuing a stuck zip-liner Rescuing a stuck zipliner at Canopy San Lorenzo in San Ramon, Costa Rica.jpg
Rescuing a stuck zip-liner

Longest

The world's longest zip-line that opened on 28 September 2024 is the K3 of the SA Forest Adventures in Caledon, South Africa. It is a single cable of 3.2 km reaching speeds up to 120km/h. [30]

From 31 January 2018 it was the 'Jebel Jais Flight' from one of the peaks of the Jebel Jais mountain in Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates, with a single unbroken span of 2,831.88 metres (9,290.9 ft). [31] [32] The ride was temporarily closed pending the outcome into an investigation into the crash of an Agusta 139 rescue helicopter on 29 December 2018, killing all on board. It is believed to have clipped one of the cables. [33] The ride has since re-opened. [34]

The "Parque de Aventura Barrancas del Cobre" at 2,545 m (8,350 ft) in Copper Canyon, Mexico, is the second-longest span, [35] with "El Monstruo" at Orocovis in Puerto Rico coming in third, at 2,530 m (8,300 ft). [36]

The Skywire at Bluewater in Kent is the longest in England at 725 metres (2,379 ft). [37] The longest zip-line in Europe, at 2,300 metres (7,500 ft), is the Sternsauser in Hoch-Ybrig, Switzerland. [38]

The Zip World Bethesda line in Penrhyn Quarry, Bethesda, Wales holds the world record for attaining the fastest zip-line travel speed. [39] [40]

Steepest

Zip-lines with the steepest inclines include:

Oldest person to ride a zip-line

Highest elevation zipline

The La Tyrolienne in Val Thorens, France is the highest altitude zipline, at 10,600 feet. [46]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Funicular</span> Form of cable railway

A funicular is a type of cable railway system that connects points along a railway track laid on a steep slope. The system is characterized by two counterbalanced carriages permanently attached to opposite ends of a haulage cable, which is looped over a pulley at the upper end of the track. The result of such a configuration is that the two carriages move synchronously: as one ascends, the other descends at an equal speed. This feature distinguishes funiculars from inclined elevators, which have a single car that is hauled uphill.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conveyor belt</span> Close-loop rubber band used in motorized conveying system

A conveyor belt is the carrying medium of a belt conveyor system. A belt conveyor system is one of many types of conveyor systems. A belt conveyor system consists of two or more pulleys, with a closed loop of carrying medium—the conveyor belt—that rotates about them. One or both of the pulleys are powered, moving the belt and the material on the belt forward. The powered pulley is called the drive pulley while the unpowered pulley is called the idler pulley. There are two main industrial classes of belt conveyors; Those in general material handling such as those moving boxes along inside a factory and bulk material handling such as those used to transport large volumes of resources and agricultural materials, such as grain, salt, coal, ore, sand, overburden and more.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cable transport</span> Class of transport modes

Cable transport is a broad class of transport modes that have cables. They transport passengers and goods, often in vehicles called cable cars. The cable may be driven or passive, and items may be moved by pulling, sliding, sailing, or by drives within the object being moved on cableways. The use of pulleys and balancing of loads moving up and down are common elements of cable transport. They are often used in mountainous areas where cable haulage can overcome large differences in elevation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aerial tramway</span> Aerial lift in which the cars are permanently fixed to the cables

An aerial tramway, aerial tram, sky tram, aerial cablecar, aerial cableway, telepherique, or seilbahn is a type of aerial lift which uses one or two stationary ropes for support while a third moving rope provides propulsion. With this form of lift, the grip of an aerial tramway cabin is fixed onto the propulsion rope and cannot be decoupled from it during operations. In comparison to gondola lifts, aerial tramways generally provide lower line capacities and longer wait times.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gondola lift</span> Aerial transport by cable

