The treehouse hurtled into full view as I sped along at nearly sixty miles an hour over the forest floor, some 131 feet below. I didn’t feel it at the time, but my camera, which had been stuffed into a cargo pocket, had been loosened when I snugged up my harness.
It bailed out and did a graceful Hail Mary all the way to the forest floor. Which is why, sadly, I have no photos of my own from the Gibbon Experience in Laos.
As I approached the landing at speed, I reached up and clasped the brakes. Slowed down, and gently dismounted.
Others weren’t so fortunate. I watched one woman burn in, mesmerized by the closing speed, and smash her ankle when she put her feet out to stop herself. She never once tried to use the brakes.
Frankly, some folks do not belong on such trips. I’m sorry she hurt herself. She got the same training the rest of us did. She never bothered to use it properly. That’s an awful way to end a vacation. Still…
Fair warning, this is an unapologetic rant.
The ziplines at the Gibbon Experience are very long(up to 1800 feet) and very high. That’s the draw. You build up one hell of a lot of speed. You’re on your own for braking and landings. I love those odds. I’m comfortable at altitude and confident in my abilities. I don’t…