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Joined: Jan 2005
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Thanks, Cali. Another question...when you are moving from platform to platform, are you looking around or just hanging on getting to the next place to look? How many platforms? Do you end up in the same place you left from? My group is pushing 60 and some of us are experiencing aging pains from arthritis, tennis elbow, and maybe some other things by February. I'm concerned that the rope is behind your shoulder. Is the gear uncomfortable or does it cause you to be in an uncomfortable position? Are the pads on the platforms there for a soft landing? Should we look for a different excursion? I am pretty wimpy, but will usually cave to peer pressure.
Thanks for explaining it so well! I didn't know enough before to even ask questions.

Joined: Nov 2000
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As you move from platform to platform, depending on the line, you might be screaming your head off, or you might be looking around. You don't end up at the same place you left from.

I can't speak to the zipline in Belize, but I can tell you that as much as I loved the one I went on, and being younger than 60, I still suffered for a few days afterwards. Aside from a few sore stomach muscles, I have a bursitis hip injury from a skiing accident when I was 21. The harness aggravated it and I was in pain for weeks afterwards. So, I guess what I'm saying is, 60 ain't old, if you've been playing tennis everyday for most of your life, but if you've got tennis elbow from something else, and aggravated arthritis, etc . . .um, well, take a pass. And no, the gear is not comfortable. Even the young men were complaining about um, the squeeze.

Look for something more wimpy and your peers will be grateful to you.


A fish and a bird can fall in love, but where will they build their nest?

Joined: Jan 2005
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Thanks, seashell.
My tennis elbow didn't come from playing tennis, unfortunately, and it gets aggravated easily! (It was from painting originally.)
I have already decided that I will be the wimp no matter what, but will pass this info to my friends and let them decide for themselves.

Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 79
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1BKeeper - I have-and had a phobia about heights, and was apprehensive and scared, but it was totally safe. The ONLY thing that was nerve wracking about this experience was the climb UP to the first platform, doing the first ZIP, and the last platform, because of the repel down. The guides are very gentle and accomodating, but if you are stressed the whole time, the experience won't be worth it, for the money, unless you are combining that tour with another one. In my opinion ONLY. If you go to my pics, you will see the equipment that you have to wear, and some of the zips. There is one Zip (out of the 7) that you have to climb up an additional little platform, and it is very awkward, and scary, but they are all almost the same, just distance and height variances. It is definitely an experience you will never forget, and it is totally safe. We did not experience any pain after doing it, and you sit back after being harnessed in to basically slide off the platforms as opposed to "jumping" off of them. The only hair raising part is the repel off the last platform, and as I mentioned before, the guides control your speed down, and it is over before you know it. Also, as seashell said, the "GEAR" is a bit uncomfortable but only because you are strapped into harnesses to connect to the many cables for safety. I hope you have a good time if you decide to do it, but if you don't, no worries as there as so many other wonderful and interesting things to do.

Joined: Nov 2000
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LOL, if you really are 6' tall, that's one reason why your stomach muscles didn't hurt later. I'm only 5'3" inches and I had to jump up to attach to the line, every time, before zipping off to the next platform. Don't get me wrong, I thought it was a blast. Even so, as much as I'm glad I did it, I don't think it was worth the pain I was in (hip) for the rest of my holiday.

Just a point of clarification, when you say that the guides control your speed down, do you mean, they stop you when you reach the next platform? We had to control our own speed (on the line), by leaning back and using our backhand for braking.


A fish and a bird can fall in love, but where will they build their nest?

Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 79
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Hi Seashell - I was talking about the guides have an extra line attached to your speed controls on the last platform on the repel down. You squeeze this contraption, (I forgot the name of it) to control your speed, and if you start to go too fast down, one of the guides is at the top with another rope control to stop you. So, basically, they let you do it, but they don't leave any room for errors or accidents, which was comforting. As a point of reference, I sorta inched my way down very slowly, and it was all good. I was glad to be down on the ground, but like I said before, I would do it again! Also, even being 6' tall, I too, had to jump up a bit to be connected by THREE cables to the zip line.

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