A gondola lift is a means of cable transport and type of aerial lift which is supported and propelled by cables from above. It consists of a loop of steel wire rope that is strung between two stations, sometimes over intermediate supporting towers. The cable is driven by a bullwheel in a terminal, which is typically connected to an engine or electric motor. It is often considered a continuous system since it features a haul rope which continuously moves and circulates around two terminal stations. In contrast, an aerial tramway operates solely with fixed grips and simply shuttles back and forth between two end terminals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chairlift</span> Type of aerial lift

An elevated passenger ropeway, or chairlift, is a type of aerial lift, which consists of a continuously circulating steel wire rope loop strung between two end terminals and usually over intermediate towers, carrying a series of chairs. They are the primary on-hill transport at most ski areas, but are also found at amusement parks and various tourist attractions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aerial lift</span> Method of cable transport

An aerial lift, also known as a cable car or ropeway, is a means of cable transport in which cabins, cars, gondolas, or open chairs are hauled above the ground by means of one or more cables. Aerial lift systems are frequently employed in a mountainous territory where roads are relatively difficult to build and use, and have seen extensive use in mining. Aerial lift systems are relatively easy to move and have been used to cross rivers and ravines. In more recent times, the cost-effectiveness and flexibility of aerial lifts have seen an increase of gondola lift being integrated into urban public transport systems.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Singapore Cable Car</span> Gondola link near Sentosa, Singapore

The Singapore Cable Car is a gondola lift in Singapore, providing an aerial link from Mount Faber on Singapore Island to the resort island of Sentosa across the Keppel Harbour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cable railway</span> Railway that uses a cable, rope or chain to haul trains

A cable railway is a railway that uses a cable, rope or chain to haul trains. It is a specific type of cable transportation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canopy walkway</span> Elevated walkway

Canopy walkways – also called canopy walks, treetop walks or treetop walkways – provide pedestrian access to a forest canopy. Early walkways consisted of bridges between trees in the canopy of a forest; mostly linked up with platforms inside or around the trees. They were originally intended as access to the upper regions of ancient forests for scientists conducting canopy research. Eventually, because they provided only limited, one-dimensional access to the trees, they were abandoned for canopy cranes. Today they serve as ecotourism attractions in places such as Dhlinza Forest, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, Taman Negara National Park, Malaysia, Sedim River, Kulim, Nyungwe National Park, Rwanda and Kakum National Park, Ghana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Material ropeway</span>

A material ropeway, ropeway conveyor is a subtype of gondola lift, from which containers for goods rather than passenger cars are suspended.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Schauinslandbahn</span>

The Schauinslandbahn is a gondola lift in the Black Forest area of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It links a lower station in the municipality of Horben, near the city of Freiburg im Breisgau, with an upper station near the summit of the Schauinsland mountain. The line is operated by VAG Freiburg, the city transport operator for Freiburg. The same company operates that city's tram and bus network, including bus route 21 that links the lower station of the Schauinslandbahn to the terminus of tram route 2 at Günterstal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Llechwedd Slate Caverns</span> Tourist attraction in Gwynedd, Wales

Llechwedd is a visitor attraction near Blaenau Ffestiniog, Gwynedd, Wales. It details the history of slate quarrying in the town and specifically the Llechwedd quarry in which it is located. The main aspect of Llechwedd is its Llechwedd Deep Mine Tour which has the steepest narrow gauge railway in the UK and travels over 500 feet underground to the disused slate caverns, and the Quarry Explorer Tour which heads out to the furthest reaches of the Llechwedd site to explore the history of mining in the area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Surface lift</span> Type of cable transport for snow sports

A surface lift is a type of cable transport for snow sports in which skiers and snowboarders remain on the ground as they are pulled uphill. While they were once prevalent, they have been overtaken in popularity by higher-capacity and higher-comfort aerial lifts, such as chairlifts and gondola lifts. Today, surface lifts are most often found on beginner slopes, small ski areas, and peripheral slopes. They are also often used to access glacier ski slopes because their supports can be anchored in glacier ice due to the lower forces and realigned due to glacier movement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adventure park</span> Park with recreational activities

