Ziplining on Grouse Mountain

I get asked many questions in the course of a day and need to have many answers.  Often, but not always, they are tourist questions and I'm not very good making it up.  For instance Grouse Mountain, if you have been reading my posts I wrote about my experience a couple of weeks ago there but I didn't do everything and I wouldn't either because I don't sky or snow...anything.  It is cold in winter usually and I'm okay not getting cold.  So I haven't done Zip-Lining and needed to tick that off.  Grouse Mountain, looking to attract as many guests as possible want the tourism front line folks, such as myself, to experience what they do and that is why I got another invitation to visit the mountain.

Our weather this "summer" has been more like spring or a wet fall, it has been cool and rainy, our day on Grouse was no different except that on Grouse Mountain you might be in the clouds...and we were.  We drove up from the house in about 20 minutes, it is really close if you are driving but if you aren't there is a shuttle that goes, so it isn't difficult to get to.  Up the Gondola - lots of people talking so I didn't hear the stats they give (I always forget how high the mountain is).  Once on top we went to the orientation and then had some lunch in "Altitudes  Bistro"  I had Halibut and chips which were very nice and Ron had a burger which was as big as the mountain!  Both meant for a physical appetite.  We were squirming in our seats anticipating our 4 pm Zip Line experience.

at 3:35 we left the restaurant and walked the short distance to the Zip building - the cloud cover was pretty thick and we weren't sure we'd find it but we did, things are well signed/marked on Grouse.  We had to put on a body harness and helmet, sign a waiver and get a short orientation.  It was a team of 3 who took out 4 guests, not a big group.  And then the fun started.  There are 5 runs, the first is a short one, to get you comfortable with flying through the air.  We worked our way over the mountain on 2 more rides and then took the gondola up to the Eye of the Wind area where there was an incredibly high line.  So far I hadn't been afraid of the height but standing on the platform I was getting a little nervous.  It is all safe, so intellectually I am remembering that when I got harnessed up but standing there was a moment of trepidation.  Off I went - the cloud was so thick I couldn't see the end of the line, I couldn't see the mountain below me.  All I could see were some tree tops and maybe 50 feet of cable.  And it was doing what clouds do - it was raining in my face, I almost had to close my eyes but I wouldn't because I didn't want to miss anything.

That was line 4 and we had one more to go.  A very scenic climb up the mountain - on a clear day I am sure I would have posed for pictures - and then up a huge tower for the last platform.  I asked how high up the last line was.  About 300 feet I believe was the answer...no wonder I couldn't see the bottom.  But #5 is even higher..."how high?" I ask foolishly just prior to zipping.  Oh about 450 ft!  So equivalent to a 45 or 50 storey building!  Whoosh off I went.  There are various positions one can take to either accellerate or go slowly.  I chose to go slowly so I could enjoy the view - it was pretty amazing.  And I'd definitely do that again.  I had that feeling of adrenalin and good feeling one should get from being outdoors.  Thanks Grouse Mountain for sharing something pretty amazing..........I'll be back!

This was our group - 4 guests and 3 crew. EVOLUTION It starts with Egon from Estonia as the worm. I'm almost evolved at the end.....

Some construction involved with ZipLine Construction. The path to No Where... but FUN and EXCITEMENT and EXHILARATION

So Scenic along the paths

Me on the first Zip. Can you tell I am a novice....hands tight on the bar.

That's the spring at the end of one of the Ziplines. It is your best friend because it stops you at pretty high speeds. I think one of the lines you could go 50 km and hour!