No doubt about it, zip lines are just plain fun! And some of the best are found at Mt. Sunapee Adventure Park.
Before we get into those zip lines at Mt. Sunapee, let’s take a look at some of the reasons zip lines are so popular.
If you want to fly but don’t think hang gliding or bungee jumping are for you, zip lines are the way to go. They are an alternative that is both safe and a lot of fun. You have the options of sailing through forest canopies or down the sides of mountains at speeds up to 100 mph! All safely tethered to a strong support cable.
Zip lines are also called flying foxes or zip wires. The flying foxes are typically lower to the ground and are slower. These may be better choices for kids and those of you who are newcomers to the sport.
Adventure levels zip lines take you down mountainsides, across gorges, and through the canopies of jungles. They may be up to thirty feet off the ground and run for fifteen hundred feet.
Most zip lines consist of stainless steel aircraft cable stretched between two points. They start off higher than the landing in order to reach thrilling speeds at the end. The speed increases until the rider reaches the lowest point on the line. Here, the speed drops off, giving the rider an easier landing.
Riding a zip line is very safe. The rider is connected to the zip line by a trolley. This is a metal box with several pulleys inside. Each rider is also protected by a harness and safety line.
A helmet and heavy gloves are also used to protect the rider’s head and hands. Long sleeves and long pants are often needed to protect against scrapes from branches or the ends of tree limbs.
The Canopy Zip Line Tour on Mt. Sunapee’s south peak has a series of zip lines as well as rope bridges and rappelling. Eight zip lines in all culminate in a dual zip line for the last one thousand feet. This ends in the landing behind the Adventure Center and a rappel down from there. The entire tour covers about three-fourths of a mile through an evergreen canopy. The full tour with eight riders takes about two and a half hours.
When you decide to take advantage of the Mt. Sunapee area and riding the zip lines, there is no better place to stay than Follansbee Inn. The ideal bed and breakfast to come home to in the Sunapee/Dartmouth region is Follansbee Inn. Call 603.927.4221. Or visit www.follansbeeinn.com. Come see us along the shores of Kezar Lake for an enjoyable and relaxing time.