An adventure park is a place which can contain a wide variety of elements, including but not limited to, rope climbing exercises, obstacle courses, bouldering, rock climbing, target oriented activities, and zip-lines. They are usually intended for recreation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Akechidaira Ropeway</span>

The Akechidaira Ropeway is Japanese aerial lift line in Nikkō, Tochigi, operated by Nikkō-Kōtsū. The Tōbu Group company mainly operates bus lines in the city. The observatory has a view of Kegon Falls, Lake Chūzenji, and Mount Nantai. The line opened in 1933, and reopened in 1950.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mega Adventure Park</span> Amusement park on Sentosa Island, Singapore

Mega Adventure Park - Singapore is located on the Sentosa Island, home to several of Singapore's main attractions. The park features the MegaZip flying fox, which spans 450m, flies at 60 km/hour, passing over the island's jungles and beaches. The park also includes a 36-obstacle treetop ropes course (MegaClimb), a 15-meter free fall simulator (MegaJump), and bungee-assisted trampolines (MegaBounce).

Cypress Valley Canopy Tours is an aerial resort located along the Pedernales River in the Texas Hill Country. Founded in 2005, the company offers canopy tours, canopy walks, zip-lining and overnight treehouse accommodations for guests.

Experience Based Learning, also known as EBL, is an Illinois-based Zip-line tour and installation company founded in 1993 by Steven Gustafson. Gustafson served on the board of directors for the standards developer for zip-lines, the Professional Ropes Course Association, as its president until 2015.

