Costa Rica: Canopy ride on the zip line

The zip line platform. More narrative to follow.

A Canopy tour is a great way to see a rain forest. You are up high in the trees where both birds and monkeys are in abundance. What a zip line tour enables you to do is move over a wide geographic area on tree platforms going from station to station.

I did this once before in CR when visiting in 2002 on coffee business a couple of hours outside San Jose. This time we were on the Caribbean side and only had to travel about 45 minutes with our tour guide Freddie to make it into a nature preserve operated by jungle breeze. Freddie was full of fun facts about CR and knew more about flowers than any straight man should have.

Zip tours are usually measured by platforms and distance. This was a 13 platform circuit that was a little over a mile that was tree to tree only. My previous excursion in 2002 was a 24 platform circuit that included 10 tower to tower lines about the height of a fire station in the West.

Most of my group of 15 was again older folks of varying levels of conditioning. One lady wore pink slippers and another designer Capri’s. Most professed a fear of heights which made there even being there the more absurd.

We harnessed up, put on our helmets, and listened to our tree boss tell us all that was going to be happening in the next hour. The clanking of the carabineers on our harnesses was enough to get their attention as we climbed a short hill to the first platform. I made my way to the front of the line since most of my companions were clutching the handrail complaining about the climb and that they shouldn’t have to walk.

Since I had done it before I volunteered to go first climbing onto the platform and hooking up. The first 3 legs were all designed to be shorter so you could become accustomed to the sensation. The ideal form was to lean back placing your legs out and then crossing them. Hopping off the platform I rode the cable to platform 2 and headed into the forest preserve.

I began to slow down about 10 before the next tree, so you flip around on the cable backwards and monkey climb hand over hand to the platform. This is very common and reviewed extensively at the beginning of the orientation. You clip your safety strap onto the tree as you take a few minutes to enjoy the view then zip to the next platform.

The guides were very nice, each time asking your name and how you were doing. I think it had something to do with the tip jar back at the harness hut at the end. I moved along pretty quickly through the circuit as they progressively got longer and higher. On two of the zips I shuttled water to the next platform to the dehydrated staff member. That was kind of fun and gave you an excuse to 1 hand your way around.

The views were spectacular because you looked over rain forest to the ocean beyond. Our ship was one bay over so the ships in sight were mostly Dole company freighters.

There were a few others that did not fare as well. Three of the ladies got off after the initial three platforms. You could tell something was up because there were some sizable time gaps as people were coming in on their final run. One guy thought he may have soiled himself. Why you would ever confess that to a group amazes me.

All in all it was a good trip. The rides were fun however not extreme and meant for more pedestrian consumption. Freddie our master of ceremonies was loaded with personality, a winning smile, and great stories about his country. He recognized the importance of “the guest experience” for his country.