I am standing high, high above the ground on a wooden platform on the peak. After a moment of hesitation I jump out into nothing. Suddenly I find myself flying above the ravine, hanging in nothing but a harness. The ride is fast, I feel giddy and I can’t help screaming. The wonderful sensation of an adrenalin kick fills my body.
I have just done my first ride in Åre’s zipline park and when I come to the end, I want to go again, and again and again – which is possible since the Zipline system in Åre is the biggest in Europe. Here are eight courses of varying lengths. You choose between two lines: a black and more challenging one and a green line, also suitable for younger children.
The instructors take care of everything
I am of course going on the black line which starts at the top station of the VM6 chairlift. It consists of four steel wires, the longest is 350 metres long and in part you travel as high as 60 metres above the ground.
Our instructors Urban and Martin make this into a great pleasure. They strap us in the harnesses, they check that everything is in place, they hook us on to the wire, tell us when to go, and stop us at the finish. And between the rides we are treated to a so-called eco-tour, when Urban tells us about the nature and history in Åre.
Hanging upside down
After riding the first section I am so very confident. This was just great fun, not difficult or scary. But this is before Martin and Urban suddenly demand that we do acrobatics…
We are told to hang upside down – without bending our backs like a prawn; something I fail completely. Then we are supposed to jump out without holding on to the harness. This is most unpleasant. And finally we are encouraged to try steering with our arms so that the head goes straight forward – something virtually impossible for a rookie. But great fun it is.
Read more about ZipLine here:
www.campare.se/english
See film from the Zipline Park (swedish):