References

  1. ↑ Who Really Benefits from Tourism, Publ. Equations, Karnataka, India, 2010. Working Papers Series. "Canopy Tourism", page 37
  2. ↑ Jacques Marais, Lisa De Speville, Adventure Racing, Publisher Human Kinetics, 2004, ISBN   0736059113, 9780736059114, 160 pages, page 156
  3. ↑ "Equitable Tourism Options (EQUATIONS) – Working Paper Series 2009-10". equitabletourism.org. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
  4. ↑ "Foefie slide definition and meaning – Collins English Dictionary". www.collinsdictionary.com. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Outdoor Fun Store. "History of The Zipline". Archived from the original on 25 February 2012. Retrieved 22 January 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  6. ↑ "Death slide definition and meaning, Collins English Dictionary". Collins English Dictionary. HarperCollins Publishers. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
  7. ↑ Based on Google search of the term.
  8. 1 2 3 4 "Aerial ropeways: automatic cargo transport for a bargain". LOW-TECH MAGAZINE, Doubts on progress and technology. Retrieved 28 August 2014.
  9. ↑ "Bye-bye Nujiang ziplines". GoKunming. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
  10. ↑ H.G. Wells (1897). "The Invisible Man: A Grotesque Romance". London: C. Arthur Pearson Ltd. p. 77.
  11. 1 2 "All about Zip Lines". Zipline Consultant. 2018. Archived from the original on 18 August 2018. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
  12. ↑ Although these claims are repeated on several sites, an original reliable source of the information has not been found.
  13. ↑ "The flying men of Yungas Valley". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
  14. ↑ Al Jazeera. "Cocaleros in Bolivia do not walk – they fly". documentary.net. Retrieved 25 January 2019.
  15. ↑ "Aerial Ropeways in Nepal". No Tech Magazine. 12 October 2009. Archived from the original on 4 December 2017. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
  16. ↑ "Zipping Through History: The Origins of the Zipline - Oahu Zipline". oahuzipline. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
  17. ↑ "Zip-Lines, Flying Fox in Australia". Ziplinerider.com. Retrieved 9 August 2012.
  18. ↑ "Zip-Lines, Flying Fox in New Zealand". Ziplinerider.com. Archived from the original on 6 June 2012. Retrieved 9 August 2012.
  19. ↑ "Flying Fox, Zip lines in Scottish Outdoor Education Centres". soec.org.uk. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
  20. ↑ Abogados, CastroPal (10 November 2018). "Costa Rica – patent leaves canopy tours dangling". Archived from the original on 22 January 2019. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
  21. ↑ Anders, Wendy (1 June 2017). "Canopy Patent Reinstated to Canadian Man in Costa Rica After 20 Year Legal Battle". Costa Rica Star. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
  22. ↑ Friedland, Lois (22 November 2017). "Take a Zipline or Canopy Tour". Tripsavvy. Archived from the original on 1 July 2018. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  23. ↑ Kershner, Kate. "How zip lines work: History of zip lines". howstuffworks. Archived from the original on 29 June 2018. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  24. ↑ "Zipline locations". Zipline Rider. Archived from the original on 23 January 2019. Retrieved 24 January 2019.; also a number of commercial sites such as Adrenaline: Flying fox & tree adventures, Adventure America: Zipline canopy tours
  25. ↑ Thayer, Matthew (September–October 2008). "Don't Look Down!". Maui No Ka 'Oi Magazine. Maui, Hawaii. Archived from the original on 26 November 2010. Retrieved 9 March 2011.
  26. ↑ Friedland, Lois (25 May 2018). "The most extreme ziplines in America". Archived from the original on 24 January 2019. Retrieved 24 January 2019.
  27. 1 2 Kershner, Kate. "How zip lines work: Physics of zip lines". howstuffworks. Archived from the original on 29 June 2018. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  28. ↑ Some examples can be seen here.
  29. ↑ Roper, Aaron. "Zip Line Braking Methods". ZipLineGear Knowledge Base. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
  30. ↑ Mashamba, Ronewa Jessica (28 September 2024). "'World's longest zip line' launched just outside Cape Town". IOL. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  31. ↑ Lockwood, Rosanna. "UAE claims world's longest zipline". reuters.com. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
  32. ↑ "Longest zip-wire". Guinness World Records. 31 January 2018. Archived from the original on 25 January 2019. Retrieved 25 January 2019.
  33. ↑ "UAE helicopter crash kills four crew on rescue mission near zipline". BBC News. 30 December 2018. Archived from the original on 2 January 2019. Retrieved 25 January 2019.
  34. ↑ visit-jj-admin. "Jais Flight – World's Longest Zipline". Visit Jebel Jais. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
  35. ↑ "Copper Canyon, Mexico Ziprider". Ziprider.com. Archived from the original on 29 December 2015. Retrieved 29 December 2015., http://parktropa.com/our-works-en/zipline/
  36. ↑ Abney, Clay (10 May 2018). "Take flight on the 3 longest zip-lines in the world". The Manual. Archived from the original on 25 January 2019. Retrieved 25 January 2019.
  37. ↑ Woolston, Hope; Delahaye, Julie (19 March 2021). "England's 'longest and fastest' zip wire set to open in May". mirror. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
  38. ↑ "Seilrutsche «Sternensauser»" (in German). Retrieved 15 July 2024.
  39. ↑ "The 100 MPH slide; Riding Europe's Longest Zipline". Archived from the original on 13 April 2014. Retrieved 3 July 2016.
  40. ↑ "Zip World Velocity". Archived from the original on 15 August 2016. Retrieved 3 July 2016.
  41. ↑ Rizzo, Cailey (11 December 2017). "The world's steepest zip line offers breathtaking views over St. Martin". Smithsonian.com. Archived from the original on 29 January 2018. Retrieved 25 January 2019.
  42. ↑ "Become hero of Planica" . Retrieved 18 September 2015.
  43. ↑ "HGnepal Website". Archived from the original on 9 July 2012. Retrieved 4 July 2012.
  44. ↑ "Longest Zip Lines". ziplinerider.com. Archived from the original on 30 April 2012. Retrieved 17 April 2012.
  45. ↑ Swatman, Rachel (18 September 2018). "106-year-old sets birthday zip wire record – after getting tattoo and riding rollercoaster". Guinness World Records. Archived from the original on 28 January 2019. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
  46. ↑ "The World's Highest Zipline Will Take You to the Slopes at the World's Best Ski Resort" . Retrieved 1 October 2021.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.