I have been making an effort to add more adventure to my life. So when my friends asked if I wanted to go ziplining with them on my visit to Honduras, I said yes, of course. They in fact had created a packed itinerary of activities and I totally trusted them with all the planning. This trust may have been a little premature.
On our way to the zipline site, someone mentioned it was the highest zipline in Central America. That did not register with me. I guess I figured all ziplines were pretty high so what difference would it make? Trust me, it makes a difference.
When we arrived at the site, there was a sign and a long stone stairway leading downward. We all looked at the sign and then proceeded down the stairs. When we got to the bottom we were standing on the first zip platform. I looked out at the line going across and then looked down and saw a very very deep ravine. It was incredibly far down. Logically, I know there isn't much difference between falling 200 feet or a 1000 feet..you will be hurt badly no matter what. But looking down and not even really seeing the bottom made me wonder if this was the right decision. My stomach was already in knots but I tried to steel myself and continue looking down. One of my friends looked at me for a little while and then quietly said "you gonna do this?" and I quietly responded "yes," but I'm not sure if even I believed me.
There was no office and there was no one around at all...just our group of friends (about 8 of us) and we were all walking around the initial platform getting a feel for what our experience would be. I wasn't the only one who was nervous. I secretly hoped the reason no one was around was because it was a holiday or they were closed. But friends who were actually happy about this adventure persisted and called the number on the sign a few times until someone answered. They would be there in about 20 minutes. So we all wandered around the site and waited.
I decided I might as well take a picture and try to get myself feeling a little more brave. The sign says something like "if you're completely insane..."
This one is a view from the first zip platform:
And this one as well:
Once my friends started going, I realized I didn't want to be the last one so I just threw myself in the line and hoped I wouldn't get sick or otherwise embarrass myself. When it was my turn, the young guy who was helping me get hooked up to the line was really nice and encouraging. As I moved off the ledge and began floating across the ravine an overwhelming sense of calm took over. Maybe my brain knew that panic would not be helpful and instead threw a bunch of calming chemicals at me or maybe the security of the metal cable line was enough for me to feel safe and enjoy the beautiful view, the freeing feeling and the lovely breeze on the hot day. After that first zip, the rest of the lines were relaxing. Turned out, the first one was the highest and scariest.
Our company summit was the week following and we also had plans to zipline in Copan during the summit. Once we tackled La Campa, I knew the other one would be no problem.
This is me getting ready for the Copan zipline:
Duking it out with my co-worker before we set out for the zipline.
We got more gear (gloves and helmet) because this zipline was a bit more lo-fi as it had no braking system set up. The gloves are used for you to brake yourself when you get to the end of the line. This was a new concept for me and it was a little difficult on some of the steeper runs. My arms hurt for a few days after.
One of our guides grabbed a camera and zipped backwards in front of me to capture this video. All of our guides were a little crazy...and super fun!
!
I guess the moral of this little adventure is to do the things that frighten you. Even when your head is saying no, no, no...let your heart prevail and throw you off the cliff into what could be the softest cloud.
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@Deanna2000 - More about me? See my Intro Post.
