What goes through your head as you walk down a set of stairs
(sans handrail) that lead directly into a chasm of trees, rocks and rushing
water, and prepare to leap off the edge?
I’ll spare you the expletives, but needless to say, the beauty
of the natural surroundings tends to fade away, drowned out by the thundering
sound of your heart pumping and your breath quickening to a frantic pace. But
that jolt of adrenaline, right before pushing off of the edge and praying that
a climbing harness, steel zipline cable and pulley will bear your weight, is
just what all adventure seekers are after.
Now, a slight preface here: while others may consider donning a
squirrel suit and base jumping out of a helicopter “extreme,” Ziptreking, to
many others
(including myself), is
pretty damn scary/exhilarating.
I’ve been waiting to make a trip with Ziptrek Ecotours since I
moved here a year and a half ago, so when my friend, Meghan, came for a visit,
it was time to take the plunge — literally.
But before taking you along on our journey, a bit of history:
back in 2001, two friends and entrepreneurs, Charles Steele and David Udow,
founded the adventure tourism company with the vision of combining ecology
education with a killer adrenaline rush. Mission accomplished.
Their site encompasses over 33 acres of diverse terrain, which
includes old growth and second growth forest, steep cliffs and the forest
floor, and spans the area between Whistler and Blackcomb mountains.
On top of their two Ziptrek tours — Bear and Eagle
— they also offer the TreeTrek canopy walk, a fully-guided ecology tour
that takes guests along the treetops by suspension bridge and observation
platforms. Perfect for the less adventurous explorers out there, and for
families, as kids under the age of six are permitted, though they must be in a
carrier.
For our very first Ziptrek experience, we opted to check out
the Eagle Tour, which features five ziplines and three treetop bridges, lasts
for about three hours and costs $119 for adults and $99 for youth and seniors.
Starting out at the Carleton Lodge, we were introduced to our
friendly and informative guides, Al and Jay, who would be leading us into an
exploration of the coastal temperate rainforest right in our own backyard. Al,
who has worked for Ziptrek for one and a half years, now has guided over 1,000
tours, leading groups of all ages and backgrounds through the thrilling course.
The ecological aspect of the tour was actually much stronger
than I expected it would be, starting as soon as we loaded into the “Zipmobile”
and began making our way up to the course, which features an impressive network
of trails, suspension bridges, observation platforms, and ziplines.
As we passed over Fitzsimmons Creek, Jay casually pointed out
that, during the tour, we would be suspended up to 180 feet over that same body
of water. The looks on the faces of our fellow Ziptrekkers were priceless.
And sustainability is definitely a mantra that has been adopted
by the company as a whole. During each tour, guides educate guests about
Whistler’s Natural Step Framework as they make their way through the course.
And they put their money where their mouth is, so to speak, using renewable energy
resources like solar panels and hydroelectric operations to light the course
and control gates.
An incredibly upbeat Jay immediately began reeling off
information about the region, going as far back as two million years ago, to
the last ice age, when the local mountains were completely covered. And did you
know that there are 36 acres of tropical rainforest for every one acre of
coastal temperate rainforest? Yeah, neither did I. Towards the end of the tour,
on one of the final platforms, Al and Jay pointed up towards the long strands
of lichen hanging from the imposing trees, adding that it grows at a rate of
about one millimetre per year.
That’s not to say that we weren’t having fun learning about
this 10,000-year-old ecosystem. In fact, the guides did a great job of
lightening the mood during the scarier parts of the trip, ensuring that anyone
with rattled nerves was calm and comfortable. They cracked jokes about “ghost
wedgies” (the effect that harnesses can leave even after you remove them), and
Al even made a Ron Burgandy reference on the fourth and longest line, shouting
“cannonball!” as he leapt from the platform, knees tucked under clasped arms,
into the abyss.
Soaring along the steel cable at speeds up to 100 kilometres
per hour, you can’t waste your time with eyes clenched shut in fear —
rather, the guides encouraged us all to take in the natural surroundings, and
trust in their impeccable safety record. The day we chose to go up also
happened to be one of the first days of snowfall of the season, much to our
delight. Snow-topped trees and trails definitely made for a beautiful setting
as we zoomed along the treetops, though we could have used a pair of goggles so
we could take in the view without having snow fly into our eyes. Oh well, we’ll
know for next time!
By the fifth and final line, Al and Jay had the entire group comfortable enough with the concept of flinging themselves off of the platforms that they were even able to talk us into jumping off backwards and flipping upside down, cruising down the last line in style.
